Team NINJA is a development studio that needs no introduction, having made some of the best action games ever released, such as the Ninja Gaiden series. In the past few years, however, the Japanese studio branched into action role-playing games, releasing some extremely solid titles like the Nioh games and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. With complex role-playing game mechanics and loot systems having taken the spotlight for a few years in its games, it is not surprising to see the developer try to go back to its roots with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a new action role-playing game where the actual action gameplay will take precedence over every other gameplay system.
Here's everything you need to know about this demon-slaying adventure set in ancient China.
Release Date, Platforms, Editions
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty releases on PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One on March 3rd, 2023. The game will also be available from day one on Xbox Game Pass for both Xbox consoles and PC.
Alongside the game's Standard Edition, which will cost $59.99 / €69.99 in the United States and Europe respectively, and will include the Zhuque and Baihu Armor as pre-order bonuses, a Digital Deluxe Edition will also be available for the price of $84.99 / €94.99. This special edition includes a copy of the game, a digital mini soundtrack, a digital art book, the Season Pass granting access to all paid expansion, as well as the Zhuque and Baihu Armor pre-order bonuses.
A limited-edition Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Steelbook Edition will also be available when the game launches on March 3rd for $79.99 / €79.99. This edition will include a copy of the game and an exclusive collectible case alongside the bonus DLC items Crown of Zhurong and Crown of Gonggong.
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Setting, Genre, Mechanics
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's setting will be familiar to fans of the Dynasty Warriors series, as the game by Team NINJA will be set in 184 AD during the final days of the Han Dynasty, right before the beginning of what is known as the Three Kingdoms period. Like in the Nioh series, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will combine fantasy elements with historical figures such as Lu Bu, Zhang Jue of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and many others. These important figures in ancient Chinese history will either join the player or fight against him as they try to put an end to the influence of the mysterious Elixir, which has brought demons and corruption into the world.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a "masocore" action role-playing game in the vein of the Nioh series, but many are the differences between them. For starters, the game set in ancient China will feature more streamlined role-playing game mechanics, with fewer stats to enhance upon level-up and a simplified, easier-to-understand loot system that will still allow for ample customization.
With action game mechanics being in the spotlight again, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will feature fewer combat options. Gone are the three different stances seen in the Nioh series and the many assignable skills, replaced with a simple system that allows players to use up to four different elemental spells and two weapon skills, which change depending on the equipped weapon. The Deflection system, which allows players to deflect an enemy attack and leave them open for a short while, is also way more central than the parry systems seen in the Nioh games have ever been, as it also ties into the new Spirit System, which replaces the classic Stamina or Ki system. Managing this resource is extremely important not only to be able to attack with greater strength but also to use spells, skills, Deflection, and dodges and avoid getting stunned. As Spirit can also go into negative values, players must carefully evaluate when to take risks.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will also feature an interesting take on difficulty settings with the Morale system. Players and enemies all have a Morale level which can increase or decrease depending on successful deflection, damage dealt, and so on. The higher the Morale level, the more powerful the player or the enemy will be, so it will be possible to influence the difficulty of battles somewhat using this dynamic system. The ability to summon NPC allies with ease, as well as other human players, will make sure players will never be stuck fighting a particular enemy for too long. Speaking of multiplayer features, PvP will also return for some intense dueling.
The Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Morale System ties in nicely with the game's exploration mechanics. By exploring the stages fully, which now feature much better verticality thanks to the introduction of a jump button, players will be able to activate Battle and Marking Flags, which increase the base Morale level for the stage, which is extremely beneficial in case of defeat, as the player is reset to the base level every time they are defeated.
PC System Requirements, Console Display Modes
The Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty official PC system requirements were originally shared on the game's official website, detailing the specs required to run the game at 720p and 1080p resolutions. Upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS and Intel XeSS will help players boost performance, but only sometime after launch.
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The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game will come with two different display modes, Resolution Mode and Performance Mode that will prioritize either resolution, with a maximum output resolution of 4K, and performance, with a 60 FPS target. 120Hz modes will not be supported.
Trailers
Playable Demos
The first Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty demo was made available exclusively for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S for a limited time, allowing players to try out one of the game's early missions. Following the demo's release, Team NINJA asked for players' feedback, which was used to improve the experience, as highlighted in a survey.
A second playable demo featuring said improvements will be available on all formats from February 24th until March 27th. This demo will feature the final game's first two chapters, and all progress made in the demo can be carried over to the full release.
