The First Hour of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

I’ve been looking forward to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty for a while, because Team Ninja develops really awesome titles. The trailers were impressive, and it was my choice for the most anticipated game of 2023.

In this third-person soulslike you play a warrior in 184 AD in China, where demons plague the Three Kingdoms on the hunt for Elixir. As the game starts a village has been decimated by invading Yellow Turban forces, and you’re joined by a mysterious blind archer.

The first hour of the game leads up to and includes the first boss, and it’s one heck of a start I have to say. You’re introduced to all of the combat mechanics, especially if you keep dying and it suggests that you go through the tutorial. Normal attacks raise your spirit so that you can use heavy attacks which are called “spirit attacks”. Everything uses spirit from blocking to stronger types of attacks, so you can’t rely just on those. Parrying and dodging will also give you spirit, once you get the timing down.

Your main damage-doers in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty are the Martial Arts and Wizardry Spells. Martial Arts vary depending on which weapon you wield, while Wizardry Spells are unlocked and equipable depending on your level. The more points you put into Fire, the more Fire spells you can unlock for instance.

Combat is a challenge, as you might expect from the genre. As you progress you gain a Morale Rank, and so long as your rank is higher than your opponent you’ll be fine. Going against a 15 while you’re six is not a good idea, though is technically possible I suppose? If you’re defeated, that enemy will gain the ranks that you lose, making them tougher to beat when you return for revenge. Bosses, thankfully, don’t gain ranks upon defeating you.

I won’t sugar coat it, the first boss in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a lot tougher than it has any right being. I know this is a soulslike, but his attacks are relentless and your health and spirit are not. To say you’re less than an hour into the game, it’s punishingly endless and I actually had to go and grind a little to get more upgrade points to put into defence.

For those who are looking for a challenge, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an easy recommendation. But if this is your first soulslike or you require literally any kind of accessibility options, I would avoid it. Make sure to read our review, which goes into much better detail, before you make your decision!