Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember preview – More epic Three Kingdoms action
Released back in 2023, Three Kingdoms action RPG Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty borrowed heavily from Nioh, which isn’t all that surprising considering they’re from the same developer, Team Ninja. And so it stands to reason that Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember, set to release early next year, borrows from this year’s Nioh 3, making for a game that feels more expansive.
Going hands-on with a preview build of Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember, it wasn’t long until I was let loose on one of its battlefields, Changban. Like Nioh 3, there’s more of an open world element here, with you free to make a beeline for the main mission if you wish, but you’ll probably be better off exploring first. In fact, there’s even more of a need to explore here thanks to the return of the morale system from the first game, which allows you to get a considerable advantage on your enemies.
By killing enemies and capturing flags, you’ll raise your morale and will be able to tackle tougher enemies with a little more comfort. And this time around, due to the battlefield format, you’ll increase your Conquest Level as you complete various activities, further giving you power-boosting bonuses.
It means that if you succeed at consistently defeating enemies and completing other tasks you’ll have an easier ride. But when you die, you’ll have to build some of them bonuses back up again, which can feel a little disheartening, especially with you potentially losing Genuine Qi, too, which is used to level up.
There are other new aspects of Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember that differentiate it from its predecessor. You have new movement options, for example, with you able to wall run to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. And then there are the new Insight Skills to consider.
When airborne, a new Insight Attack allows you to send enemies crashing to the ground, while an Insight Deflection when on the ground will send your opponent flying backwards. These cost Spirit, however, and with that also powering your special skills, you need to be mindful of how you use it.
Despite all these changes and new elements, though, Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember still very much feels like the Wo Long you know and possibly love. Effectively managing your Spirit here is as important as ever, as well as doing all you can to diminish your opponent’s Spirit so that you can perform a devasting Fatal Strike. You also need to keep a keen eye out for enemies performing Critical Blows, as if you’re able to successfully deflect these you’ll have a good advantage.
Add in a wealth of spells to acquire, a large number of Basic Actions and Martial Arts to learn, and heaps of stat-boosting gear to loot and manage, and you have a game with heaps of depth. The character you build is truly your own, and each player’s journey is likely to be a little bit different from another’s depending on the weapons and skills they’ve decided to make use of.
Suffice to say, if you’ve played and loved the original Wo Long, there’s lots to be excited about, with this sequel continuing from where the last game left off. But even if you haven’t, you might want to consider keeping an eye on Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember as we draw ever-closer to its launch. It may be punishing at times, but if you’re a fan of dark action RPGs, it’s clear it’s going to tick a lot of boxes.
Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember launches 4th March 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC. A limited time demo is available now until 30th September.
