Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, Complete Edition Arrives on Switch 2 with Some Hitches

Switch 2 lacks some horsepower compared to the competition; that's no secret. It's a “detail” that doesn't concern exclusives but becomes a problem with more demanding multiplatform titles. Capcom and Square Enix, however, have repeatedly shown how it's possible to port recent works without overly penalizing the visual fidelity. And then there's Koei Tecmo, whose Katana Engine just can't seem to find its footing on Kyoto's hardware.

The Japanese company's graphics engine has mood swings that vary from game to game, and it didn't spare the recently released Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. The title arrives on Nintendo in its Complete Edition, which includes all published DLCs, with additional levels, challenges, and equipment. There's plenty of content for action-RPG lovers, but the technical department proves to be embarrassing at times.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty offers yet another interpretation of the Three Kingdoms war. The same characters, the same dynamics, but in a dark fantasy setting, amidst demons and magical arts, where the player steps in as a nameless hero. If you're thinking of approaching it for the story and learning about it, don't bother: it's assumed you already know the prominent figures, there are no in-depth dialogues, and the few accompanying documents are very concise. The “villains” of the moment are subjugating the nation with the power of a mysterious Elixir that transforms soldiers into monsters; go beat them up. First the Yellow Turbans, then Dong Zhuo... The usual, in short.

The title adopts a semi-linear level structure. Checkpoints and shortcuts facilitate exploration, while secondary paths and hidden corners conceal treasures of various kinds. The area is littered with enemies; ambushes and traps abound, and at the culmination of it all, we find the classic boss fight with a general or an overgrown beast. We can replay individual maps as many times as we like, either to grind or retrieve missed collectibles, and a series of optional missions allow us to accumulate extra resources.

A bit Nioh, a bit Sekiro, the gameplay places great emphasis on parries. Opponents are particularly aggressive, dodging is not an option, and if the most dangerous moves are not parried, it's difficult to fill the stagger bar to perform critical attacks. A lot of patterns, especially those of the more advanced bosses, are overly frustrating, however, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty proves to be much more accessible and less punitive than the genre average.

The morale level (indicated by the number above the health bar) determines the effectiveness of the forces on the field beyond the actual parameters and can be accumulated by defeating weaker enemies. In case of death, we will only lose a portion of the “souls” collected, and our morale will not drop beyond a certain threshold, based on the number of banners placed (incentivizing their search). The parry execution window is also quite generous, it's possible to reset stats as many times as we like without penalty, and we can always bring a couple of allies, controlled by the CPU or via online co-op.

The frantic pace and spectacular action make the experience very enjoyable. Unfortunately, in the long run, a certain lack of depth emerges that sinks the entire package. The complexity of the bosses grows as the plot unfolds, but our playstyle doesn't change much, despite the numerous options to customize and optimize the build. Tons of weapons, abilities, and spells only to resort to the same old tactics. This makes the journeys quite monotonous, also because variety is scarce, both in terms of fauna and level design, with the usual more or less corrupted soldiers, mutant tigers, explosive hedgehogs, and small rooms with blind corners where the infamous enemy is always hiding, ready to jump us. Furthermore, Wo Long seems to belong to that genre where "too much is too much," presenting the player with truly senseless loot that, in the long run, could prove completely useless. There's no point in collecting dozens, hundreds of pieces of equipment only to discard them because they are useless.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is already considered “mid” by genre fans, but on Switch 2, an additional flaw emerges: aesthetically, it's certainly not the most beautiful. In “Quality” mode, the visual impact is decent, but the frame rate is low, irregular, and frequently drops; not ideal when combat demands timing and quick reflexes. In “Performance” mode, however, the image is much smoother and drops are less frequent, but the scene is really washed out and lacking in detail. No texture is spared; everything is a faded, low-resolution blur. Rather depressing, but it's the only way to play decently. At least, loading times are short.

It's a shame; the port of Dynasty Warriors: Origins gave good hope for the future of Koei Tecmo productions, but instead, we're worse off than with Wild Hearts S, at the console's launch. It must be said, however, that Wo Long also struggled on PC, so perhaps a couple of patches could mitigate the problem. If you want to approach the soulslike genre and don't have other platforms, it's still a valid option. Of course, being released precisely between the more appealing and performant Elden Ring and Onimusha doesn't work in its favor...