Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Reviews
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is, at best, a serviceable Souls-like. If you enjoy Nioh and Sekiro, it’s a fun bit of filler, but it’s derivative and bloated, serving as a highlight reel of previous Souls-likes while missing the point of what made its inspirations, and even predecessors, unique to begin with.
A dark & brutal journey through a twisted Three Kingdoms China that likes to remind you of your place at every opportunity.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty offers a mixed gaming experience. While it attempts to blend elements from the “Souls” genre with Team Ninja’s signature combat, it falls short in storytelling and gear management. The combat system shines as a highlight, offering a satisfying and challenging experience. However, the game’s repetitiveness, issues with progression, and lackluster story may deter some players. In the end, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has its merits but also a fair share of rough edges, making it a title that will resonate more with fans of Team Ninja’s combat style than those seeking a seamless “Souls” experience.
While it features some interesting new ideas and a stunning new setting, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty fails to live up to the brilliance of Nioh and Nioh 2. A lot of effort has gone into developing the game’s spirit and deflection systems, but it leaves a feeling that Team Ninja has lost what makes titles in this genre fun – even difficult and punishing ones. While Elden Ring expanded the appeal of this style of game, it feels like Wo Long does the opposite and is only for the most committed. If you enjoy the Soulslike formula, especially the Nioh series, then there’s a lot to like in Wo Long if you’re willing to put in the time, but this really is a game for hardcore fans of the genre only.
More of a side-step than an evolution from Nioh 2, Wo Long is inventive and an adventure worth taking even if it’s technically suspect on PS5, but won’t live massively long in the memory once you’ve slain your final boss.
The act of swordplay is still quite fun in Wo Long, but as soon as you'll get to ending credits, the game will likely just evaporate from you brain entirely.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Wo Long: Fallen Dinasty is a title that with completely convinces. A wasted opportunity, despite the setting and the very inspired boss fights. Perhaps with proper improvement patches, and especially by fixing the framerate issue (which plagues, albeit less consistently, the big sister versions as well) the title could have a wide margin for improvement. And we, all things considered, really hope so.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty isn’t a bad game per-se and fans of Dark Souls-esque combat should find enough to whet the appetite. Once you get the hang of the Critical-counters and playing aggressively, Wo Long isn’t too much of a challenge though, which is perhaps a bit of a disappointment. The gameplay is very much going to be a make-or-break affair for many people.
A hair-pullingly difficult journey through zombie-infested ancient China that left me Crushingly Defeated.DualShockers was provided with a copy of the game for review purposes.
Ninja Theory’s combat gameplay is astounding in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. The fast-paced nature of it might feel frustrating at first, but with a bit of practice, it becomes an intricate dance that’s as satisfying to play as it is to watch on screen. Every boss battle and unique encounter mechanics were enjoyable, and I never felt frustrated battling against the same enemies.
If you are looking for a game for that feeling of martial arts and feeling untouchable once you get deflection down, this is the game for you. Even if you like to have games with nuanced use of game mechanics and deep character building, the combat feel of Wo Long is still something it does exceptionally well. If nothing else, this is a good way to branch out into the older titles, despite it having a higher floor to overcome. At full price or not, it is hard to not at least respect what the developers offered.
If you are coming into this as a curious fan of the Souls series, there are a lot of commonalities that may be intriguing, but those are merely accents to what is truly a classic Team Ninja experience.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's shaky story and reliance on grinding let down one of the most satisfying soulslikes on the market. This proves Team Ninja is more than just the sum of its parts, even if it may need a sequel to get the most out of it.
Wo Long is fun and well made, but the features that allow it to shine aren't quite as developed as they should be.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a Souls-like Action RPG that feels like a fusion between Nioh and Sekiro. The gameplay is fast and offers a solid challenge as you are used to from the genre. For any Souls-like fan, the game is definitely worth playing.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
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 almost great. Its unfair difficulty is its most substantial flaw, but this is something that could be tweaked in an update. Exploring the world is an immense amount of fun, its controls and movement are fluid, and the world has a definitive sense of style. But many players won’t get to experience all that it has to offer due to its overpowered bosses, especially at the start of the game.
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
The Nioh series has already contended with some or all of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s quibbles, so veterans may not be the least bit dissuaded at the similar missteps made here. They’ll find tons of items to pore through and bosses to tangle with over a 35-hour campaign, with additional side quests and some fun 1-on-1 duels to dive back into after the credits scroll. If another Team Ninja Soulslike focused on parrying and inventory management sounds like a great time, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will certainly deliver, but a lack of mechanical polish and an inflated inconsistent campaign may be a hard sell to the uninitiated.
If you're new to Soulslikes, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty might be the most fun and accessible one yet thanks to a number of features it implements.