Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty Outperforms Elden Ring in One Crucial Aspect
Over the course of the past year, I've given a lot of thought to the question of why I didn't feel the same connection to Elden Ring that so many other people do. I speculated for a while that perhaps it lacked the allegorical resonance that Demon's Souls had for a while that this could be the reason. Or perhaps it was the lack of a distinct narrative drive, which is an odd thing to ask of almost any game that is similar to Souls, given the nature of the genre. I was still unable to identify the source of my enjoyment of the shoddy and low-rent games Thymesia and Steelrising more than the masterpiece created by FromSoftware. But now, thanks to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, I believe I've found the solution. Although there are a number of aspects that go into it, ultimately, what it comes down to is having a feeling of control over the setting of the game. The linear nature of Wo Long is largely responsible for this phenomenon. It is broken up into separate levels, and there are only a certain number of ways to get from the beginning to the end. The design is typical of the category but lacks the sophistication of Elden Ring's.
It is an archetype of the genre. I usually associate it with other words like "slovenly" or "basic," depending on the context, but I consider it a strength on this occasion. Judging by the critical response, it's fair to say that Elden Ring's open world is one of the best in the history of gaming. The game's main protagonist, Elden Ring, is a swashbuckling adventurer who travels the world in search of the legendary Elden Ring. As more game designers analyze and imitate its design in the coming years, it will almost certainly usher in a paradigm shift in the design of games that are similar to Souls. In spite of all the praise and recognition it has received, I just couldn't get into it. The game design and the world design seemed to be at odds with each other to me. There was a promise of endless beauty and wonder, but it was hidden behind limitless hostility. The complexity of the Lands Between's design served to amplify the hostile atmosphere that pervaded the area. The core gameplay loop of Soulslike features backtracking and repetition, but unlike traditional repetition, it features repetition that is laced with new challenges each time.
A new spawn point is created whenever a new bonfire or battle flag is placed. They give you the ability to travel across the landscape in the opposite direction, giving you many more chances to eliminate enemies in a stealthy manner. A significant portion of Wo Long, much like a lot of these other games, is intended to provoke forward-facing difficulty. When you are first beginning your journey through a level, the enemy paths and awarenesses are tuned specifically for you. Therefore, going backwards gives the impression that you are trying to get around the system. It is not an easy mode, but it is easier and no less satisfying. In fact, it may be the single most compelling thing about Wo Long. Although it is not an easy mode, it is easier and no less satisfying. Sometimes moving forward feels like you're beating your head against a brick wall. Even if you are successful in learning the positions of your enemies and the patterns of their attacks, there is always the "what if" possibility that your timing will be off or that you will not react quickly enough.
The consequences of mistakes frequently result in a hasty demise
Going in the opposite direction, on the other hand, is a significantly less complicated strategy for becoming an expert in the field
Your adversaries are killed by unseen blades, and you are transformed into an agent of destruction and a herald of death
This brings the topic of discussion full circle to Elden Ring
In that game, there is less inherent repetition associated with the act of exploring
You don't always need to take Path A from Point A to Point B
Instead, you can ignore outposts entirely, bypass groups of enemies, and go off the beaten track to find your own way forwards or sideways or any which way you please
I've never loved open-world games as much as many other people do, but I generally appreciate the freedoms that they provide: the ability to run away from difficult battles, to doddle around in lavish environments, and to take my time
In Elden Ring, the fact that there was no opportunity for relief made the situation seem counterintuitive to me
At every turn, I was faced with the option to either fight or run
It was the second option the vast majority of the time
Because of the open world design, the game requires a higher level of vigilance and awareness of one's surroundings when compared to its predecessors and Wo Long. Enemies can appear out of nowhere and at any time; it is the unseen assailants, and frequently the seen assailants, that have the ability to overwhelm with their sheer force. They can conceal themselves without resorting to hiding in nooks and crannies, crouched in underpasses, or dangling from architraves because they are able to conceal themselves while in plain sight. It is easy for me to understand why fans of the Soulslike genre enjoy Elden Ring because the game's design embraces and even amplifies the inherent hostility of the genre; however, I do not share those feelings. The game's design is fantastic because it leans into the genre's inherent hostility wholeheartedly and does so with gusto. The most enjoyable aspect of the genre for me is becoming proficient in the various settings. Because the enemy placements aren't designed for backtracking, it requires learning enemy patterns and placements to make it through, unlocking the next checkpoint, and then working backwards through the throngs to acquire more Souls or Genuine Qi using stealth, backstabs, and critical hits on NPCs that are looking the other way.
What's great about Wo Long is that it rewards that play style through the Morale system. Your morale will increase as a result of the deaths of enemies, which will in turn increase your strength. In addition, if it is simpler to eliminate foes by playing through the levels in reverse, this will make the more difficult task of progressing through the game more manageable. It's possible that what you're experiencing is not actual mastery over the levels, but rather just clever manipulation of the systems. In any case, this is a sensation that was noticeably absent in Elden Ring. I spent a relatively short amount of time in the Lands Between, but during that time I never once had the sensation that I was in control of a location or that I could consistently clear an outpost by taking advantage of blind spots. It's also possible that Elden Ring was never intended to be played in such a stealth-focused manner. Nevertheless, despite the fact that it is a role-playing game (and quite possibly the RPG that has received the most critical acclaim overall since Skyrim), I can't help but think of it as a flaw whenever I play Elden Ring.
Perhaps now that I have found the cause of my dissatisfaction with the game's gameplay, I will be able to play it again and have a different experience. Or maybe not. I am relieved that, at least in the ways that are important to me, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is more satisfying than Elden Ring. For the time being, at least, I am content with making my way through Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.