Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is getting a playable demo, later this month. In a tweet, developer Team Ninja confirmed that a snippet of its upcoming fantasy souls-like title will be available to play for free starting February 24. Marking the second demo for the game, all saved data and progress from this version will carry over to the full purchase, across all platforms. As an added bonus, finishing the demo grants players the “Crouching Dragon Helmet” DLC in the final game. While this might seem like a steal at first, bear in mind, these games — successor to Nioh — are lauded for their steep difficulty that is likely to test your mettle. Thankfully, there is no mention of time limitations for how long you can play it.
In Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, you’re thrown into a dark fantastical version of Later Han Dynasty China, plagued by demonic monsters, that are dragging the prosperous realm into collapse. You play as a nameless militia soldier, plunged into the middle of chaos, to best deadly creatures and enemy footsoldiers in melee combat. Keeping in line with their previous Nioh series of games, learning to parry/ deflect attacks is highly beneficial here since it creates opportunities for counter-attacks. FromSoftware veterans can compare this experience to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, where simply blocking enemy attacks will lead to a slow, drawn-out fight.
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Of course, all movesets are connected to some form of elemental attack, which is determined by what “phase” or combat style you pick early in the game. Fire represents lethal attacks, water is for stealth, the earth stands for defence, wood is for support, and metal aligns with debuffs. Depending on what phase you select, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty assigns exclusive stats, magic, equipment, and a Divine Beast, which assists you in combat via passive perks. A new addition to Team Ninja’s formula is a “Morale” system, which might initially appear as a difficulty level floating above the enemy’s heads, helping you gauge whether to engage in combat or not. Higher numbers represent stronger enemies, and the same applies to your character. However, in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, death results in the enemy stealing your morale, making them more powerful.
To make the journey easy for newcomers, however, the world is filled with flagposts, which basically function as bonfires or checkpoints where one could level up their characters and reset any ailments. Earlier this week, Team Ninja confirmed that players will be able to summon NPCs or warriors online to help defeat bosses — using Tiger Seals littered across the Three Kingdoms. While the former’s AI might not necessarily be adept, it will definitely help draw the attention of the enemy, while you keep striking them from a blind spot.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is set to release March 3 on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X. Those who are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass can play it for free on launch day.