In case you’re wondering what audio language to choose when playing Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, here’s what we think.
Wo Long is the latest release from Team Ninja and it’s shaping up to be another hit for the studio. It’s easy to dismiss this as yet another “soulslike” game but the unique Chinese setting and over-the-top tone help carve it its own identity.
We’ve been enjoying our time on it so far and our full review is in progress but for now, we want to talk about one of the number one questions we had in mind when first booting up the game. What is the best language setting to play Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty in?
The game is set during a fictional recreation of the Three Kingdoms time period from Chinese history. It was a time of turmoil as different dynasties tried to get as much control as they could and if it meant spilling some blood, then so be it. Wo Long’s narrative incorporates multiple mythological elements that really add to the fantastical feel of it all. As someone who wasn’t fully knowledgeable about this piece of history from a different culture, it is interesting to see Team Ninja’s stylistic take on it all.
What is the best language setting for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty?
The game will initially start off with whatever default language setting your system has. For me, it was English so I tried it out during the opening sequence. However, I felt like something was just a bit off given the setting, the looks of the characters and some of the terms they were speaking were all rooted in Chinese culture.
So I decided to back out to the main menu (you can’t change the language settings while in-game) and choose Chinese audio with English subtitles. The experience felt much more natural and immersive. A possible problem I noticed when it came to relying on subtitles however is that during high-octane action moments, it was difficult to focus on precise combat actions with all the visuals floating across the screen while reading what some of the characters would say. Other than that very minor con, everything else went smoothly.
With the Chinese audio, character moments felt much more impactful, the emotional delivery of the lines matched perfectly with the visual representation on screen, and the lip-syncing is a bit more in line with what was being said.
It is important to note that at the end of the day, it’s up to your personal preference as to what audio language setting you would want. If you just want to have a more casual and laid-back playthrough, then by all means go for whatever native language you have. But if I were to suggest a more immersive option, then the Chinese audio setting is definitely the one to go.