Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an ambitious fantasy RPG set in the famous Three Kingdoms period of China. Players have to rely on carefully timed combat, stat upgrades and wizardry spells in order to survive.

To begin with, this was played on an Xbox. So none of the infamous PC port issues were the real problem. Instead, it boils down to mechanics and other fundamentals, which are very compromising when you’re playing a soulslike. The genre demands a higher level of difficulty, rewarding players for mastering technique and so forth.

The morale system creates natural barriers for players to deal with tougher enemies, but it can feel like a chore. Fortunately, at least the combat timing doesn’t hold your hand and prompt you for stealth kills or blocks, which always breaks immersion.

The cultural influence of the Three Kingdoms makes every environment and character design so compelling in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, it’s a shame the graphics often feel rough around the edges. Many structures, costumes, and even the UI can feel a bit coarse and drab. 

The story is a major contrast, featuring beautiful cinematics, some interesting themes, and playful performances that are consistent with the setting. The plot is simple, but it gets the job done. There will be plenty of names that should make Dynasty Warriors fans giddy, but don’t expect to sweep through dense crowds of soldiers.

Overall, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is just a little too ambitious for its own good, offering a variety of moving parts that tend to fall short compared to similar titles. 

For example, let’s consider AI in the introductory level. The first fantasy creature you get to battle can end up slowly burning itself to death by complete accident, and the enemies don’t respond to obvious lines of sight. 

The combat plays a massive role in this game, and while it can be finicky at times, there is some likable creativity here. It borrows well from martial arts, again earning points for style. But the movement can feel stiff, compared to the flowing rhythm that was expected. It’s serviceable, to be sure, but not as fluid or inspired as it could have been.

Final Thoughts

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty was hardly a miserable experience. Fans of soulslikes and Sekiro will probably enjoy it just fine. It was one of my most anticipated titles of the year, so it personally feels more like a missed opportunity, with such a clever premise and intriguing world. It likely wouldn’t serve as an ideal gateway for the genre, but it does invite another viewing of Red Cliff. I hope to see many more games inspired by martial arts.

Score: 7/10