Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty might not be an easy game to deal with. Team Ninja’s latest creation features a complex combat system that needs to be fully mastered to progress in the story and defeat the enemies. A well-timed deflect can save your character’s life countless times, while spells can buff your stats or deal increased damage to opponents.

　　As you would expect from a true action RPG, other key aspects also considerably affect the gameplay, increasing the level of challenge by no small amount. If you feel some tips could benefit your brand-new adventure in ancient China, you’re in the right place. This guide will help you get confident with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s pace and mechanics, also giving you some valuable suggestions to approach the game in the best possible way.

　　

Learn how to properly deflect

Most enemy attacks can be blocked by guarding against them with L1/LB/Right Click. You will be able to stop them without being damaged, and the timing of the action won’t matter at all. However, this will consume your Spirit, corresponding to the bar below your health. If this falls to the lowest level, you will end up in some serious trouble during fights, as you won’t be able to perform any action until it returns to its base level.

　　Moreover, some specific enemy attacks can’t be blocked by simply guarding against them. Critical Blows will heavily damage you if you get hit, and the only chance you have to stop them is by deflecting at the right time. You’ll notice them coming because the enemy’s body will glow red, and you need to press the deflect button (O/B/TAB) just before you get hit. If you manage to do so, some of your Spirit will be replenished, giving you a chance to properly counterattack. Timings for deflecting a Critical Blow are tight, but if you take your time to observe your enemy’s moves, you can block it successfully.

　　

Look for access to rooftops

Exploration plays a big part in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and taking the high ground can give you some nice advantages. You can access new zones in each stage, discover Marking and Battle Flags, find chests, silently attack enemies from above, and much more. Rooftops, in particular, often hide interesting loot that could easily go unnoticed if you don’t specifically look for it. If you see that the top of a building can be accessed, there will probably be something to collect. It could be a new weapon, an armor piece, an item, or a collectible like the Golden Cicala Shell. Always look for access to rooftops, and don't let your guard down: there could be some enemies waiting for you.

　　

Check your equipment weight

Each piece of armor you wear comes with a specific weight. You can check it by accessing the Equipment menu, where you will see the actual weight of the gear, expressed in numerical form next to its name, as well as the weight of your whole equipment, both as a number and as a percentage. If this ratio exceeds 70%, dodging won’t be very effective. Try to keep it below this percentage for the best results in combat. You will consume less Spirit when performing specific actions and greatly benefit from it.

　　If you struggle to keep this percentage below 70%, you should focus on leveling up your Earth Virtue when you first start playing the game. This will positively affect the equipment weight limit, allowing you to carry heavier gear. As you would expect, armor with a higher weight usually has better defensive stats, but Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a title that focuses on effectively parrying and counterattacking enemy offensives, so gear stats almost play a secondary role.

　　

Don’t neglect Wizardry Spells

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty combat system doesn’t entirely rely on melee weapons. Since the beginning of the game, you can use wizardry when fighting against enemies to damage them or boost your stats. You can set up to four different Wizardry Spells to cast during combat, aiming to target enemies’ weaknesses.

　　You can learn various spells tied to the elements of the Five Phases: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each Wizardry Spell requires a specific Morale Rank and Virtue level of the same phase to cast and consumes some of your Spirit. These numbers, however, are always indicated in the dedicated section of the game. If you wish to learn a specific spell, focus on leveling that specific Virtue in the Battle Flag menu.

　　

Keep your Morale Rank up

Morale Rank plays an essential role in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. It directly affects your strength in a fight; the higher it is, the less damage you take when you get hit by an enemy. You can increase your Morale Rank up to level 25 by defeating opponents and successfully landing Fatal Strikes, Martial Arts, and Spirit Attacks. However, if you get hit by a Critical Blow, you will lose one point. You can check your Morale Rank level by looking at the number above your health bar.

　　When you find a new Fortitude or Battle Flag, you contribute to raising your Fortitude Rank. This will significantly help you in each stage, as your Morale Rank will never fall below your Fortitude Rank. For example, if the latter equals 10, your Morale Rank will never be lower than 10, even if you die or get hit by a Critical Blow. Keep in mind that enemies also have a Morale Rank displayed just above their heads. The higher this number is, the greater the damage they will deal to you. Try to have a better Morale Rank than theirs if you want to make the fighting a little less demanding.

　　Take your time to get acquainted with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty combat system, and if you can’t get past a particular section, collect enough Genuine Qi and level up. Raising your Morale Rank will also greatly help you. Stay tuned for more guides coming soon!