The Soulslike genre is still going strong in the 2020s with big hits like Nioh 2 and Elden Ring. With Hollow Knight: Silksong over the horizon and plenty more indies to sift through, the format pioneered in FromSoftware’s Demon's Souls continues to please a growing community. FromSoftware itself may be taking a break from the Souls formula if Armored Core rumors prove true, but Bloodborne fans remain hopeful that Sony will do something with one of the developer’s most popular titles. Meanwhile, after success with the Nioh series and some further experimentation in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Team Ninja is moving on to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
Details on this project are scarce so far, but it is expected to continue the studio's Soulslike streak initiated by Nioh. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty takes place in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms setting also drawn upon heavily by Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors. Like Nioh, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty takes place during real, if embellished, historical events infused with demons and various other supernatural elements. Bloodborne producer Masaaki Yamagiwa has teamed up with Fumihiko Yasuda, the producer of Nioh, to work on this game, and links to their previous work are apparent.
Similarities Between Wo Long and Bloodborne
One of the first comparison points one can draw between Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and Bloodborne are how they relate to their developers' previous games. Bloodborne was a somewhat experimental title that came after the first two Dark Souls games. It shifted the setting from a dark medieval fantasy toward one of gaming's most successful gothic and lovecraftian horror locales. Comparably, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is moving from Japan's Sengoku period to the Han Dynasty that inspired Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Nioh and Fallen Dynasty are a lot more visually comparable, but the shift is still there.
The same may be said for its gameplay. Players do not have a full picture of what regular combat and progression will look like in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, but chances are good that it's still a Soulslike. Bloodborne was the same way, but it was the pioneer of FromSoft’s faster Souls combat. Aggression was encouraged through the health-restoring Rally mechanic, and players could keep offense up by switching between two weapon forms at any time. It sounds like Wo Long will upgrade Nioh's three stances and sheathed state to five fighting styles, and some sort of morale mechanic involves defeating stronger enemies. Wo Long could set the pace for Team Ninja's future Soulslike offerings.
How Wo Long and Bloodborne Contrast
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has various traits common among Soulslike titles. The game stars a nameless militia soldier, possibly a custom character, who is referred to as Wo Long - or a crouching dragon. Much like the Good Hunter and many Chosen Undead before them, this soldier is a nobody who will rise to greatness. To do this, they must fight through hordes of soldiers, madmen, monsters, and combinations of the three.
Little else is known about Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, so further comparisons to Bloodborne will have to wait. The game's settings are both quite different, as Bloodborne's humans have almost all fallen prey to mutation or madness at the hands of the Great Ones. Fallen Dynasty, meanwhile, takes place in an important period of political maneuvering in China. For as much chaos as the demons will bring, fighting mortals will be just as important - and possibly even more dangerous. Regardless, those looking for their next Soulslike fix should keep an eye on Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty as it continues marching towards release next year.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will be released in early 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.