As players make their way through Team Ninja's action RPG, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, they will notice a steady stream of weapons and armor coming into their inventory. With a loot system similar to Team Ninja's recent Nioh titles, players will always comb through newly acquired gear in hopes of finding higher-quality items. However, even with a rarity system that greatly increases the quality of unique items, the only way to make good equipment great is through the upgrade system.
Upgrading weapons and armor in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is based around the blacksmith character, Zhu Xia, who is first encountered wandering the battlefields before moving to her permanent station in the Hidden Village. Regardless of where and when the player finds the blacksmith, as long as they have the required materials, they will be able to upgrade their gear.
Where Can Weapons and Armor be Upgraded in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty?
Players can upgrade their weapons and armor starting in Part 2 of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Roughly halfway through the first stage, the player will encounter a female character carrying a large hammer. Approaching her will reveal a 'Talk' prompt, leading to a conversation about her desire to blacksmith, regardless of whether she has a permanent home to do it. This is Zhu Xia, the blacksmith. She will be found in a single location in each stage until the Hidden Village is unlocked.
How Are Weapons and Armor Upgraded in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty?
During all three stages of Part 2, the player must locate Zhu Xia within the mission to perform upgrades. She is not hidden, but players may pass her if they are not looking for her. Once the player has unlocked the Hidden Village, Zhu will remain in the same locations should the player return, but she will now allow access to her full menu. Before moving to the Hidden Village forge, Zhu Xia can be found in the following locations:
- Two Chivalrous Heroes: Zhu is found in the rocky corridor just after the fight with the demon Zhuyan. This will require the player to interact with the kind blacksmith more than once. After the second set of dialogue, she will open her store.
- The Valley of Crying Wraiths: Zhu can be found just before crossing the first bridge. From the stage's second battle flag, turn around and find the blacksmith hanging out in a natural alcove.
- The Demon Fort of the Yellow Heaven: Just above the stage's starting point. In this case, Zhu cannot be missed, as several NPCs are present.
Once players complete all the missions in Part 2, they will gain access to the Hidden Village. This area serves as a central hub where several important systems are found. The village is made up of several small platforms, with the forge located just below the starting area. Zhu Xia is practically impossible to miss, as she is the only NPC on that particular platform.
How to Upgrade Equipment
Whether within the stages or in the Hidden Village, players simply need to approach Zhu Xia in order to upgrade their equipment. Sometimes she will have more than one line of dialogue that requires multiple interactions, but she will eventually begin to ply her trade.
At first, the menu will only allow the player to upgrade their weapons, buy basic equipment, and sell surplus items. Once she has her forge set up in the Hidden Village, the 'embedding' system will also become available. This allows players to remove certain stats from Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty's armor and weapons and replace them with one from a set list. The game's transmog system, labeled as 'decorate,' is also available now.
To upgrade a specific weapon or armor piece, players need only enter the upgrade menu, choose the item they wish to improve and ensure they have the required materials. Each upgrade level will require its own unique crafting material, which takes the form of steel and leather in the early stages.
These materials can be found throughout each mission, usually through the loot mechanic. Higher-level crafting requirements are also given as rewards for completing missions, with the quality and rarity getting better as the challenge increases.
Overall, using the crafting mechanic is quite simple, with the only real issue is deciding which items to spend the resources on. As players progress, low-level crafting materials will become much more abundant, so feel free to try a few different weapons. What seems rare in the early game will often quickly be usurped by better equipment on a regular basis.
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
