Greetings all! Hope you're enjoying a Christmas with an appropriate degree of merriment. Me, I'm not. I'm angry. I'm fuming. Why? Because the RPS 2023 Advent Calendar is wrong. It's wrong, I tell you!
If all were just and right in the world, then it wouldn't have left out the following list of excellent games that came out this year! Plus a couple others that came out of early access in 2023 but which I sadly don't have time to write about in full. Trust me, The Last Spell and Against The Storm are both phenomenal games as well.
Anyway: in this handsomely decorated selection box, you'll find four of my honourable mentions for games I've enjoyed playing the most this year. If you have a hole in your Steam library, maybe these will help fill it over the Christmas break!
]]>'Soulslike but in the Han Dynasty' game Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty released earlier this year, but developers Team Ninja are gearing up for another five months of updates and DLC. A recently revealed roadmap details all the changes coming to the action RPG, from the seemingly small balance tweaks to the hopefully exciting crossovers with fellow Soulsian bedfellows Lies Of P and Nioh.
]]>Need tips on how to beat the Aoye in Wo Long? Players of Koei Tecmo's Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty may as a whole be currently preoccupied with Zhang Liang, the first boss of the game, but you only need to go a little further into the game to discover an even greater threat - the demonic Aoye.
This horrible cow demon uses its otherworldly maw and its long tendrils of iron-like black hair to punish new players for underestimating the beast's startling range. With its dangerous attacks, high health pool, and unpredictable movements, the Aoye fight is one of the big brick walls that many players encounter in the first half of the game, so allow us to lend you a helping tendril with our top tips and strategies on how to beat the Aoye in Wo Long.
]]>Looking for the keys to open the Taoist's house in Wo Long? Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has various side quests to complete, but most of them come in the form of optional sub battlegrounds to complete. There are, however, some side quests that span multiple different regions - one of which is the trek to locate the various Taoist's House keys in the Village.
Once you reach the Village hub area you'll find a woman who has locked herself out of her house, and has lost her keys. It's well worth your while to help her unlock the house, because some top-tier rewards await you out back. To that end, here's exactly where to find the Taoist's House Key and the Taoist's Backdoor Key in Wo Long.
]]>Looking for all the flag locations in The Battle Of Hulaoguan Pass region of Wo Long? If you're having trouble fighting your way through a particular level in Koei Tecmo's excellent Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, the issue may be that your Morale Rank is too low to deal with the enemies there. You can help keep your Morale Rank high by planting all the flags across the region, but finding them - particularly in a large area like The Battle Of Hulaoguan Pass - can be rather tricky.
Below we'll walk you through every flag location in The Battle Of Hulaoguan Pass - all 6 Battle Flags and 7 Marking Flags in the region. So if you're stuck trying to hunt down every last flag and increase your Fortitude Rank as much as possible, then scroll down below to have all your confusion and frustration allayed.
]]>Trying to find all the flags in Wo Long's Escape From The Capital region? It's both a good thing and a bad thing that Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty tells you exactly how many Battle Flags and Marking Flags there are hidden away in each of its many battlegrounds. It's good because you know if you missed any. But the flipside is that you're bound to spend ages wandering around finding the ones you've missed!
If you're stuck trying to locate all the flags in the Escape From The Capital side mission of Wo Long, then you're in luck. Below we've provided exact instructions and screenshots to help you track down all 5 Marking Flags and all 3 Battle Flags in the area.
]]>Looking for a list of all the flag locations in Wo Long? Flags are important markers in every single area of Team Ninja's new RPG, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Interacting with these flags will save your progress and also give you some benefits that persist throughout the region, so locating them should be high on your priorities list.
Below you'll find our list of guides containing all the Wo Long flag locations for every battleground. So if you've been hunting around an area for minutes (or hours) looking for that elusive final Marking Flag, worry no more. You'll find all the answers you need just below.
]]>Looking for all the hidden Marking Flags and Battle Flags in the Fall Of The Corrupted Eunuch battleground of Wo Long? I don't blame you - this region is one of the most complex areas so far, and you'll need to keep your wits about you if you want to avoid getting lost. It's a good idea to spend time hunting down all the flags in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty whichever level you're in, because doing so will raise your Fortitude Rank and make it so you don't lose as much Morale when you are slain.
On this page we'll walk you through where to go to find all 7 Battle Flags and all 6 Marking Flags in the Fall Of The Corrupted Eunuch level of Wo Long. We'll also explain where to get the Luoyang Dungeon Keys, which you'll need in order to reach every last flag and secret in the area.
]]>Looking for all the Marking Flags in the Shadow Of The Sacred Mountain region of Wo Long? As you probably know by now, there are two different types of flags in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Battle Flags act as bonfires do in other soulslikes, while Marking Flags don't let you respawn but still allow you to improve your Fortitude Rank - the minimum threshold below which your Morale can no longer drop if you die.
Because of this, it's a good idea to plant every flag in a region as you go through it, which is why we're on a mission to bring you guides like this one to show you exactly where to go. Below we'll walk you through all 5 flag locations in the Shadow Of The Sacred Mountain battleground in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
]]>Confused about why you can't find the remaining flag locations in Wo Long's In Search Of The Immortal Wizard battleground? Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty does an annoyingly good job sometimes of hiding away secret Marking Flag and Battle Flag locations so that you really have to explore every inch of the map to find them all. And the In Search Of The Immortal Wizard region is no exception, with 5 Marking Flags and 5 Battle Flags to hunt down and plant to improve your Fortitude Rank.
If you're struggling to hunt down all of them, you've come to the right little corner of the internet. On this page we'll walk you through how to find all the In Search Of The Immortal Wizard flag locations in Wo Long, with handy screenshots and step-by-step instructions to help you reach each one.
]]>Looking for all the Marking Flags in Wo Long's The Yellow Heaven Burns battleground? The Yellow Heaven Burns is likely your first taste of the many sub battlegrounds in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. In Wo Long, all the levels are called battlegrounds, and sub battlegrounds are optional levels which nonetheless contain some excellent rewards. And of course, plenty of flags to find and plant.
The Yellow Heaven Burns has just two Battle Flags, but it's filled with carefully hidden Marking Flags for you to hunt down and plant so you can raise your Fortitude Rank. Hunt down them all with this guide, which will walk you through all The Yellow Heaven Burns flag locations in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
]]>Looking for all the Shitieshou in Wo Long? If you've played beyond the first couple of levels in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, you may have come across what must be some of the cutest collectibles in any game. Shitieshou are little passive demons resembling pandas, which you may find scattered across the various battlegrounds of Wo Long - and they're well worth tracking down, because offering them the right items to eat will prompt them to reward you with loot drops.
If you're struggling to find more Shitieshou or you're worried about missing any of them, fear not. You can return to each level in the game after completing it, and with our Wo Long Shitieshou locations guide you'll be able to easily track down all 23 Shitieshou in the game. We'll also go over exactly what to feed a Shitieshou in order to obtain its reward, so read on for the answers to all your Shitieshou-related questions!
]]>Want to find every last flag in Wo Long's The Demon Fort Of The Yellow Heaven battleground? Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty puts a spin on the traditional bonfire save system of soulslikes by introducing two different types of checkpoint - the Battle Flag and the Marking Flag. Only Battle Flags will respawn enemies and allow you to upgrade your character, but both types will heal you up and increase your Fortitude Rank during a level.
If you're looking for all the flags in The Demon Fort Of The Yellow Heaven region of Wo Long, you've come to the right place. Below we'll walk you through how to find all 6 Battle Flags and all 7 Marking Flags in the region, with detailed notes and screenshots showing you where to go.
]]>Want to find every last flag in Wo Long's The Valley Of Crying Wraiths battleground? The Valley Of Crying Wraiths is the third battleground you'll come across in Team Ninja's Chinese mythology-inspired Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, and it's the largest region so far. This makes it an even harder job than in the previous regions to track down every last Battle Flag and Marking Flag on the map.
If you want to push your Fortitude Rank to the max, then read on to find all the flag locations in The Valley Of Crying Wraiths in Wo Long, with detailed instructions on each one and how to reach that point in the battleground.
]]>Want to find every last flag in Wo Long's Two Chivalrous Heroes battleground? If you've reached the second battleground in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, by now you'll have learnt about Battle Flags and Marking Flags, and how they differ from one another. Seeing as each flag you plant in an area increases your Fortitude Rank (the rank below which your Morale cannot drop further if you die), it's well worth taking the time to plant them all.
And we're here to help with this task! Below you'll find every single flag location in the Two Chivalrous Heroes region of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. That's right, all 7 Battle Flags and 5 Marking Flags placed in easy reach thanks to our screenshots and instructions.
]]>Want to find every last flag in Wo Long's Village Of Calamity starting region? Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty has a unique take on the traditional bonfire checkpoint system of other soulslikes. There are two types of flags in Wo Long, and planting any flag while increase your Fortitude Rank, allowing you to keep more and more Morale even if you die.
Otherwise Battle Flags act much as you'd expect, allowing you to save your progress and upgrade your character while also respawning all enemies on the map. But there are also smaller Marking Flags, which don't act as respawn points like their big brothers, but still allow you to raise your Fortitude Rank. These flags in particular are often hidden in devilishly difficult to find locations, so if you want to find every flag in the Village Of Calamity, then you might want a bit of help.
Below we'll go through all 3 Battle Flag locations and 3 Marking Flag locations hidden in the Village Of Calamity, the first battleground of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.
]]>What time does Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty release? Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty releases on March 3rd, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the reason a full half of the RPS Treehouse are off that day is so that they can play it over a three-day weekend.
If you have similar plans, you're proabably eager to know just when you can get stuck in. Read on for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty global release times for both PC and console.
]]>It's easy to label Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty as a Soulslike that's basically Nioh and Sekiro mashed together. To some extent, that's true. But I think Wo Long is Team Ninja having sanded off some - not all - of the edges from the overwhelmingly complex Nioh, to craft an action RPG with even crisper combat than its predecessor. And crucially, it's more approachable as a result. Clever ranks and meters reward, whether risk-taking is your jam or you're more of a careful type. It may still be a tricky venture filled with demonic, titanic cows that'll want to pound your skull into the dirt, but this is Team Ninja's most encouraging effort yet.
]]>Time is flying by a little too fast in 2023, although it’s not all bad news as a new month means new Game Pass additions. Microsoft have announced the next four games hitting the service before March 3rd, alongside Atomic Heart which releases today. I was interested in the steely Soviet shooter until I read James’ review and saw that the protagonist yells “Crispy critters,” more than once - I think I’ll skip.
Here are the next batch of Game Pass titles:
- Merge & Blade (Feb 28th)
- Soul Hackers 2 (Feb 28th)
- F1 22 (March 2nd)
- Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty (March 3rd)
This is my first time hearing of Merge & Blade, not to be confused with Mount & Blade which is also on Game Pass. Merge & Blade is a hybrid between puzzle games and auto-battlers. Rounds will start with a Tetris-like mini-game, but instead of shapes, you’re guiding different unit types and merging them together. You then use your completed party to raid castles and kill monsters. Mixing - or merging - Tetris into a new genre is a recipe for success, so I’ll definitely be downloading this one.
]]>During the weekend’s Taipei Game Show, Team Ninja announced that Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty would receive one final demo on PC and consoles. The action-RPG’s demo will be available starting from February 24th at 8AM GMT/ 9AM CET/ 3AM ET until March 27th. The full game is slated to launch on March 3rd for PC, consoles, and Game Pass, so you can try out the game’s Chinese-martial arts combat before and after release.
]]>What is Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty? If you've looked ahead at all at the upcoming PC games releasing this year, you may have heard about Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - an upcoming soulslike action-RPG by Team Ninja, creators of Nioh and the Ninja Gaiden and Dead Or Alive series. We've kept a close eye on Wo Long since its announcement back in June 2022, and its giant boss battles and Three Kingdoms-era fantasy China setting have got a lot of people interested in whether this particular RPG might set itself from the pack and become one of the surprise hits of 2023.
If you want to be caught up on all the latest Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty news and information, then you're in the right place. Below we'll walk you through the Wo Long release date, platforms, and pre-order details, before delving further into the game itself with details on the game's story, setting, and gameplay.
]]>Happy New Year, folks! Crikey, there are a lot of games coming out this year, aren't there? When I first asked the team to put together their most anticipated games for 2023, I was thinking we'd have a reasonably sensible number of things we were all looking forward to, you know, somewhere in the region of the 43 games we highlighted at the start of 2022. Very quickly, though, it became apparent that, actually, there are simply loads of games the RPS Treehouse is personally excited about this year, and cor, it would be rude not to include every last one of them. I'll be upfront: there are a fair number of TBA games on here that probably aren't going to come out in 2023, but as ever, we remain hopeful and optimistic all the same. So let's dive in.
]]>When Team Ninja's Soulslike action-RPG Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty was announced not long ago, I thought: "Wow, that looks like my sort of jam". A PS5 demo came out and I only got to spend all of five minutes with it before life got in the way. I never got to truly taste the jam, which was quite sad. So, colour me very excited when I got to spend a good couple of hours battling through two short hands-on demos. I got battered by a big pig, prickled to death by a massive porcupine, and aggressively mauled by a large tiger. And I'd say I had a whale of a time. There was no killer whale in the demo, but I wouldn't count it out for the full release.
]]>Team Ninja have announced that their fantasy action title, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, is slated for release on March 3rd, 2023 on consoles, PC and Game Pass. Wo Long is a Chinese-martial arts game set during the Han dynasty - this time with deadly demons for you to battle. The game was previously revealed at this year’s Xbox & Bethesda Showcase, where it made an impressive debut.
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