Though Team Ninja has certainly kept busy over the years, churning out fast-paced, hack-and-slash action games and fighting titles in rapid succession, it's been a few years since the studio has unveiled a new IP. However, all that changes with Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, the next big project from the Japanese developer.
Revealed last summer during the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a Souls-like action-RPG based on Luo Guanzhong's 14th-century historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. However, much like Team Ninja's Nioh, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty offers a fantastical take on ancient history, embellishing well-known stories with demonic forces and mythical beings.
With Nioh director Fumihiko Yasuda and Bloodborne producer Masaaki Yamagiwa at the helm of Wo Long, it's no surprise the upcoming game is one of the most anticipated of 2023. Here's everything you need to know before picking up a copy yourself.
However, if that news has you hopeful that Team Ninja might be working with Microsoft to get other titles on Xbox consoles--like Nioh, for example--Wo Long producer Fumihiko Yasuda has some bad news. According to the producer, there's not much of a possibility that Nioh will ever come to Xbox.
Team Ninja also elaborated on the game's name, revealing a fair bit about Wo Long's story in the process. According to the studio, "Wo Long refers to a crouching dragon, which also refers to a hero or person of greatness who is not yet known. This is the story of officers, who will later become heroes, during their 'unknown' period, and also the story of a protagonist's rise from being a 'nobody.'"
Core to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's gameplay is its morale system, which indicates the strength of both your character and your opponents. By defeating enemies with a higher morale rank than your character, your own morale increases faster and more valuable items will be dropped. However, taking on enemies with significantly higher morale ranks is no easy feat. While the game is linear and lacks an open world, this mechanic does give the player some say in their approach to the game. Do you try to skillfully take down large enemies for massive rewards or grind out Genuine Qi--the game's form of experience--to level up and unlock new abilities? Both certainly have their merits.
Combat in Wo Long will be based on traditional martial arts, according to Team Ninja, and will emphasize graceful movement and deflection. Similarly to Sekiro's posture system, Wo Long's enemies have spirit meters that indicate their level of agitation, with attacks and perfect parries the quickest way to make it rise and open your opponents up for a fatal strike.
In GameSpot's Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty preview, Phil Hornshaw praised the game's combat, writing:
"The speedy gameplay, the variety of attack options, and the push-and-pull nature of the spirit system make Wo Long feel like a fresh spin on Souls-like games. It captures the difficulty and skill players like about the genre, while pushing a different kind of action game feel, one more akin to some of Team Ninja's other titles. Though we haven't seen all of Wo Long in action yet, Team Ninja's demo does a great job of giving a snapshot of a tough game that starts at the same place as other Souls-likes and goes in an exciting new direction."
Team Ninja has stated Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will be its most challenging game yet. However, this did not stop the studio from opting out of including difficulty settings.
You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.
Click To Unmute
Wo Long Fall Dynasty Trailer | Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022
State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023
How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Joongi Han Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Tianyou Zhao Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Seonhee Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer
Share
LinkEmbed
Size:640 × 360480 × 270
Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Sign up or Sign in now!
Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.
This video has an invalid file format.
00:00:00
HTML5
Auto HD High Low
Report a problem
Sorry, but you can't access this content!
By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
enter
While this next video isn't a trailer, it does give you a great look at just how Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty plays as we run you through fifteen minutes of its demo. In it, we use the glaive to take down soldiers and face off against a shapeshifting general.
You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.
Click To Unmute
15 Minutes of Wo Long: Fall Dynasty Gameplay
State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023
How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Joongi Han Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Tianyou Zhao Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Seonhee Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer
Share
LinkEmbed
Size:640 × 360480 × 270
Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Sign up or Sign in now!
Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.
This video has an invalid file format.
00:00:00
HTML5
Auto HD High Low
Report a problem
Sorry, but you can't access this content!
By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
enter
The latest trailer for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty was released December 2023, and features a closer look at some of the bosses, characters, and vibrant locations the game is set in. It also offers a glimpse of the armor sets that are included in all preorders.
You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.
Click To Unmute
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - Action Trailer
State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023
How Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Saeko Mukoda Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Joongi Han Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Tianyou Zhao Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Seonhee Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Koichi Adachi Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Yu Nanba Character Spotlight Trailer
Share
LinkEmbed
Size:640 × 360480 × 270
Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Sign up or Sign in now!
Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.
This video has an invalid file format.
00:00:00
HTML5
Auto HD High Low
Report a problem
Sorry, but you can't access this content!
By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
enter
There are two versions of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty available for preorder: Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition. If preordered, both versions come with the Zhuque and Baihu armor sets. The Deluxe Edition also includes a digital art book, digital mini soundtrack, and the game's season pass, complete with the Qinglong armor set.