To the layperson it might be hard to tell Nioh and Wo Long apart at a glance, but there are differences if you know where to look. For a start, one is set in ancient Japan and the other in ancient China. One is called Nioh, and one isn’t. The list goes on and on. I joke, of course, but the truth is jumping into Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember so soon after revisiting Nioh 3 is a strange proposition.
If anything, I’d say Nioh the more mechanically complex of the two franchises. While they share a great deal of DNA, even down to identical character creation menus and inventory UIs, Nioh 3’s use of different stances to create differing playstyles even within individual weapon groups, as well as its heavy reliance on Onryo magic and items makes it just a little trickier to get your head around.
Wo Long 2, on the other hand, focuses less on weapon stances and combos and more on the art of parrying, delivering a counter-centric combat system that leans massively on player reflex and stamina management. As a result, combat can feel more like a dance as you wait for the opponent to make a move instead of simply pressing the attack. In Nioh 3 I always felt like the aggressor, whereas Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember rewards patience more.
Having spent a little shy of a dozen hours roaming around the early part of Wo Long 2’s open world, I can say that, while the preview build has some performance and balance issues, it feels markedly more accessible than the previous game. Which is not so say “easier”. I had less trouble with most of the open world bosses, as well as the first few mandatory bosses, but that might be as much muscle memory as lack of challenge. I was playing this right off the back of Mortal Shell 2, Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword, all games that favour quick reflexes.
Combat feels incredibly fluid, as does navigation, which now features traversal skills such as wall-running and wall-hopping to help you get around. The world is huge and open, filled with roaming or stationary enemies and world bosses gated by level and/or skill. I’m sure it’s possible for the highly skilled to punch above their weight for greater reward, but I didn’t really try to push it. I didn’t feel I needed to.
My only real complaint with how Wo Long 2 is laid out is that the minimap isn’t very helpful, and it lacks a real sense of relative direction. I often felt I was just wandering, and when I found a shortcut back to an earlier area I stared at the screen in mild disbelief rather than relieved triumph.
Enemies are more or less what you’d expect with a great deal of returning design, as well as some lifted directly from the sister franchise. How much that bothers you will vary person to person, as will the amount of aid you’re offered. In the eventual full release you’ll be able to play with other people, but here I was able to summon NPC companions to travel alongside me and even help me tackle bosses, in and out of the open world.
At present, these companions are quite massively overpowered, and will no doubt be tweaked. At one point I basically watching one of them solo a boss on his own and only chipped in when the boss managed to get past him now and then. This combined with generous heals and a variety of parries make combat feel less oppressive than the first game.
You have a perfect dodge and perfect parry as standard, but parrying is done by holding the block button and pressing circle, which means even if you miss the parry, you’re already likely blocking. Holding R1 instead activates powerful moves that allow you to do things like bounce off aerial enemies, or deliver killer combos and special moves at the push of a button.
These special moves can also be used to parry aerial attacks, which is especially useful when facing bosses, whose fatal attacks can wipe you out in a few hits. Mix in a variety of items for buffs and offence, as well as equippable magic spells in any of the five elemental magics, and you soon have quite the arsenal. Your Guardian Spirit makes a return, too, of course, allowing you to call on its power when you’ve filled the gauge to boost your attack and defence for a limited time.
The open world is dotted with bases you can clear and then man with one of your NPC characters. I’m not entirely sure what happens beyond that yet, but the first one I cleared contained an archery master. Defeating him dropped random elements of his gear, including his armour and legendary bow, and thereafter he become selectable as an NPC to guard the base he was in.
These are complex open world systems, and quite how they layer upon one another is yet to be seen, but this is more than just another Nioh-like. Yes, the shared DNA is proudly displayed for all to see, but there’s less of an emphasis on player punishment and more on freedom to explore and build your character how you like. Story, as usual, feels like a bit of an afterthought, but when the boss design and combat is this good, that’s not an issue.
With Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember set for a release in the first quarter of 2027, we don’t have a long time to wait to see what Koei Tecmo have cooked up here. With a large open world and new systems that make it feel more like a grand adventure than a punishing gauntlet, it will certainly divide fans. What I’ve played so far, though, gives me the confidence that whichever direction they choose to move in has the potential to yield impressive results.
Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember is coming to PC, PS5, and XBOX on March 4, 2027.
