'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix' revealed its first Alpha Demo during 'Tokyo Game Show 2026.' Unlike the previous title, this Alpha Demo was simultaneously released on PC, creating quite a stir.
Compared to the previous title, the sequel's stages have evolved into an open-world large map, and the combat system has undergone many changes. These changes have sparked considerable discussion within the player community. Regarding Team NINJA's development philosophy, the 'Wo Long' series' action experience, and the game's core fun, players have their own perspectives.
During TGS, we were honored to be invited by Koei Tecmo to interview two core producers from the development team on-site: Producer Masakazu Hirayama and Development Producer Masaaki Yamagiwa. They discussed many aspects of the production philosophy behind the series of changes in 'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix.'
Masaaki Yamagiwa (left), Masakazu Hirayama (right)
Below are the details of the interview:
Q: Many actions this time involve aerial judgments. What challenges did you encounter in designing and developing this part? Are issues related to this section within the core observation scope of the current Alpha Demo—for example, occasional instances where 'Deflect' fails to activate after jumping?
Masakazu Hirayama:Developing the aerial components was indeed quite challenging because the situations for both enemies and players are highly variable. Some enemies stay airborne, others remain on the ground, and some switch between the two, making balance difficult. We need to constantly balance and adjust the action system to get the rhythm right, which was one of the key focuses of this development.
Releasing the Alpha Demo now is precisely to gather player feedback on these aspects and fix issues in the game. The systems in this title have changed significantly; not only in build variety and actions, but we've also attempted an open-world map. We are eager to hear player feedback on these aspects and apply it to the final release. Furthermore, since the Alpha Demo for the previous game wasn't released on PC, we launched the PC version simultaneously this time to gather thoughts on the current optimization state, helping us further refine the final product.
Masaaki Yamagiwa:The Chinese martial arts actions in the previous game focused more on planar, horizontal movements. With the addition of three-dimensional movement this time, we've made several changes—for example, Divine Beasts and Martial Arts can now be used in the air, and combo chains can be continued mid-air. These parts have been strengthened and adjusted.
Q: In the Alpha Demo, 'Deflect' has added a wind-up animation, making the control feel very different from the previous game. Previously, players could 'Deflect' instantly at the moment an enemy attack reached them, but now they need to anticipate and press the button beforehand. Why was this design change made?
Masakazu Hirayama:The basic input judgment frames for 'Deflect' have essentially remained unchanged. However, there have been some adjustments to the input judgment window when 'Deflecting' red-light critical hits or special techniques. The main reason for this is to maintain balance between the newly added 'Focus Deflect' system and the original 'Deflect' system in this title.
But until the official release, we will continue to collect player feedback—therefore, we will keep adjusting aspects like input windows, frame rates, and controls.
Q: After the complete edition of 'Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty' launched on Switch 2, player reviews indicated that the graphics and frame rate stability were not very good. Will 'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix' perform better in these areas? Additionally, will there be optimizations for the Switch 2 version of the first game?
Masakazu Hirayama:The Switch 2 version of the first game definitely requires further optimization, as it's a platform we hadn't released on before. After launching the complete edition on Switch 2, the team gained valuable development experience for this platform. So, while we currently cannot offer a demo of 'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix' on Switch 2, we will continue optimizing and consider the best timing to let players experience the game on this platform.
Q: In 'Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty,' almost all action systems were designed around the core 'Deflect' mechanic. Many players loved the simple action experience this design brought. However, 'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix' introduces various new elements like 'Focus Deflect' and 'Aerial Combat.' How did you balance the addition of these new elements with the original pure and simple combat?
Masakazu Hirayama:Yes, in 'Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty,' 'Deflect' was the central mechanic, and successfully deflecting provided players with a strong sense of satisfaction—elements we are continuing to retain. However, some players mentioned that the combat system in the first game was too focused on 'Deflect' itself. To give players more freedom and choices in their strategy, we have added the 'Focus' system and aerial combat elements in the sequel.
However, if we look back at the 'Deflect' system in 'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix,' its feel and animations are actually consistent with the previous game—what was possible before is still possible now. Players do not necessarily need to use the 'Focus' system to fight; it's perfectly fine not to use it at all, and they can still 'Deflect' Everythinggj. The 'Focus' system is positioned as a 'great success above successful Deflects.' For instance, successfully executing a Focus Deflect can knock enemies away, bringing an even deeper level of action feel and satisfaction.
This is our design philosophy.
Q: With 'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix' switching to an open-world map, more elements have been added, such as enemy strongholds. Capturing strongholds increases 'Morale.' Does this require players to progress to a certain extent before challenging bosses, or can players ignore these elements and go straight for the bosses?
Masaaki Yamagiwa:This is possible. In the recent Alpha Demo, we saw players rushing directly to challenge bosses—but this isn't the method we most recommend. We have laid out general recommended progression paths and prepared many ways for free-form engagement. Following the recommended path or exploring more will strengthen the player's character, making subsequent boss challenges smoother. Of course, players can completely ignore these; we have preserved this freedom of approach.
Masakazu Hirayama:The previous game used a mission-based design where the gap between the player's starting level and the boss in each stage was significant, making it difficult to rush straight into boss fights. However, with the open-world map design this time, we've made numerous adjustments to the 'Morale' system. Now, 'Morale' acts as an 'additional level' system on top of the player's base character level. This means that even if players don't explore extensively or defeat enemies to raise their base level, they can still skip some recommended content and challenge bosses directly by focusing on raising their 'Morale' level. Compared to the previous title, the mandatory nature of exploration has been reduced.
Q: 'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix' retains the 'Morale' and 'Flag' systems from 'Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty.' How does the development team balance the number of flags on the map with enemy strength? Are there powerful enemies that can still overwhelm the player's 'Morale' level even if all flags on the entire map are planted?
Masaaki Yamagiwa:The 'Flags' on the map now serve as teleport points in addition to save points, facilitating player movement. Meanwhile, the 'Morale' level has been changed to an additional level system in this title, with corresponding adjustments made to related systems.
Regarding the battlefield, each area has a 'Suppression Level' setting. Increasing it affects the upper and lower limits of additional levels, giving players an advantage. Within strongholds, there are also small flags. Planting them deliberately lowers the 'Morale' of all enemies in that stronghold. We designed these small flags as exploration rewards; while you can defeat enemies without planting them if your levels are comparable, planting them gives you a greater advantage.
As for enemies that still have a Morale advantage even after all flags are raised, they basically don't exist—because 'Morale' is built upon the player's level. Players can still increase their 'Morale' by leveling up. Unless it's a deliberately restricted playstyle, normal gameplay won't result in distorted 'Morale' gaps.
Masakazu Hirayama:Furthermore, even enemies with a 'Morale' advantage are not entirely unbeatable; players can still choose to challenge them immediately. Conversely, players can also work hard to level up, aiming to reach new areas with a 'Morale' level higher than that of the enemies from the start.
Q: Since the first game, 'Wo Long' has emphasized 'Deflect' as its core mechanic—a system for countering enemy attacks. Has 'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix' considered adding more content focused on proactive offense? How do you view the trend in many modern action games, such as 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword,' where 'countering enemies' has become the mainstream gameplay style?
Masakazu Hirayama:'Offense-defense transition' in Chinese martial arts is something we have always wanted to achieve in the 'Wo Long' series. Some aspects weren't fully realized in the previous game, and we are specifically addressing this in the sequel. One of the most important changes in this title is that players can use 'Deflect' to cancel attack animations. Instead of passively defending and waiting to 'Deflect' as in the previous game, players can now take the initiative to attack and then 'Deflect' when the enemy attempts to counter. This adjustment aims to prevent gameplay from becoming too defense-oriented. Additionally, through Martial Arts and Divine Beasts, players can forcibly cause super-armored enemies to stagger, actively creating opportunities for attack.
Therefore, compared to 'Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty,' the transition between offense and defense in this title will be more intense, which is a key point we want to emphasize.
Masaaki Yamagiwa:Regarding the fact that many recent games have similar 'counter-attack' designs, this is because it has become a relatively mature and established game design principle. The focus for each game company lies in finding their unique twist. What we want to portray is Chinese martial arts movements akin to 'acrobatics.' Therefore, the sequel adds many three-dimensional action systems emphasizing aerial combat. Players can knock enemies into the air, causing them to collide with other enemies or walls, or jump up to strike down airborne foes. Adding these systems is less about emphasizing 'counter-attack' combat and more about serving as tools to realize 'acrobatic Chinese martial arts movements.'
Q: A common criticism from players regarding the visuals of 'Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty' was the overly bright red tones combined with dark shading—similar criticisms have appeared for other Team NINJA games. Have you noticed this feedback? Have these issues been improved in 'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix'?
Masakazu Hirayama:Actually, it's not just us; the entire Team NINJA development team has collected feedback from players across various countries and regions. We are certainly aware of many players' thoughts on color, and we know that dissatisfaction with color representation has existed since the previous game.
However, in actual production, it's quite difficult to simply say 'we won't use a certain color.' That said, there are indeed many areas where we can put effort into how colors like black and red are used. Therefore, we will continue to listen to player feedback to adjust our use of color, aiming to make the visual experience more comfortable for everyone.
Q: Finally, is there anything you would like to say to the players?
Masakazu Hirayama:Thank you very much for your continued support. We recently announced the release date and opened pre-orders. More importantly, the game's Alpha Demo is now live, with the trial period lasting until September 30. We welcome everyone to play and provide development feedback. We will reference your opinions as we develop the game. To ensure the best gaming experience for players in Asia, the development team is currently working hard on various adjustments.
Masaaki Yamagiwa:In preparation for the March 2027 release, the development team will incorporate feedback from the demo to polish the final product and strive to perfect every aspect of the game. In 'Wo Long 2: Rise of the Phoenix,' we have introduced the new 'Focus' system and a new open-world map, so the fun of gameplay has definitely progressed significantly compared to the first game. We hope everyone looks forward to it and continues to support us. Thank you.