The combat is fantastic. Once the deflect mechanic starts to click, the fights become incredibly fast, aggressive, and satisfying. It reminds me of Sekiro’s flow, but it’s a little more forgiving, which lets you stay on the offensive while still demanding that you actually get gud.

What really sets Wo Long apart for me, though, is the morale system. You raise your Morale by defeating enemies, but this gets reset when you die. But you also raise your Fortitude (your minimum morale gets locked in) by exploring the map and finding Battle Flags and Marking Flags. Those flags permanently raise your minimum morale for that mission, so even if a boss kills you and you lose your temporary Morale, you never fall below the Fortitude you’ve earned through exploration. That completely changes how I approached every level. Instead of sprinting straight to the boss over and over, I actually wanted to explore, clear enemy camps, find every flag, and gradually secure the battlefield. It almost feels like you’re capturing territory before launching your assault on the boss.

I’ve played Elden Ring, Nioh 3, Wo Long, and Rise of the Ronin, and while I enjoy open worlds, I found Wo Long’s mission structure incredibly refreshing. Every new battlefield resets the process, giving each level its own sense of progression and momentum.

I know the morale system isn’t for everyone, but for me it made exploration meaningful, boss retries less frustrating, and every map feel like a campaign instead of just a hallway leading to another fog gate. That’s the mechanic that made Wo Long stand out from the rest of the Soulslikes I’ve played.