“Wo Long Complete Edition” game play (Team Ninja/contributed)
Team Ninja has done a great job of carving out its own niche in the “Soulslike” genre, dating back to 2017's “Nioh.” “Wo Long: Fallen Nursing” is no exception. It combines great fast-paced combat with RPG mechanics and a deep loot system. Now, the full version has been released and the player will be able to experience the game with all the added DLC in one package.
The game is set in a fictional version of the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history. In this retelling, powerful factions fight over a mystical resource called Elixir. It's basically Romance of the Three Kingdoms, but with magic and demons mixed in.
Combat is the heart of the game, and like past Team Ninja titles, it involves a combination of melee attacks and magic. As a player levels up, he is designated as one of five elements: wood, fire, water, earth, and metal. It's not as simple as the stats in past games, but once players understand how the stats work, leveling up becomes much easier.
What makes combat great is how it combines flashy animations with deep RPG systems to create something with both style and substance. Finding powerful combos with different weapon types is satisfying, and when combined with powerful builds, creates an addictive gameplay loop. It's not as difficult as “Nioh'' or “Dark Souls,'' so it might be a good introductory game for people who just want to enjoy action games.
One of the big additions to combat is the ability to deflect enemy attacks. This is an invaluable defensive tool, and mastering it is the key to defeating the game's toughest enemies. Deflecting and counterattacking attacks exposes your enemy to devastating attacks, so it's always worth taking a risk instead of simply blocking or dodging.
One of the drawbacks to the combat in this game is that the movements feel stiff and the combat lacks verticality. This would have gone a long way in keeping with the game's flashy animations. The game's main story and side quests also lack good level design.
Although the game has very solid graphics and a stable frame rate, the game's sound design is the weakest part of the presentation. Sound effects such as weapon impacts and footsteps may sound muffled. The game's English dub is also surprisingly bad, with many characters speaking in a very formal and awkward manner, almost as if they were intentionally trying to sound bad. If it weren't for the fact that subtitles are hard to follow, playing the game with Chinese or Japanese audio would definitely be an improvement.
This complete version includes three DLC campaigns added after launch. The first is lackluster, but the second and his third result in some of the best boss fights in the entire game. These provide a much better challenge than many levels in the base game. This edition of the game is a great overall package, and since the original release was largely ignored, it's the perfect time to take the plunge. It's not quite as polished or deep as Nioh 2, but it's also a great introduction to the genre. “Wo Long Complete Edition” has been given 4 stars out of 5 by him.
