Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is Team Ninja's next foray into the soulslike genre. The studio has given its take on the popular genre in the past with both Nioh and Nioh 2. Each of those games captured the essence of a soulslike, and they never felt like mere clones of Dark Souls. Nioh also brought something new to the genre with each game, which made them feel fresh and unique. Instead of resting on their laurels, Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo are leaping back into the fray with a brand-new soulslike game.

As more and more soulslike games emerge, it is becoming increasingly important for developers to introduce fresh ideas to the genre instead of just following the soulslike path that FromSoftware paved. Team Ninja has obviously proved that it can make a good soulslike game, but the question now is whether it can further innovate on the genre. Wo Long seems to be Team Ninja's answer, and the studio is attempting this innovation by removing a staple mechanic of soulslike games.

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Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Eliminates Stamina Management

An image of combat in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty doesn't feature a stamina bar or any stamina restrictions. That means players won't have to constantly watch their stamina levels when attacking or dodging, which seems almost mandatory in most soulslike games. While titles like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice don't feature a stamina bar either, Sekiro really shouldn't be considered a soulslike due to its radically different gameplay style and design philosophy. Wo Long, on the other hand, seems to be taking all the core elements of a traditional soulslike game and adding features to make it more interesting, intuitive, and innovative. Removing the stamina bar ensures players won't have to constantly back out of fighting to recuperate, and this, in turn, allows the game to put a heavier emphasis on action.

It appears Team Ninja wants Wo Long to focus on action and mobility by removing the barriers that keep players from staying in the middle of the action. The game does seem to feature a "poise" gauge, similar to Sekiro's combat, to keep players from getting careless in their attacks. Despite this, the lack of stamina, heavy emphasis on action, and challenging difficulty make it resemble Ninja Gaiden more than Sekiro. Wo Long's stamina-free combat and movement also make the game much more open for exploration, which plays into the new Morale Rank the game touts.

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Removing Stamina Changes the Way Soulslikes Play

Characters fighting in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.

Stamina management is almost like a mini-game inside a soulslike game. Players have to carefully balance when they can attack, block, and dodge. If players mess up the timing or miscalculate, then they are met with massive punishment. It seems like such an integral part of the soulslike experience that the genre couldn't function without it. However, even previous FromSoftware games have experimented with small changes to the stamina gauge. While some players obviously enjoy this extra level of thinking, Wo Long looks to prove that it isn't necessary. It is innovating the genre by removing the mechanic and giving players the freedom to battle how they want. Small omissions like this can cause ripple effects in the game that open up a lot of new possibilities for Wo Long and future soulslikes.

It is yet to be seen if Wo Long can remove the stamina mechanic successfully or if those ripple effects will cause the game to change too radically from the core elements of the genre. Based on Team Ninja's past work, Wo Long will surely be an incredibly fun and frantic action game, and it certainly has the potential to be another amazing soulslike from the studio. Regardless of how the game handles the removal of the mechanic, Wo Long looks like an impressive spin on the soulslike genre.