Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty gameplay shows combat mechanics and a fight against a very grumpy crocodile

If you haven’t heard much about Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, you’re probably not alone. The upcoming title from Team Ninja has promised to satisfy players looking for more blood, action, and crushingly challenging combat in 2023, but it has been relatively quiet on the PR front until now. With two months left to go until Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty releases, fans have been thirsty for an update on how Wo Long will look and play.

They got their answer recently when IGN unveiled 10 minutes of gameplay footage from the game, showing off the combat mechanics and animation. Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has all the makings of a great Soulslike game, with intense combat encounters against enemies like angry water nymphs that attack in a whirlwind of fins and blood, a spikey shrew-like creature, and very aggressive monkeys.

Related: Is Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty coming to PlayStation? Answered

The combat looks as unforgiving as you’d expect from the team development team behind Ninja Gaiden and Nioh. There is a lot of blocking with careful timing to open up opportunities for players to counter those attacks. Even in this demo, there are several points where the player’s health is quickly depleted by a few quick combos from enemies. Stick around till the end of the video to watch them die several times at the claws of the giant crocodile boss.

There is also an element of exploration in this video, with players able to check out different paths through the forest and potentially find items that will aid them in their journey. How much of that will feature in the game isn’t clear, as most of the video is firmly focused on the combat encounters.

The gameplay begins with a promise from IGN that they’ve got even more footage from Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty coming up in the next few weeks, which is a sign that the developers are keen to generate a bit of hype before its rapidly approaching release date. If this video is anything to go by, there is plenty of promise in this title, which takes the Soulslike formula and puts it into a dark fantasy version of Three Kingdoms-era China.