Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has received many positive reviews worldwide, and some people say it’s the successor of Nioh or could be Elden Ring 2.0. Not to mention, the game excites the fans of Nioh and Elden Ring. But do you have what it takes to play Wo Long?
It’s not surprising at all, as the developer of Nioh is the same developer as Wo Long. But Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is way better than its predecessor in many ways. But honestly, this game is not for everyone. We will give you 4 reasons why: you should play Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and 4 reasons why you should not. Let’s start.
Why You Should Play Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
1. You Want to Experience Nioh, Again
As we mentioned above, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a direct descendant of the previous Team NINJA game, Nioh. Both games are similar in many ways, like:
- Equipment,
- Combat,
- Magic, and
- Building Levels in terms of gameplay.
But Wo Long offers improved mechanics than Nioh with a modified combat system that combines strength attack with magic. Also, they took a different approach this time by placing players’ spawn points after death, a new system impacting the damage of the player and opponent.
2. Love Slashing
Compared to Nioh, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is very different in terms of combat. The combat doesn’t look as wimpy as before. This time, they incorporated weak attacks with the force of the spirit. A fatigue bar glides into increased blows. The main character jumps around the screen like a grasshopper, and the abundance of effects from the magic makes everything wholesome.
Additionally, the combat system gained a new technique: repelling an attack that is reminiscent of a parry from Sekiro: Shawos Die Twice. Each deflected hit increases the fatigue of the enemy and fills the characters’ spirit bar. The new mechanic, combined with a strong attack, deals more damage and makes it more convenient for the players to enjoy the game.
3. You Play on Console
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty feels great if you play the game on the console. In a PlayStation 5, the technical state of the game is positive, and you will get the best performance and quality out of the game. Also, convenient control and use of DualSense just put the cherry on top. If you have an Xbox Series X console, then don’t worry. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty performs well in that console too. So, if you have a console, play Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
4. You like to Play with Friends
It is not a shame to ask for help to deal with difficult bosses. Team NINJA thought that, too, and included a multi-player system where you will be able to play with your friends or a stranger. This will help players who want to experience the game with someone else. As the game is really challenging, and some players even struggle with the first boss, you are more likely to play the game with other players to finish the game. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty also features three-person co-op and fight clubs like in Dark Souls.
Why You Should Not Play Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
1. Don’t like Hardcore Games
Like Nioh, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is very hardcore. You will feel the shivering in your spine the moment you visit the first boss of the game. The game starts at an easy pace, and you will be able to do anything with a little hurdle. But slowly but surely, the game feels hard.
When the boss turns into a massive monster with a red hand, it will even make the most notorious Dark Souls and Nioh series fans sweat because even the slightest mistake will punish you.
Guess what? This is only a warm-up. It will get much worse as time passes. Bosses on horseback, spearman with the long-range attack, monsters from Chinese mythology with a lot of tentacles – all of them will keep you on your feet throughout the game.
2. You don’t like to Grind
The new “Morale System” literally pushes you into a tedious run to kill enemies in an area until the player reaches the maximum “Morale” level. The fact is that they also subsidized opponents of the system. The developers wanted to give the players an understanding of which zones are not worth exploring.
But when you reach Morale level 25, you can reduce the incoming damage and increase damage to your opponent. This also works with bosses, as one boss exceeds the Morale level of 20. In addition, death at the hands of the enemy lowers morale, so you need to skip some areas for the future.
I won’t say much about the equipment grinding, as each element of a weapon or armor has individual characteristics that the players will have to upgrade. So, you need resources and game currency for the upgrade, which means grind, grind, grind.
3. You don’t know Chinese Mythology
Many reviews pointed out the problematic presentation of Chinese mythology. It feels like Team NINJA hoped that the person who will play Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty already knows the Three Kingdoms’ history.
There is no introduction of the characters and no backstory; without that, you will be left out on one of the crucial aspects of why people play a game “Immersion.” We want to feel the character, and we want to experience the moments and think that we are in the character’s shoes. That’s immersion.
Instead of this, they stuff us with color, the names of military leaders, and their accomplishments. The game doesn’t explain the appearance of monsters, the dead, and other paranormal activities.
4. You play on PC
Think twice before you buy Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty on PC. The game is terribly optimized and lags even at low graphics settings. If you played Nioh 2 on PC, then you know what I am saying. To fuel the fire, the lack of support for custom resolutions and lousy keyboard and mouse controls makes the game even worse on PC.
Team NINJA’s previous game suffered similar problems on PC, but they didn’t fix them. If you have an Xbox Game Pass, try the Microsoft subscription version first. But my personal opinion on the PC version and feedback from other players indicate not to buy this game on PC. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is the first technical failure on PC this year.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty could be the best game of the year, but for consoles. We must wait, as 2023 will offer gamers one of the best years yet. Hogwarts Legacy and Wild Hearts show great potential, but we know the best is yet to come.