Why You Should be Afraid of Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s Bosses – IGN First

ign.com:

“When first facing a boss, you usually start out in despair, thinking there is no way you can beat it. Figuring out when a boss is open to attack and finding clues on how to beat it through trial and error by yourself is what I see as the most enjoyable part of a boss battle. Not giving the player too many hints is something we’ve been conscious about since the Nioh series, and that hasn’t changed for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.”

So says Fumihiko Yasuda, the brand head of Team Ninja and the producer of Wo Long. While the design philosophy of Wo Long’s bosses is very much in line with that of Nioh – the developer’s first Soulsborne title – there are also quite a few elements that are unique to Wo Long’s Chinese martial arts based combat. The most distinctive feature of Wo Long’s more fast-paced, smooth combat is Deflect, a move that can be activated by pressing the dodge button at the right moment to parry an enemy’s attack. Deflecting attacks lowers the enemy's Spirit, ultimately allowing the player to unleash a powerful Fatal Strike that inflicts massive damage. If you want to defeat bosses efficiently, Deflect is key, Yasuda says.

“Utilizing Deflect to reverse the tide of battle in a satisfying way is one of Wo Long’s most unique features,” says Yasuda. “First, you will need to learn the motion of a boss' attack patterns before you can react. I think that this cycle is what makes Wo Long stand out."

No matter how strong and overwhelming a boss' attacks might appear, theoretically, any attack in Wo Long can be parried with Deflect.

“I personally find it impossible, but I'm looking forward to seeing videos by players who can dodge every single attack in the game," says development producer Masaaki Yamagiwa.

Learning enemy attack