Wuchang: Fallen Feathersis a soulslike taking place in an ancient Chinese-inspired setting, using real-world locations and fantastic mythology to create a game as beautiful to look at as it is fun to murder people within. Full of style and with some twists on the formula, there is plenty for this title to offer Soulslike fans or newcomers alike. However, a series of issues—which on their own are minuscule but come together to create a grander problem—prevent me from callingWuchang: Fallen Feathersa perfect game.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathersopens on our titular main character as she awakens beneath a shrine of the Buddha in a Taoist temple. It is revealed her strange affliction—feathers growing from the skin, memory loss, and eventual transformation into a beast—has affected many in the region after an attack from a great evil. You, however, are special and contain the ability to harness this power… should you avoid succumbing to madness.
The storytelling and writing inWuchang: Fallen Feathersis not the game’s strongest feature. That is not to say the world itself isn’t interesting—it is full of remarkably cool ideas, character designs, and incredible environments, which I’ll touch on later. The actual writing, however, simply left much to be desired. NPC interactions are short, confusing, and often share information bluntly, leaving me more confused than before. Many dialogues go something like, “Oh hello, Wuchang. We’re in this area. Here is what is going on,” ending abruptly with few questions asked by our main character or context given about why these NPCs know what they know.
This may be due partly to translation, but it wasn’t as if the sentences were confusing—more like they lacked contextual knowledge or buildup. Ironically, considering the amnestic main character, these interactions felt like talking to people who remembered previous conversations I could not. This was clearly not the point, however, and it didn’t make a world where all story information comes through these conversations come alive for me.
Thankfully, you rarely need to rely on NPC interactions to find your way forward.Wuchang: Fallen Feathers’ levels are designed linearly, with fantastic landscapes clearly pointing toward the next area. This is very similar to theDark Soulsgames it draws inspiration from, thoughElden Ringfans may be disappointed that there is less space to run around and grind before heading towards the next objective.
Speaking of grinding,Wuchang: Fallen Featherschanges the typical soulslike formula by converting the usual level-up system into a skill tree. Instead of directly increasing your statistics, you convert “souls” into ability points to spend throughout branches focused on different weapon types. Many nodes are direct attribute increases, while others unlock new mechanics.
I still don’t know how I feel about this system compared to the usual soulslike style. I feel like it certainly has benefits, but it makes me feel less in control of where level-ups go. I also don’t love tying mechanics behind level-ups, though I’m unsure what the game could have done differently.
Another feature I’m unsure about is the demonic nemesis mechanic; you build “madness” by killing humanoid enemies and engaging in other mechanics that make you stronger, but in turn increasing the world’s danger. If you die with a full madness meter, you summon a demonic nemesis—a strong enemy to fight around your gravesite.
It’s always cool seeing the nemesis, and you can use her to your advantage by having her fight enemies and bosses. However, the madness mechanic feels hard to avoid, especially with many human enemies, and spawning an incredibly strong enemy when you die feels like more punishment than anything… especially when she lingers where you dropped all your “souls.”
To wrap up,Wuchang: Fallen Feathersgameplay is pretty good, though it makes formula changes I’m not incredibly fond of. The game emphasizes special attacks and spells, with their usage currency gained by landing combos. However, it lacks any kind of blocking mechanic, relying solely on dodging. This doesn’t feel good when enemies continue combos after you dodge, and your attacks don’t stagger—meaning you have no way of interrupting their attacks. It also feels bad when dodging throws you into terrain, leaving you stuck and displacing the camera for a frustrating death.
The Final Word
Wuchang: Fallen Feathersis a stylish and creative game, with an inspired setting, some clever mechanics, and incredible visuals. However, the game struggled with its storytelling, and I suspect many mechanics will be divisive for genre fans. Though I’m sure many will love it, I personally feelWuchang’s feathers are a little too ruffled to soar.
Try Hard Guides was provided a Steam code for this PC review ofWuchang: Fallen Feathers. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on ourGame Reviewspage!Wuchang: Fallen Feathersis available onSteam,Epic Games,PlayStation, andXbox.
