Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! was considered a difficult game on the NES. The game has the player control a 110 pound featherweight named Little Mac who dreams of becoming the heavyweight champion. In order to do this he needs to knock out Mike Tyson in his prime, but first he has to get through several behemoth-sized boxers. If Mac just starts swinging his fists randomly at his opponents he's going to hit the canvas in a matter of seconds. Mac is greatly underpowered compared to all his opponents, but if he studies their movements, learns their cues and masters the timing, through dodging, blocking and counter attacks, he can knockout Bald Bull, Mr. Sandman, Super Macho Man and even Iron Mike. This the same mentality a player needs to adapt if they wish to have a prayer of surviving in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
The year is 184 AD. The Han Dynasty has reached its twilight as the land is engulfed in chaos. The imperial dynasty is on the brink of collapse amidst the uprising of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. A nameless soldier travels to a village in Xu Province to fight against the Yellow Turbans. This warrior encounters a young man who imparts a Jade amulet with the powerful to heal its wearer. This Jade amulet along with assistance from Divine Beast Yinglong is able to defeat one of the leaders of the Yellow Turbans. Sadly, this victory is short lived as dark magic turns friend into foe which fatally wounds our hero. Though because of Jade, death is nothing more than a temporary inconvenience.
The gameplay of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is more comparable to Nioh than Dynasty Warriors but that doesn't mean fans of the latter won't see a lot of familiar faces. Given the year in which Wo Long takes place, it's no surprise that the Yellow Turbans are out, but many other familiar faces will make an appearance. For fans of Dynasty Warriors and other Three Kingdoms related games, it's nice to see a familiar face when exploring this demon-infested version of China. Sometimes these familiar officers are enemies, but having someone like Zhao Yun as a sidekick is a great feeling.
As a nameless soldier there's no set identity for the player to adhere to which gives freedom in character creation. This facilitates players designing characters patterned after themselves, other characters from other media or just their own creations. The customization options include hairstyle and color, makeup and accessories like an eyepatch to name a few. There are two different body times, and following the trend of games becoming more inclusive, the player can choose their pronouns from different options independent of their selected body type.
Deflection is terrible when your therapist accuses you of doing it, but it's a crucial skill to master in Wo Long. This is a world where battles are won through patience and precise timing. Weak enemies can often be dispatched through quick aggression but anything rated higher than cannon fodder will require finesse. Some boss fights feel more like a dance than a battle. The player needs to duck, block and deflect in order to stay alive and get their shots in when they can. Learning how to read the enemy for cues is the key for success. It's easy to get discouraged, but that's part of the learning curve with this type of game. In fact, the first boss encounter serve as a tutorial. The first form allows the player an opportunity to be aggressive. Defense is important, but if the player wants to go in guns blazing, they can be victorious as long as they remember to block. The second form is in instruction on the importance of defense and patience. This is a fight that cannot be won by sheer aggression; patterns must be memorized and defensive techniques mastered. Perseverance is rewarded with a great feeling of accomplishment when that boss's ten win streak finally comes to an end.
Mastery of defensive techniques is important, but learning the different types of attacks is equally as crucial. There are a total of thirteen different weapon types in Wo Long, each with a different set of pros and cons. Dual wielding sabers allows several attacks to be quickly executed, but might lack the range of a spear of wide cleaving arc of a glaive. A giant hammer doesn't have the speed of these lighter weapons, but it does pack a punch. Carrying out normal attacks is fine in most situations, but more powerful attacks can be unleashed that use up the player's Spirit Gauge. Spirit Attacks and Martial Arts are powerful attacks that can break through the enemy's defense and deplete their amount of spirit. These attacks are more devastating that the normal attacks, but be careful not to overextend the Spirit.
Having one's character progress to greater abilities is a slow grind in Wo Long. Like many soulslike games each increase in level offers only the tiniest of stat boosts. At each level the player chooses to increase the value of one of the Five Virtues: Earth, Fire, Metal, Water or Wood. Each Virtue is tied to a different set of attributes, and increasing the level in a particular virtue unlocks more powerful Wizardry Spells. Continuously assaulting an enemy with elemental attacks can inflict different status effects on them. Wood can drain their Spirit energy while setting an enemy on fire can cause continuous damage to their Health. Divine Beasts are an interesting feature once they get unlocked. These creatures can either be summoned to carry out their unique ability or Divine Beast Resonance can be activated which grants passive buffs.
Similar to those well-known games that are notorious for having a high level of difficulty, Wo Long has an incredibly high level of difficulty with no easy mode available. Its difficulty is more forgiving in the early stages allowing players to learn the ropes, but once the first boss battle comes around it's clear this game isn't screwing around. There's a morale system that makes things slightly easier. The morale rank can be increased up to 25 and that's the number shown over the player's head. Higher morale equates to more available battle elements and less damage sustained from enemies. The moral rank of the enemies is also shown which can be a quick threat indicator. Green is the same morale level as the player, yellow is one to four ranks higher and red is five or more ranks higher. Defeating enemies and performing special attacks can increase this rank, but being on the receiving end of a critical attack can reduce it. Defeat means the morale ranks drops down to the current fortitude level. If a player is having difficulty with a boss they can help their odds by repeatedly using a flag to respawn enemies and farm them until the moral rank improves. If a boss still defeats the player, their rank will return to what it was at time of death if they challenge the boss again.
For a game with a difficulty level that can be described as grueling Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty feels surprisingly accessible. It's still challenging and any encounter has the potential be fatal for the lackadaisical player but getting to the boss in each area didn't prove to be that difficult. The boss fights on the other hand are where Wo Long reminds you what type of game it is and it is likely most players will require several attempts to even get past the first boss. Frustrating as these fights can be, there is a huge rush and feelings of accomplishment when the player is able to pull off a no damage victory against an enemy that initially seemed unbeatable. Wo Long can be player cooperatively online with up to two friends, which this is the type of game where co-op makes everything more enjoyable.
The Three Kingdoms have been the subject of countless video games since the NES days with Destiny of an Emperor, at least that was this reviewer's introduction. As such there's a certain level of familiarity with the subject matter among gamers. Wo Long takes demonic liberties with the story, but this dark fantasy take is actually refreshing. Seeing familiar faces and battles in a world twisted by dark magic and demons helps make a familiar setting feel new again. With certain characters being built up to be godlike in power, through, the myths that surround them in this setting lends itself well to a difficult game like this.
From technical graphic quality to the artistic direction, Wo Long is amazing to behold. The ancient Chinese landscape is a perfectly mixed blend of realistic architecture and flora combined with otherworldly elements of the demonic presence. Watching the character pull off some of the combo attacks is brutal poetry in motion. Occasionally there are minor visual bugs like an amulet disappearing into a tunic, but for the most part there weren't any major technical hiccups during the review. In a game where timing is critical controls need to be extremely tight which thankfully is the case here. In addition to the importance of defensive techniques, players will need to learn how to balance normal attacks, Spirit Attacks, Wizardry Spells and Martial Arts and the smooth controls allow for precise execution of whichever combination is necessary for the situation.
Closing Comments:
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a dark fantasy take on the Three Kingdoms. The difficulty is high, almost seeming insurmountable at first, but part of what makes Wo Long great is how the difficulty isn't unfair. The gameplay is structured where players are rewarded for learning the fighting style of their enemies and using their mastery of their own skills against them. It can be frustrating and requires patience to master, but it's such a great feeling to finally overcome a strong adversary. Challenge alone does not make a game great, but Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty excels in every area from artistic design to gameplay mechanics. Watching nameless warrior execute their different moves is akin to a ballet of brutality. The gameplay mechanics are are smooth and responsive as the game is challenging, making it a joy to invest the time in mastering the battle system. This isn't the Three Kingdoms setting we were expecting, but it is the Three Kingdoms game we needed.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
- Platform(s)
- PS5 , PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , PC
- Released
- March 3, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Team Ninja
- Publisher(s)
- Koei Tecmo
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- ESRB
- Rated M for Mature for Blood & Gore and Violence.
- How Long To Beat
- 27 Hours