Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember feels like a blast from the past thanks to its fast, stylish, and satisfying action
I wasn't expecting much from Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember, but its action has instantly placed it on my 2027 wishlist.
Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember appears to be a significant improvement over its predecessor, particularly in terms of combat. The game offers a wide range of weapons and character abilities to unlock, as well as armor to discover while exploring the world. The demo I played at the Xbox booth during Gamescom 2026 left me thoroughly impressed by how approachable the combat feels.
While soulslike games can be punishing, especially when facing foes above your character's level, Koei Tecmo has provided players with various tools to combat, such as deflect combinations, standard blocking, and smooth movement for evasion.
The new nunchucks weapon in the game felt like a direct connection to Bruce Lee, allowing me to quickly defeat standard enemies and block unblockable attacks. Finishers and overall combat speed are reminiscent of PlayStation 2-era games, evoking memories of stylish combos and animations found in Capcom's God Hand. Although enemies often launch unblockable attacks, their patterns are well-designed and easy to react to, an issue that has plagued many soulslike games in the past.
Similar to other soulslike games, Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember encourages players to develop a build that suits their preferred play style based on the weapon they choose. Upgrading elements like wood, fire, water, earth, or metal virtues increases specific character stats, element abilities, and overall proficiency with particular weapons.
With wooden nunchucks being my weapon of choice, I focused on enhancing the wood virtue, which improved my damage output against enemies. The game's levelling system, which carried over from the previous title, has been expanded upon, making the combat even more exciting and engaging.
While I didn't complete the first entry, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, I was already impressed by its fast-flowing gameplay and accessibility. Koei Tecmo seems to be building upon these strengths in this sequel, with short story sequences that don't detract from the game's focus on combat. After playing the short demo, I am confident that Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember will be a hit among stylish combat fans when it launches in early 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
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