Loved it. I loved Team Ninja's two earlier forays into the Soulslike genre--Nioh 1 and 2--and I equally loved this, their... Sekiro-like? The deflection is a welcome mechanic here. It adds a layer of complexity to the combat (a third option beyond "dodge" and "attack"), and it's a layer that makes combat somehow feel even more satisfying than ever. It takes boss fights that threaten to become a war of attrition, and lends them a series of climaxes that reward excellent timing.
Not to compare this to Souls <i>too</i> much, but I have long joked about how silly it is to listen to Souls fans rave about "lore" and "storytelling" in a game where the 'story' amounts to little more than the "Zanzibart... Forgive Me" meme. Team Ninja's takes on the genre err in completely the opposite direction, but somehow have the same effect. The story to this game is massive, unfolding through cutscenes--sometimes 2 or three lengthy cutscenes set back-to-back-to-back--that, inevitably, just get skipped. I watched some of them, to make sure I wasn't missing the XBSS's equivalent of <i>War and Peace</i> (I wasn't). I'm glad the story is there, because I like having it around, but it is truly a non-factor in a game like this.
I will also say, I liked Wo Long so much that I thought about platting it. So I finished the game, and then I got a couple side trophies. And then I had to go back and replay the game to achieve one sort of collectible... and then when I got done with that, I realized that I had to go back and replay all the stages <i>a third time</i> to get them? Which I did not do, because I don't have forever! And that isn't necessarily a mark against the game, but was a bit of a sour way to end my time with it.
Not to compare this to Souls <i>too</i> much, but I have long joked about how silly it is to listen to Souls fans rave about "lore" and "storytelling" in a game where the 'story' amounts to little more than the "Zanzibart... Forgive Me" meme. Team Ninja's takes on the genre err in completely the opposite direction, but somehow have the same effect. The story to this game is massive, unfolding through cutscenes--sometimes 2 or three lengthy cutscenes set back-to-back-to-back--that, inevitably, just get skipped. I watched some of them, to make sure I wasn't missing the XBSS's equivalent of <i>War and Peace</i> (I wasn't). I'm glad the story is there, because I like having it around, but it is truly a non-factor in a game like this.
I will also say, I liked Wo Long so much that I thought about platting it. So I finished the game, and then I got a couple side trophies. And then I had to go back and replay the game to achieve one sort of collectible... and then when I got done with that, I realized that I had to go back and replay all the stages <i>a third time</i> to get them? Which I did not do, because I don't have forever! And that isn't necessarily a mark against the game, but was a bit of a sour way to end my time with it.