It’s fitting that it’s been a year since the release of Elden Ring, with no other games in 2022 attempting to reach the heights that FromSoftware did last year. It’s only natural that the next largest title that closely resembles the 300+ GOTY award winner would result in comparisons, and it will be happening a lot when the game is released to fans tomorrow.
Fortunately, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty takes a lot of inspiration from the title while also managing to be its own thing. It feels like the title from KOEI TECMO Games is a much more approachable title in the Soulslike genre, but on a much smaller scale than what you’ll find in the FromSoftware title. There’s linear progression, for one, and players nearly always have some kind of assistance.
While Wo Long doesn’t try to do anything other than present a realistically-challenging game, there are a lot of ways to take advantage of the tools you’re given to take on enemies. It’s not the most technically impressive game, but it does a great job of optimizing itself to ensure a better experience.
A generic action intro with intense fantasy elements
Players will begin this story as they do in so many other games like this, as a nameless hero burdened with the destiny to save the world. The character creator is pretty extensive though, which is a plus, and many players will be able to spend hours customizing their characters inside of it. It’s not incredibly diverse in its options, but it will allow players to create something unique to them.
The game takes place during the Han Dynasty in China around 184 AD as the Yellow Turban clan is sweeping across the country, ransacking villages and leaving disaster in their wake. Players join this story as someone protecting one of these villages, fighting off enemies from a certain blindfolded boy. He is with you for the intro to the game while you learn different mechanics, fighting alongside you.
There are several companions that players will interact with through the course of the game, with each new person offering a unique combat ability or weapon. While great at distracting the enemy, these AI companions don’t feel all that intelligent. They often claim to offer help when you’re at low health, only to stand in one place while the boss deals a death blow.
It’s wise not to have any of your plans hinge on these characters, who are enemy fodder at best. You should instead focus on leveling your character by grinding enemies, whether they be Yellow Turban or demonic. Players will gather points from killing enemies in the same way as the Souls games, spending accumulated points to level one attribute.
These attributes affect things like your health, resistances, and your main attack, but they also have an effect on the Wizardry spells you’re able to craft. This is an okay system that feels much more approachable than what new players were introduced to in Elden Ring last year. It’s much easier to create a character with a build you like when the upgradeable attributes are simplified.
Combat that feels good, not great
The actual flow of the fighting in the game is a lot of fun once you get the hang of it, but be aware that it requires your full focus at any given moment. While other games allow you to absent-mindedly slash your way through enemies, Wo Long takes on the Souls trend of making each move in a battle count. One misplaced dodge can be the difference between succeeding or dying for the 10th time.
The learning curve feels appropriate, with the first boss in the game having a special way to be defeated that can be initiated pretty early. Characters will need to learn how to use the deflect ability if they want to succeed, with this battle mechanic undeniably being one of the highlights of the game. There is nothing that feels as cool as sliding off the edge of an enemy’s attack before dealing the death blow.
That being said, there’s no real difference in classes between the weapons besides the martial arts abilities that seem to be tied to each weapon. There appear to be a handful of different weapon types in the game, but nothing that felt new or unique enough to the genre to warrant any kind of notice. Picking the weapon you like may just come down to preference in swing speed and damage.
There are great moments when the battles feel really amazing, like when you snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. On the other hand, there will be plenty of times when the opposite happens, and you need to be okay with taking a punch to the gut every now and then. Some moments in battle can come down to the millisecond you press the button, so strong patience will be your ally.
Those willing to stick it out, especially in the first battle, will be rewarded with a certain pride that is hard to understand until you feel it for yourself. While it can be really tempting to give up in the early game, this title does a great job of making that grind pay off. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a more approachable Soulslike game than even Elden Ring from a year ago.
A testament to on-the-fly optimization
One of the most impressive things about this title is how well it was able to optimize itself on the fly on PC, seemingly altering the graphics settings as you’re playing. This ensures that your computer is always running the game at its best, thanks to Wo Long‘s setting that allows you to prioritize FPS optimization as you play. The altered graphics are a trade-off for performance, and it’s noticeable in the game.
While not ideal, this is extremely preferable to having to deal with consistently dropped frames because the game is using more of your system. Allowing the game to correct itself as you play is incredibly useful and something that more games should implement. This would improve so many PC issues at launch if the game is able to identify performance issues and correct them.
Conclusion
Overall, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a great entry point to the Soulslike genre for those who found some of FromSoftware’s offerings unapproachable. While it’s not going to be winning any GOTY awards, there is still plenty of fun to be had in the challenging boss fights and unique layouts of each level. If anything though, this will likely just make fans of the genre want to go back and play an entry that does it better.
