Seven Things to Know Before Playing the Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Demo

We know you’re eager to get your hands on Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty when launches day one with Game Pass on March 3. But before Team Ninja’s latest action RPG arrives, we’re dropping a new two-chapter demo today on the Xbox Store that showcases the thrilling combat and intense fighting of a demon-plagued, dark fantasy-infused Three Kingdoms.

Here you’ll be tasked to defy the odds using a mix of magic and Chinese martial arts as an anonymous militia soldier, battling your way through waves of monsters and enemy soldiers in this Later Han Dynasty epic. It’s a great opportunity to see what the game has in store, and best of all your saved data from the Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Demo will carry over to the full game starting on March 3. If you manage to complete the first chapter, you’ll even be rewarded with the Crouching Dragon Helmet to equip in-game.

Before you jump into the action, though, I wanted to break down seven things to know before you awaken your inner strength in the full game.

Morale to the Story

The first thing you’ll need to understand about the game is Morale Rank. Morale Rank is a growth element used during missions that is different from your character’s level. The higher your Morale Rank, the less damage you’ll receive from enemies and the more battle elements are made available. Morale Points can be earned by defeating enemies or by landing Martial Arts attacks, Spirit attacks, or a Fatal Strike. Your Morale Rank can increase to a maximum level of 25.

Enemy Morale

Enemy Morale Ranks are displayed in the UI above their heads. The higher your Morale Rank is compared to the enemy’s, the greater the damage they will deal. In addition, the color of the Morale Rank icon indicates their threat level, with green Morale Ranks being lower or equal to your character, yellow being 1-4 points higher, and red being 5+ points higher. Basically, if you see an enemy with a red Morale Rank, you might want to raise your own level a bit before fighting them, or you could be in for a swift death.

Spirit Squad

Beyond Morale, you’ll also need to keep an eye on your Spirit Gauge. Spirit is the strength of an individual’s willpower during battle and can be used to strike down enemies using Martial Arts, Wizardry Spells, and Spirit attacks. Increase your Spirit Gauge by landing normal attacks or deflecting an enemy attack, but beware, getting hit by enemies will decrease your Spirit, leaving you vulnerable against some of the tougher soldiers and monsters in-game. 

Deflect! Deflect! Deflect!

While you’re able to block most attacks, the key to making enemies miss or even stagger, while setting them up for even bigger blows, is the ability to Deflect. Wait for your opponent to set up for their strike, and as they move in for their attack, use just the right timing to press B in order to Deflect the assault, setting yourself up for your own maneuver. And remember, Deflects also help increase your Spirit!

Wizards and Warriors

Wizardry Spells are special skills that align with the elements of the Five Phases. You can set up to four different Wizardry Spells for use during combat. By targeting the enemy’s weak elements and status effects, you can gain the upper hand in battle. Successful use of Wizardry Spells can nullify an enemy’s elemental attack. For example, a Flame area (of the Fire Phase) created by an enemy can be extinguished by a Water Phase Spell.

Death From Above

When climbing up cliffs or alongside a building, look down and check for enemies. Press Y while jumping down to perform a Fatal Strike against an unaware soldier or demon! Fatal Strikes can also be performed from behind by sneaking up on an enemy and pressing Y. The lock-on marker will turn red if it’s possible to perform a Fatal Strike on a target.

Part Destruction

Demons have hardened body parts that can be destroyed. You can destroy the hardened part by attacking it or by deflecting an enemy’s Critical Blow. If you successfully perform part destruction, the enemy will no longer be able to perform a Critical Blow or other attacks with that part. Part destruction also reduces the enemy’s maximum Spirit limit, which will then increase your chance to launch a Fatal Strike.

These seven tips are just the start to the depth of Wo Long’s gameplay. From Divine Beasts to the various weapon types and Chinese martial arts, there are layers upon layers upon layers to learn, and this demo will give you a taste of what’s to come when the game launches March 3 on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, and will be available day one with Game Pass on console and PC.

Until then, jump into the demo and see how many demons you can destroy. And don’t forget to check out the exciting new launch trailer released today, showcasing just some of the famous faces from the Three Kingdoms you’ll encounter along the way.