In the current gaming landscape, the decision to release a free demo reflects a developer’s unwavering confidence in their product. This is especially true for PC, a platform that has historically struggled with optimization. Team Ninja’s latest creation, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, shows great promise as a captivating dark-fantasy adventure, reminiscent of a marriage between Nioh and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The short demo offers a glimpse into the intriguing lore set in China, the flashy combat mechanics, and introduces new features that make the challenging Souls-like experience more accessible. However, with the game’s release just around the corner, it also exposes some minor performance issues and significant problems with keyboard and mouse controls.
When it comes to PC releases from Koei Tecmo, control issues are somewhat expected. Nevertheless, I commend Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty for having a less complicated control scheme compared to the Nioh games it draws inspiration from. The option to enable keyboard and mouse button prompts is a significant improvement over the PC port of Nioh 2 in 2021, which only displayed controller button icons regardless of the input method used. While this issue was eventually fixed with a patch, players were initially forced to spend time adapting to the control mappings.
Unfortunately, the camera controls in the Wo Long demo fall short and do not respond well to mouse input. Despite adjusting the in-game sensitivity setting to the maximum, I couldn’t escape the feeling of sluggishness as the camera intermittently slowed down and abruptly jerked in different directions. This issue was particularly pronounced during vertical movement and while navigating the map. Switching to a DualSense controller provided a smoother and more responsive experience. As someone who has played every Souls-like game using a keyboard and mouse setup, the switch wasn’t effortless, and I found myself constantly adjusting the mouse DPI settings based on the situation. Thankfully, this didn’t pose a significant problem during combat since I could easily lock onto enemies.
Moving on to the premise and character creation in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, players are transported to a fictionalized version of China’s later Han Dynasty, plagued by demonic forces. Amidst the chaos, a mysterious Taoist in Black pursues the idea of the Elixir, a rare substance that supposedly grants immortality. In this tumultuous era, a hero emerges, and players have the opportunity to shape their character in the extensive character creation screen. I highly recommend taking full advantage of the customization options since progress made in the free demo carries over to the full game, saving valuable time after its official release. Although the character creation options offer depth, any drastic changes to appearance may not be immediately noticeable unless pushed to the extreme using sliders. Unlike Dark Souls, unconventional skin tones like pasty green or blue are not possible, with the most one can achieve being a light olive tone.
Starting as a nameless soldier and eventually evolving into a legendary figure, players are thrust into the Yellow Turban Rebellion. For those short on time, there are several character templates available, one of which resembles William Adams, the protagonist from Nioh. A cool Easter egg for fans!
The gameplay and combat mechanics in the Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty demo are reminiscent of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, with a heavy emphasis on precise parries. While dodging and blocking enemy attacks are viable strategies, they often result in prolonged battles. Enemies in Wo Long exhibit more intelligence, defending themselves as long as you continuously attack. As a player, patience is key. Waiting until the last moment, just before an enemy strike, allows for a quick deflection, knocking them off balance and creating an opening for counterattacks. This rhythmic gameplay loop is the essence of mastering Wo Long’s combat. However, depleting enemy health bars is not the only path to victory.
In line with the quote “Hesitation is defeat” from Sekiro, Wo Long introduces a Spirit Gauge that fills up when successfully landing hits or deflecting enemy attacks. This gauge grants access to martial arts techniques, Spirit (heavy) attacks, and Wizardry Spells. Maintaining an aggressive playstyle is crucial to keep the Spirit Gauge filled. However, getting hit by enemies not only reduces the Spirit Gauge but also diminishes your health. The same principle applies to enemies, allowing players to unleash a barrage of attacks until their Spirit Gauges are drained, leaving them vulnerable to a final blow. Similar to Sekiro’s posture bar mechanic, enemies may have full health, but breaking their stance guarantees victory.
The learning curve for this combat style is steep, especially when facing demons with unpredictable movesets. However, once players grasp the mechanics, every battle feels like a choreographed dance, with the clash of weapons serving as the rhythm. Finding the specific rhythm unique to each encounter is essential.
When it comes to exploration, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty offers a more open experience compared to the Nioh games, emphasizing verticality. Players can jump onto rooftops to discover hidden openings or search for loot scattered throughout the world. Who knows, stumbling upon shortcuts may prove incredibly useful. If fortunate, players may find superior weapons, each catering to different playstyles. For example, the Polearm Podao, which I came across early in the game, allowed for swift piercing damage while maintaining distance from foes. However, the Great Club of Polaris, obtained by defeating the first boss, Zhang Liang, dealt massive damage but was slow and cumbersome. While it is possible to complete the game with a single weapon, adapting to enemy attack patterns by switching between weapons is the ideal approach. In situations where a direct confrontation feels risky, players can resort to their bow and arrow, picking off enemies from a distance, one by one.
A unique aspect of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is the inclusion of the Morale system, which ties into the game’s difficulty. Each enemy has a floating number above their head, indicating their Morale rank and helping players assess whether engaging in combat is safe or not. Think of it as a secondary leveling system, where higher Morale equates to increased strength. However, if players are defeated by an opponent, they lose the accumulated XP from that playthrough, as well as a portion of their Morale.
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Eugen Boglaru is an AI aficionado covering the fascinating and rapidly advancing field of Artificial Intelligence. From machine learning breakthroughs to ethical considerations, Eugen provides readers with a deep dive into the world of AI, demystifying complex concepts and exploring the transformative impact of intelligent technologies.
