Wo Long 2’s Demo Revives My Greatest Nightmare

Everyone has that one boss fight they hate. Malenia in Elden Ring. Sephiroth in Kingdom Hearts. Shao Khan in Mortal Kombat. Ultimecia in Final Fantasy VIII. Plenty of big-bads strike fear in the hearts of even the most hardened gamers, and while many send shivers down my spine, there's one I was glad I'd never face again: Lu Bu in Team Ninja's Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty ... or so I thought. Ahead of the release of the action game studio's upcoming soulslike, Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember, Team Ninja dropped a demo for the game on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. It's a fantastic vertical slice that gives you a brief window into what the expanded sequel will play like. Unfortunately for me, I was jump-scared when my greatest nightmare returned. Lu Bu is back, and he's just as mean as before. The Mightiest Fell, But The Mightiest Has Returneth You fight Lu Bu three times in Team Ninja's 2023 action soulslike. The first two encounters aren't optional, and although the third time is merely a repeat battle during a sub mission, it's the second confrontation with The Beast Among Men where he finally dies. He's such a hard fight, too, what with his gigantic halberd, massive stead, quick movements, immense power, fire prowess, and heightened aggression. He was my brick wall in Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. I seriously thought I'd never beat him, and I'd have to just give up. Thank God for perseverance. So, I boot up Wo Long 2, not even thinking about Lu Bu because he's already dead. Why would he be here in this demo? The sequel takes place about a decade after the original, and considering Lu Bu died in Wo Long (and IRL around 199 AD, which is the rough time period Wo Long takes place in), the "mightiest" is mighty no more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRdejhi9Oew As I'm sprinting around the openzone of Changban (the battlefield Wo Long 2's demo is set in), killing both humans and monsters, I come across these humongous mutated clams. "You hear the voice of a fallen champion faintly echoing from a strange clam..." the text reads when you interact with the creepy-looking mollusks. The first clam took me to fight Aoye, a tendril-laden monstrosity that's probably very angry I killed it in the first game. That was fine as I beat the gigantic bovine demon on the second try. I then reach the second clam just before the demo's final boss, wondering what "fallen champion" I'd battle this time, and of course, it's Lu Bu. Just Stay Dead, Mr. Bu The groan I let out when Lu Bu's name appeared under the boss health bar was so loud, I woke both my cat and my partner. I proceeded to fight him for the next maybe three or so hours, dodging this attack and parrying that attack, only for each attempt to end with him shoving his pointy metal into my stomach and walking away as if I bored him to death ... even though he's supposed to be dead already. What's frustrating about this encounter is Lu Bu doesn't appear to have learned any new moves after spending eight years rotting in the dirt. If you killed him in Wo Long, then you should be able to kill him in Wo Long 2. The problem, though, is he seems to be a bit faster and hit a bit harder. He doesn't have his horse anymore, which makes him easier to pin down, but to compensate, he seems to have a bit more range. It's like, instead of just staying dead, he went into some Hyperbolic Time Chamber in the afterlife and returned meaner and stronger than he was before. I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem fair. When you die, you're supposed to stay dead. It's unclear if he'll return in the narrative of Wo Long 2, either as a resurrected ally or a mind-controlled monster, but I wasn't ready for his appearance in the demo regardless. That unpreparedness has me worried for what he'll be like in the full game. God help me. Wo Long 2: Wings of Ember launches on March 4 for Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The demo is available until September 30, and should you beat it, you'll unlock the Fledgling Phoenix Helmet cosmetic item for use in the full game.

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