Action game inspired by the Three Kingdoms period
Wo Long: Fallen Destiny is a premium action game for PC by developer Team Ninja. In this third-person action-adventure, players are nameless military soldiers in a dark fantasy version of the Later Han Dynasty during the warring Three Kingdoms period of China.
Being made by the same developer, both the Nioh and Nioh 2 titles and Wo Long: Fallen Destiny share a similar DNA, particularly, when it comes to their fast-paced combat and a wealth of customization options available to players who want more granularity over their play style.
Donning a new visage
Game developer Team Ninja is known for its Dead or Alive games, the Ninja Gaiden series, and most recently, its own twist on the Souls-like genre in the form of Nioh and Nioh 2. When early previews of Wo Long: Fallen Destiny were released, it drew comparisons to the dev’s previous outing. However, there are some distinct differences that make it stand apart from its predecessors.
Wo Long features a more streamlined and focused combat, relying more on timing and deflection — it’s fast, visceral, and satisfying. You can even jump now, which changes how you approach fights and exploration. You have multiple weapon types to choose from, each with its own unique set of skills and play styles, in addition to your choice of elemental acuity and summons that will power up your attacks.
The game also features a unique spirit bar — which is similar to the Posture bar in Sekiro — you need to keep in check during battle, with blue denoting increased power and battle effectiveness, while red means you’re playing too passively and opens you to vulnerabilities. The morale system encourages you to explore and defeat as many enemies to help increase your base strength in future encounters.
Robust character creator
Like Nioh 2’s character creation system, Wo Long’s boasts a plethora of customization options to explore and choose from — which can be overwhelming. These include base and preset hairstyles, makeup, voice templates, and many more. With the game’s built-in sliders, you can adjust your character’s cheekbone height and forehead depth, among others to help you create the perfect character. It also includes options to input another player’s character code or select your personal pronoun — with the latter being a great addition for inclusivity.
Get a sneak peek of the game
Koei Tecmo has released a demo covering Chapter One’s Village of Calamity and Chapter Two’s Two Chivalrous Heroes. It gives you a snippet of Wo Long’s story and challenging combat. Beating it will reward you with the Crouching Dragon Helmet once the game is released. However, you can still obtain this helmet in the full release, and your save file from the demo will be transferred, too. It also offers online multiplayer, but you can only match up with other users who are playing the demo version on the same platform.
Swift and savage
Featuring a character creator, Wo Long: Fallen Destiny is one of the more interesting action games to play. It takes on a new theme and setting from its predecessors while keeping the signature mechanics that its developer is known for intact. The combat is swift, focused, and satisfying. If you’re a fan of the Nioh games, this is worth checking out when it arrives.
