Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is an original game from Koei Tecmo and Team Ninja but it is also a spiritual successor as well. This is not their first Soulslike either, as they also made Nioh along with Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Also, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty borrows heavily from Dynasty Warriors as far as Chinese lore is concerned.
Will Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo try their hand at a direct sequel for this game? Maybe they will want to try out Nioh 3, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin 2, or perhaps another new original IP first. For the sake of this discussion though, let’s imagine Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will get a sequel next and what that sequel might look like.
1 Add Difficulty Modes
Difficulty modes are seemingly at the top of many wishlists for Soulslikes. Players may see all this cool stuff in Dark Souls, or Elden Ring but get let down when they can’t join in because things can get too brutal. The gatekeeping needs to go, and to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s credit, it is an accessible entry into the genre.
It could always do more though. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins, Team Ninja’s previous Soulslike experience, did add difficulty modes, so if it was good enough for Final Fantasy​​​​​​, then it should be good enough for an original game like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, or its theoretical sequel.
2 Make It An Open-World
Elden Ring set a new standard for Soulslikes. FromSoftware went from an interconnected Metroidvania-like set of worlds in Dark Souls to an open world in Elden Ring and it was revolutionary. Soulslike clones are definitely going to be chasing that specific dragon for a while and hopefully, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will follow suit quickly.
Imagine running around the battle-torn landscapes of China on horseback, tigers, or other mounts. Team Ninja would do well not to make an exact copy of Elden Ring though. Maybe they could create two or three open-world areas instead to be a tad more unique.
3 Better AI Partners
The AI partners in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty were a huge help to players that can’t connect to online multiplayer. Players can eventually give each AI partners a boost in battle, but they cannot directly command them.
Kingdom Hearts would be a good template for Team Ninja to follow as far as AI partners in action RPGs go. Players should be able to issue specific commands in the sequel like for Cao Cao to go on the offensive while Liu Bei hangs back and casts support magic. It would be nice if the AI was smarter overall and if partners could do more damage instead of being pawns to distract bosses.
4 Voice Your Character
The character customization options in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty are some of the best in the genre. The one downside to this created character is that they don’t talk. Players can pick who to voice their character from several options, but all these voices amount to nothing but grunts.
It would be more engaging if the hero in the Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty sequel could have some direct agency in the plot by talking. Players should still be able to customize the looks though. Mass Effect figured this out over a decade ago, so Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty 2 shouldn’t have a problem.
5 More Multiplayer Integration
There are a lot of multiplayer upgrades needed in the sequel. One, while it is fun to play co-op with friends in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, the connections can sometimes be clunky. It would be interesting if the sequel added a HUB world to the game for all players to match into.
The Hidden Village would have been a perfect place to stage something like this. Other action RPGs have tried this such as Monster Hunter World and Destiny. Being able to interact outside of combat with people in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty could have been cool, but the sequel can hopefully explore this idea instead.
6 Add A Separate Magic Meter
There are a lot of pros and cons to the deflection system in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. It is easier to use compared to other Soulslikes, but, weirdly, all moves are based on the same bar. Deflecting moves, dodging, using weapon arts, and using magic are all tied to the stamina gauge.
The lack of an MP meter is the most tragic as it diminishes what is otherwise a cool magic system in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. The thing is, players may not use magic because it depletes this meter that is better spent deflecting instead. Perhaps the sequel can add a separate magic meter.
7 Access The Full Upgrade Suite At
Players will first unlock ways to buy items at checkpoints. Eventually, they will meet a blacksmith who has more items to buy. She also allows players to store and upgrade items in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty too, on top of other mechanics later.
After she is unlocked, that should replace the store at checkpoints. Why players have to travel back and forth between the Hidden Village and their mission is beyond anyone’s guess. This should not be so in the sequel as checkpoints should offer the full store experience.
8 More Ways To Heal
Demon’s Souls opened the gaming world up to the idea of hard, but rewarding action RPGs. It was similar to a roguelike, but it was so much more. FromSoftware built upon what they started there to make Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and so on. The one mechanic they did not revisit as much from Demon’s Souls was the disposable healing items.
There were tons of different herbs for players to find in the game, allowing players to go into boss fights with near-limitless ways to heal which helped balance things out. Can a sequel to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty do this as well? The refillable Dragon’s Cure Pot in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is great, but more ways to heal would be even better, especially for those that struggle with Soulslikes.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty was released on March 3, 2023, and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.