Tough boss fights are the highlight of any Team Ninja action game, and it looks like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty will be no different. For today’s IGN First, here’s an exclusive first look at one of the game’s earlier bosses, Aoye. Aoye is a fictional creature that appears in the ancient Chinese text Shan Hai Jing, also known as Classic of Mountains and Seas. It is described as a bull-like being with long hair reminiscent of a straw rain-cape.
In Wo Long, Aoye appears as a giant monster that attacks with its long hair and creepy tentacles. While it often lays itself open to attack, each of Aoye’s strikes are heavy and can be fatal. Aoye also has an attack that spreads ice throughout the battle area, which makes it necessary for the player to fight carefully within a more confined environment.
In our gameplay video with Aoye (see it at the top of the page, and then check the 10 minutes of new gameplay we had last week directly above if you missed it), the player character wields the Halberd, a never-before-shown weapon type. Here’s what director Masakazu Hirayama has to say about it.
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“The Halberd is best known for warlord Lu Bu’s Sky-Piercing Halberd. It’s a heavy weapon that can mow down enemies like the Glaive. At the same time, it also has some long-range vertical thrusting attacks like the Spear. Utilizing the Halberd’s shape, this weapon type also has a Martial Art (a powerful move that differs per individual weapon) in which you can hook a far away enemy with your blade. You can use this attack to draw the enemy towards yourself and attack from a closer range.”
Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is set to release on March 3 for PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC and will be available on Xbox Game Pass day one. With Wo Long as January’s IGN First, expect many more exclusives throughout this month. Be sure to check out our gameplay video of the TIanzhushan area as well as a detailed article on the game’s weapons.
Esra Krabbe is an editor at IGN Japan. He wants to master Wo Long’s Staff.