Koei Tecmo's Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember Previews Fast, Stylish Combat at Gamescom 2026

According to TechRadar, the game offers a large variety of weapons, several character and weapon abilities to unlock, and armor to find while exploring. Combat can be punishing, especially against foes above the player's level, but Koei Tecmo has provided different deflect combinations, standard blocking, and smooth movement for evading in and out of danger zones. TechRadar described the new nunchucks weapon as making the player feel like Bruce Lee, and said the finishers and speed of combat evoke PlayStation 2-era stylish action, reminiscent of Capcom's God Hand.

TechRadar noted that enemies often spam unblockable attacks, but their attack patterns are well designed and easy to react to without unfair or nearly indecipherable movements, which it said has been an issue in most soulslikes over the years. Like many games in the genre, Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember encourages players to build around a specific play style based on the weapon they choose. Levelling wood, fire, water, earth, or metal virtues increases specific base character stats, element abilities, and proficiency with particular weapons. Because TechRadar used wooden nunchucks, it upgraded the wood virtue, which aided with more damage against enemies.

TechRadar said fast deflecting leads to some of the most satisfying back-and-forth combat against regular enemies and mini-bosses. The game carries the levelling system from its predecessor and builds upon it, while the additional aspects to combat elevate it to a more exciting level. The outlet, which never finished the first entry, Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, said it was already impressed by that game's fast-flowing gameplay and accessibility, and Koei Tecmo looks to be doubling down on those qualities in the sequel. Story sequences were kept short in the preview, and TechRadar said gameplay is where the focus is. If the short demo is any indication, the outlet expects Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember to deliver for stylish combat fans when it launches early in 2027.