Team Ninja Built Wo Long 2 by Drawing on Every Brutal Game It Ever Made

Team Ninja has spent years building combat systems across three major franchises, and Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember looks like the moment all that experience finally clicked together. The game borrows the deflect-heavy combat of the first Wo Long, the fluidity of Ninja Gaiden, and the weapon diversity of Dead or Alive, and puts them in a single package. Early impressions suggest the result is a game that asks more of the player but delivers a more rewarding fight.

The original Wo Long was a gem that never quite got the attention it deserved. Its core gimmick was that nearly every attack could be deflected, a feature that some critics called repetitive but which the game’s defenders praised for encouraging exploration and completionism. Now, the sequel has taken that foundation and rebuilt it from the ground up.

The Deflect System Gets Sharper

The deflect system remains at the heart of Wo Long 2, but it has changed shape. Enemies no longer simply let themselves be bounced off. Even low-level foes now have special moves that require dodging or countering, not just deflecting. The result is a combat loop that demands more dexterity from the player.

Players need to hit the right combination of shoulder buttons and face buttons in a rhythm that feels like a mix of Guitar Hero and Simon Says. The learning curve is steeper than in the first Wo Long or Nioh, but the payoff is more sublime. One example: enemies glow red when they wind up to attack, and if you hit a shoulder button and jump on them at the same time, you knock them out of their telegraph animation and inflict stamina damage.

The critical parry, triggered by holding R1/RB and hitting the deflect button, is another layer. It has a shorter window but does more stamina and health damage. Use it when you know your opponent’s moves down to an art, and finish them off with a spectacular flair.

Combat Moves Up From Ground to Air

The biggest change is the three-dimensional combat. Wo Long 2 forces players to use their aerial attacks, not just on occasion but as part of the entire combat system. That shift is partly due to the game’s development alongside Ninja Gaiden 4, where movement freedom has been a focus.

In the first Wo Long, players could jump into most encounters because the AI was slow to react. That was an instant win. In Wo Long 2, the enemy sees you coming, and the air is where you need to be. The combat system is baked into the game, and it rewards players who are willing to commit to the sky.

The aerial chains and combos that modify ground-only attacks are central to this. Equip a straight sabre, a spear, a staff, a glaive, a hammer, or a jointed flail, and each weapon feels like a different character from a fighting game roster. The level design supports this by being more open and more vertical than any other Team Ninja game.

Exploration Opens Up

The level design is more open than the first Wo Long, more akin to Nioh 3’s semi-open world. Flags dot the landscape, teasing players into encounters and light platforming challenges that actually feel good in a genre that rarely handles movement well. The pervasive feeling of “high gravity” from the first game is gone.

Movement has been improved all around. Players who enjoyed the grounded fights of Nioh and the fluidity of Ninja Gaiden will find a game that combines both approaches. The genre rarely rewards exploration, but Wo Long 2 encourages it without sacrificing the momentum that defines the series.

Weapons Carry Character

The weapon system draws directly from Dead or Alive. Each weapon has a unique moveset, the kind of thing you’d expect from a character in a fighting game. That’s always been the case in Team Ninja games, but it feels more distinct in Wo Long 2.

Equipping different weapons changes the feel of the whole character. The Martial Art skills attached to each weapon can be swapped on a whim, giving players more control over their final playstyle than they had in Ninja Gaiden 4. The writer still misses the weapon variety and stance work of Nioh, but acknowledges that system can’t be beaten.

Six weapon classes is more than enough for a game this focused on forward momentum. The goal is not to pick holes in defenses but to obliterate them entirely. Players learn the cadence of dodges, jumps, parries, and the level of aggression required per enemy to break down their guard and annihilate them.

Morale Returns

The morale system from the first Wo Long returns, and it remains one of the game’s strongest features. It encourages exploration and completionism, and it rewards players who dig into the world beyond the main path.

The demo is available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox right now. Players can try it for themselves without committing to a full purchase.

What We Know So Far

• Game: Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember
• Developer: Team Ninja
• Platforms: Demo available on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox
• Weapons: Six classes, including sabres, spears, staves, glaives, hammers, and jointed flails
• Combat system: Deflects, dodges, aerial attacks, critical parries
• Level design: More open and vertical than previous Team Ninja games

The demo is a snapshot of the game so far.

The Verdict on Early Access

The demo version of Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember shows Team Ninja drawing on its past work. The game borrows from Nioh’s grounded brutality, Ninja Gaiden’s fluidity, and Dead or Alive’s weapon diversity, and it combines them into something new.

The game is shaping up to be the most anticipated game of 2027. The steep learning curve is real, but the rewards are worth it. The aerial combat, the refined deflect system, and the open world all point to a game that knows what it wants to be.

The demo is available right now on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox. Anyone curious about the future of action-RPGs owes it to themselves to check it out.

See the video the story is built around at Eurogamer.

action RPG · early access · game review · Team Ninja · Wo Long 2