![]() While your character may be silent, the same can’t be said about the wonderfully diverse group of characters that you’ll meet and fight alongside throughout the campaign, all of which have their own motivation for joining the crusade and can later be called on as reinforcements (more on that later). Still, cutscenes move quickly and no conversation lingers long enough for the player to dwell on this too much, as there is rarely a break in the action. There is a time and place for silent protagonists, but Wo Long’s story would have greatly benefited from having a protagonist that at least spoke occasionally. Unfortunately, your character is a silent protagonist, which is a detriment to the more emotional aspects of the story and makes for many awkward scenes where characters speak directly to you and essentially your character stares blankly at them. It’s nothing to write home about, but takes place over many years and pushes you to a variety of locations, helping to keep a long campaign fresh with new sights and enemies throughout. You and a merry band of warriors you’ll meet along the way must work together to stop the threat. Betrayals occur, enemies become friends, new threats arise, but it all revolves around a mysterious elixir which gives individuals incredible power, which they then use to dominate the battlefield. The story is fairly simple, though sufficiently epic to push the game forward. I enjoyed every Sub-Mission and was glad for their inclusion. ![]() One late game mission involves helping someone find their drunken master who got lost during a bender, while other missions involve light-hearted sparring with your friends. Sub-Missions vary between simple duels to decent length levels and are a welcome break from the main story missions and allow for small moments of character growth, helping to flesh out the many individuals you fight alongside during the campaign. Missions open up gradually, with Sub-Missions popping up a few at a time after every Main Mission. Sub-Missions are a great way to level up and to obtain items required to upgrade your weapons and armor. ![]() The overall mission structure is similar to Nioh, with the Main Missions required to progress and the Sub-Missions optional, though I highly recommend you tackle the Sub-Missions if you want a chance at completing the game with the least amount of frustration. After creating your character, you’ll immediately hop into the game, which is broken down into parts, with each part including Main Battlegrounds and Sub-Battlegrounds. When beginning Wo Long you’ll find a fairly robust character creator, which has never been my thing, but should please most players wanting to create a distinct warrior. This is a shame, as once you get past the initial missions there is so much to experience and so many ways to level up, obtain new gear, find help, etc., that you’ll rarely encounter a fight as downright frustrating as the beginning challenge. I suspect a large amount of players will rage quit before seeing the title reveal and beginning the game proper due to the tutorial level and its two part boss. That said, there is a fine line between being challenging and frustrating, and the beginning of the game tiptoes that line in dubious fashion. You will die a lot, but death is merely a stepping stone to mastering the combat. Like all the best Souls games, you learn from trial and error. Timing is everything, and so is mastering the deflect system. Even two enemies at once can take down a hardened warrior. Wait for the right time to strike, conserve your energy, plan your attacks – avoid rushing headfirst into a fight, even with bosses. Unlike traditional action games, Wo Long does not award aggressiveness, in fact, it punishes it. Wo Long is not an easy game, nor is it a short game, but please believe me when I say that it is worth the nearly forty hour time investment. Wo Long is a near perfect blend of Team Ninja’s incredibly fast paced action mixed with a smattering of Souls-esque gameplay ideas to create what is sure to become a classic. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a rarity a new IP that oozes quality, has a distinct personality, is brutally challenging while remaining fair (mostly), and has so much to discover and so many opportunities to team up with others that players will be scouring the battlefield long after the main missions are completed.
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