Wo Long Fallen Dynasty will follow the Nioh formula; why did they choose the Three Kingdoms?

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty definitely becomes the target of Nioh fans. Team Ninja clarifies that their next title will continue with the formula that has brought them success in recent years. Fumihiko Yasuda, producer of the project, assures that it is "no different" from their previous titles and that the differentiating element is the use of Chinese martial arts as a combat style.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, the spiritual sequel to Nioh

Development began last 2019. "At the time, we were looking for a setting that could work for a Nioh sequel. We had already made plenty of games based on Japan’s Sengoku period, so we wanted a new setting," Yasuda reveals in an interview with IGN. "That’s when we came up with the idea to make a game set in China’s Three Kingdoms period. The years following the fall of the Han dynasty is a setting that Koei Tecmo specializes in, and also one I have personally always been intrigued by. I am a fan of manga and anime based on that era. A game with this setting sounded like an interesting new challenge to take on."

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Gameplay-wise, Team Ninja will continue to offer the RPG elements seen in Nioh, but with a twist based on death. "We wanted to create a type of strategism with adversity as its theme. You gain something by defeating a strong enemy, but the same can be said for when an enemy kills the player. The balance between strength changes whenever someone dies," reveals Masaaki Yamagiwa, its other producer.

Combat will follow "the unique elegance of Chinese martial arts", which they promise will be "an experience like no other". The conflict of the Three Kingdoms period will also have an impact on the feelings of all the characters in the game. Those responsible for the game promise a morale status "which will lead to new strategies within the Soulslike genre."

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will hit the market in early 2023 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.

Source | IGN