Have you ever gotten that feeling where you loved a game when it was released, haven’t played it since, and when you return, all you can do is spot the issues you ignored the first time? That feels like just a common thing in gaming, yeah; games get dated, and nostalgia wears thin. Then every once in a while, you return to a game, and maybe it doesn’t blow you away, but it’s better than you remember. Perhaps people got in your ear, maybe you never gave it the chance, or it simply is just damn better than you gave it credit. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is officially on that latter list for me.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is in a weird position in the Tecmo-verse. Is that a thing? I’m making it a thing. It isn’t a spin-off, but this is another Three Kingdoms game. I like the period, I do. Just read my review of Dynasty Warriors: Origins, if you weren’t already aware. But if Koei didn’t create an almost monopoly on the era, I can’t imagine it would be part of the zeitgeist. This in and of itself isn’t an issue, but it does bleed into the most lackluster part of the game overall.
Mainly, the game has a lot of the same energy as Dynasty Warriors, with characters like Liu Bei and Cao Cao having similarly bland character arcs and voice acting. This is mixed, annoyingly enough, with most generic beats of the Nioh franchise, such as lengthy narratives that add very little for each of the guardian spirits you pick up. The game isn’t really connected to either, so it’s more of a disheartening realization that it feels sandwiched between the two series, with a story arc that feels beholden to both.
Then, in that, you get a fairly generic story as well. Maybe that isn’t the right way to say it, but if you are aware of any other game set in the Three Kingdoms period, you can probably expect the beats. The game does manage engaging and action-packed cutscenes, though, which are pretty on par with the Musou series that play out in a way that you don’t really care if they are familiar; they are still enjoyable overall. They also make the classic choice to turn Lu Bu, the legendary soldier, once again into a god on the battlefield who will make you hate your existence, which, in a Souls-like, is not something I can feign happiness about.
Wo Long also has my least favorite backend of all the Team Ninja games. They made this choice to always have you in the game, so there is no in-between map; instead, the map is accessed through the battle flag, which is where you level up and such. It was such a weird choice when I originally started playing; I didn’t figure it out for about four levels. There is a hideout-like area you can travel to and explore as well; it has some valuable services, which I actually did like. Side quests and everything are kept on the travel menu, a bland presentation, especially when compared to Nioh 2‘s dynamic map.
Here is the thing, though: on my replay, I think I realized that Wo Long has my favorite combat in the entire ninjaverse. Nioh already stood out upon release for having faster-paced combat, but this takes it to a degree far beyond that. There is no real stamina gauge, and all swordplay, from dual blades to battle axes, flows at a faster speed than almost everything else I have played. This cuts both ways because all the enemies come back at you with the same fury.
Then, the game repurposes the counter-hit of Nioh 2 to amazing effect. Previously, you used your Yokai powers to intercept glowing red power attacks to off-balance the enemy. That is now moved to the dodge button, making blocking almost useless and forcing you to play more aggressively for the best results. Now, both systems have odd timing since your counter isn’t like the parry in other games, but once you get the rhythm, it is incredibly satisfying. You run in, slash them up, then dodge only to slash them up in the process and not lose a second of your momentum.
This is supported by two secondary systems added to Wo Long. The first is a balance gauge that appears under the player’s health. This swings into the blue, showing that you have an advantage, or into the red, giving you a disadvantage. Getting too smashed around still allows you to get stunned. So, quite literally, the game pushes you towards frantically facing your foes in an attempt to keep the battle in your favor so you can keep doing what you are already doing.
The second of these systems is a moral gauge that builds up as you defeat enemies. This also ties into the battle flags that you place around the map that take the place of Kodama from Nioh. These serve less of an abstract role, though, because each one you place raises the minimum you will have on the map. Enemies have these too, and it serves as a sort of indicator of your power against any given enemy. Raising this also buffs your power, meaning exploring each of the contained maps to collect these will be instrumental in taking out the big bad at the end of each stage. This levels you as well if you plan to get some farming in.
All of these things together, plus a robust roster of weapons, make this game’s combat some of the absolute best Team Ninja has on offer. Thankfully, on the Nintendo Switch 2, the game runs at a fairly steady framerate too, which is critical across both the handheld and TV modes. In total, I think I only saw the framerate dip twice, and those were very dense fights; even then, the experience was rare on the whole.
The Switch 2 port does have other technical issues, though, that are more noticeable, presumably in the service of achieving that steady framerate. Enemy draw distances are noticeably short, and enemies will appear only when you get close to them. Then, anything moving past a few feet from you will move like they are in a stop-motion animation until they get closer and will then get more fluid. There are a few other little noticeable technical hiccups, but to get Wo Long functioning as it is, I can take the bad with the good.
Verdict
I often hear that Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a good game, but it isn’t Nioh. I understand that sentiment and have even said it. As a Kasurigami main, one of the only weapons that freaking dropped between the two, I feel like I never really gave it the chance. There are some things, sure, that I feel don’t rise to the gold standards Team Ninja has set for themselves; upon reflection, though, they were so much closer than I remember. The game is fun, and you can genuinely get lost in it. Sure, I can list off some points that are lacking, but that combat? Chef’s kiss. Some of the absolute best, and that’s enough, is a reason to play.
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Reviewed for Nintendo Switch 2
*A Review Key was provided for this title by Koei Tecmo for purposes of this review.
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: Koei Tecmo
Release Date: September 3, 2026
Pros
+Outstanding Combat the becomes better as you progress
+Moral Gauge, which adds more value to exploring the battlefield
+Balance system that replaces traditional stamina keeps the gameplay fast
+strong counter feature
+Good Chinese inspired weapon sets
Cons
-Generic Three Kingdoms Story with some Nioh style twists to formula.
-navigation between missions, side quests, and more can be annoying.
-Switch 2 version has some technical issues
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Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
