The Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 showed off a wide variety of games covering different parts of Xbox’s library.Forza MotorsportandMicrosoft Flight Simulatorrepresent Xbox’s first-party franchises, whileMinecraft LegendsandStarfieldwere put forth by Microsoft’s acquired developers. The most recent versions of the last three mainlinePersonatitles pleased fans with ports to Xbox and PC. A variety of indie games also showed up, including thesurprising but welcomeHollow Knight: Silksong. There was something for everyone at this showcase, and it bodes well for the future of the Xbox Series consoles.
One of the more understated reveals at the show called back to Xbox’s history with Japanese exclusives. Specifically, Koei Tecmo andNinja Gaiden/Niohdeveloper Team Ninja revealedWo Long: Fallen Dynasty, a fantasy action game adapting the war-torn Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. This is a joint creation by Team Ninja producers Fumihiko Yasuda (Nioh) and Masaaki Yamagiwa (Bloodborne), and its Xbox Showcase announcement calls back to past Team Ninja titles’ console exclusivity. Not only that, it’s also the latest supernatural sword fighting game from Koei, and that’s more prestigious than it sounds.
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Koei Tecmo’s Legacy is Couched in Chinese and Japanese Titles
One of Koei’s first video games wasNobunaga’s Ambition, released for Japanese PCs back in 1983. This Sengoku-era strategy RPG franchise remainsone of Koei Tecmo’s most successful IPs, and continues to receive installments. In 1985,Romance of the Three Kingdomswas released as a Chinese counterpart to the JapaneseNobunaga’s Ambition. This also spawned its own series, and both franchises eventually inspired Koei to createSamurai WarriorsandDynasty Warriors. The influence that samurai and other feudal foot soldiers had over Koei’s games is obvious in retrospect.
TheDynasty Warriorsfranchise deserves particular emphasis, as it shares itsRomance of the Three Kingdomssetting withWo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Wo Long, presumably the name of the player character, is not a figure in historical tales, but he will likely be empowered to fight those who are. The typical 1-vs-1000 gameplay of aWarriorstitle doesn’t need to be present for the action to be just as intense. Lu Bu’s iconic feathered silhouette is visible at the end of theWo Long: Fallen Dynastytrailer, so even if the game doesn’t owe much toDynasty Warriorsin its gameplay, it will likely share its setting and characters.
Team Ninja Has Long Been Focused on Sword Combat
While there are manyNobunaga’s Ambition,Romance of the Three Kingdoms, andWarriorsgames informingWo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s existence, its gameplay will have the distinct mark of Team Ninja. This studio got its start under the director Tomonobu Itagaki, creating theDead or AliveandNinja Gaidenfranchises. Both of these have had storied histories with older Xbox consoles, but several of their games are now available elsewhere. What’s pertinent toWo Longis Team Ninja’s expertise in blazing-fast swordplay where one mistake can snowball into a grisly death.
AnySoulscomparisons were rendered moot when Team Ninja actually made Soulslikes in the form of theNiohseries. As these two titles are Team Ninja’s most prominent modern games,Wo Long: Fallen Dynastycan be assumed to have similar gameplay and loot progression. While theNiohtitles give players control over mystical samurai, they also allow them to branch out into many weapons and fighting styles. Their reinterpretation of famous historical figures is also of note, and brings to mind the same practice inSamurai Warriors.Wo Long: Fallen Dynastywill probably repeat these traits in theRomance of the Three Kingdomssetting. It will be interesting to see what changes this new setting will bring to Team Ninja’s gameplay, but as with all the prior Koei samurai games, players can expect the same hardcore sword-fighting action as usual.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynastywill be released in early 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
