Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Reviews
Far from an unqualified win, Wo Long does manage to be an entertaining ride. When it leans into the strength of its combat it’s a joy. But much like that combat, there’s a push and pull to the changes that never quite coalesce.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is another highly enjoyable effort from Team Ninja that wears its Sekiro inspirations proudly on its sleeves, but it may lack the brutal challenge that usually accompanies these games.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a damn near flawless game. The combat, while demanding, is the most rewarding combat system I’ve encountered, not just within Team Ninja’s portfolio, but within the Souls-like genre in general. By placing a focus on the timing of deflections and playing defense, without sacrificing any of their trademark speed and intensity, the developers over at Team Ninja have created a system that may just represent the peak of the genre. Along with the improved level design and a focus on exploration that rewards going off the beaten path, much like Elden Ring was for From Software, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty feels like the near-perfect refinement of the formula they’ve iterated on over the years. If you can look past the admittedly frustrating focus on randomized gear and a slightly incoherent story, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a masterpiece that deserves a place in the collection of any Souls-like fan.
Overall, I do think Wo Long has a good starting foundation that I’m sure other players in the community will be able to master more than me. I don’t want to claim I’m expert at the game (despite finishing NG+ on hard,) but I have seen others based on the demo manage to pull things off I haven’t. Basically what I’m saying is that the things I disliked, aren’t necessarily going to be the things the community dislike. Wo Long is still an entertaining game to play through. Its combat is solid, making it closer to Sekiro, Ninja Gaiden, and even Onimusha, though I do feel some things could have been fleshed out more. Souls and Nioh fans will no doubt be right at home with this, as it certainly scratches that Soul itch, and for that I do recommend you play the game at some point.
Even without a gripping story, Wo Long is a wild ride from the beginning to the end. The story and visuals suffer more than they should, but it's still a solid role-playing game. Seasoned Nioh fans will have to pick up their paces to adjust to Wo Long's combat system. Not everyone will relish Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, but those willing to take on the challenge will have a fantastic time.
Team Ninja refines and perfects its soulslike style to the maximum by relying entirely on the parry system. The studio delivers a frantic, fast-paced, very satisfying and, of course, sometimes frustrating adventure, but overall well-balanced thanks to the companions, combat styles and the magic of ancient China.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Team Ninja brings us one of the best soulsborne by cleaning up the excesses and focusing on an accessible but difficult to master combat system.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Although technical issues and poor loot system hold it back, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s difficult but incredibly rewarding gameplay makes it an outstanding game in its genre.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a title that will appeal to those looking to try something different on an otherwise familiar base.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a big-time adrenaline rush, dropping the overwhelming RPG systems of Nioh for a more streamlined, arcade-like approach to battle.
I have never died so many times, and still been excited to jump back in and die again. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty may be my first completed soulslike, but it won’t be my last. If your game can launch someone into a new genre they used to avoid, it’s safe to say you’ve done something extraordinary—and Team Ninja has.
I kept coming back, fiending for that massive dopamine rush that courses through you when you finally achieve the impossible in this type of game. In a sea of Soulslike imitators, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty sails above the rest, carried by its stylish execution and the experience from Team Ninja’s unforgiving pedigree.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an impressive iteration for Team Ninja. It’s a more accessible title without sacrificing the challenge intrinsic to its success, it features one of the developer’s most satisfying combat systems to date, and it accomplishes this in levels that sport more verticality and exploration than ever before. It falters more than it probably should with regard to storytelling and graphical presentation—a somewhat consistent shortcoming in Team Ninja games—but it’s an exceptionally easy recommendation for anyone who enjoys more tasking action RPGs.
Wo Long carves its own path because of its distinct and rich combat system. Parrying is always fulfilling and the game’s many new systems are built around that rock-solid foundation. And while not quite the sharpest sword Team Ninja has crafted, it’s still as deadly as ever.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an excellent Souls-like that brings a good dose of adrenaline and will make you swear many times.
This is one of those highly difficult games that will easily take you apart, but when you triumph, you reach ecstasy. The difficulty is overcome in many ways, can be with good reflexes for the most capable, increased morale to defeat enemies or with flags, farm levels to balance the challenge or recruiting the help of NPCs or players. It's another electrifying Team Ninja experience that refined a lot about what you did in Nioh, but found on the bypass button a mechanic that injects great energy.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Nearly as fast as Sekiro dye, but still with a lot of tactical options in its duel-based fights, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty delivers a unique mix of different Soulslike attitudes. If the first boss wasn't a little too hard and the difficulty curve flattening more and more afterwards, Wo Long maybe could have beaten Nioh 2. That way it's not outstanding, but just a well done action RPG that can easily be recommended to any fan of the genre.
Review in German | Read full review
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty offers us an action game with touches of RPG set in a fictitious end of the Chinese Han dynasty. A soulslike in which learning from our mistakes will be vital for the good future of history. It has a difficulty that dances hand in hand with that frenetic action as well as fun that Team Ninja has accustomed us to. If you like the genre, it is a highly recommended and fun game to add to your collection, since after overcoming its initial peak of difficulty it will become a more affordable option. As a great incentive, mention its online mode, which will allow us to finish the adventure in the company of a friend. Completing the game will be a challenge that will cost us a lot, guaranteeing that it will be a good many hours that will hardly go below 40.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Team Ninja brings us a new title that smells of success and a new IP with this Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. A very fun, deep and challenging game that will delight all fans of the genre. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has become, on its own merits, a must-play game on our bookshelf.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Even if I didn’t care at all about its plot, and there were a handful of issues with its gameplay, namely feature creep, I played it for hours and hours. The brilliant mixture of Nioh, Sekiro, Bloodborne, and even a bit of Battlefield resulted in a game that feels familiar and fresh at the same time, and one of the most exciting action RPGs released in recent memory.