The Soulslike genre of games has been a staple of modern gaming for well over a decade by this point. Chinese developer Leenzee has produced their own take at this popular (and merciless) genre.
Read our Wuchang Fallen Feathers review to see if the mixture of real-life 3D scans of ancient Chinese areas and a few different combat mechanics can result in a game that makes a name for itself in a competitive field or if this stuff is best left to veteran developers in this space.
Terrible Disease, Fantastic Looks
The Unreal Engine 5 runs the show, and Wuchang: Fallen Feathers looks great. Character models are nice and detailed, while environments are dense and full of things to look at and occasionally interact with. On my 13-gen i7 CPU paired with an RTX 4070 laptop GPU, with DLSS 2x Frame Generation turned on, I would average around 80-90 FPS in most areas, though certain spots would cause noticeable dips, with a low in the mid-40s in one particular safe spot. Your mileage may vary, of course, but Wuchang gives off a high level of polish. Most characters are fully voiced, which is a nice inclusion to help sell the immersion of ancient China.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers takes place during the late Ming dynasty, within the region known as Shu. A terrible plague called the “Feathering” has begun to take over the area’s inhabitants. How it spreads, and why it affects some worse than others, is not known. You play as Bai Wuchang, freshly awoken with a severe case of amnesia, due in part because of being afflicted with this blight. Indeed, your left arm shows the telltale signs of the disease – feathers have appeared there. While usually this results in the infected quickly going mad and attacking anyone who approaches them, you are special and seem to be able to keep the madness mostly at bay. The story adapts popular Chinese myths into game characters, offering a slightly more grounded narrative than the genre typically provides – although it also incorporates plenty of supernatural elements. Also, a talking panda whom you can trade with, because why not?
Wuchang is a Soulslike through and through. You can expect to die a lot in this game, especially in the early hours as you learn the controls. There are literally all the tropes the genre is known for. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: in one of the relatively early areas, a big enemy will abruptly roll a large boulder in your direction, then promptly follow it to attack you. That moment, rather than being a shocking surprise, merely caused an eyeroll from me, because I’ve seen it done so many times, and unfortunately, this iteration didn’t really do anything new with the scenario. It kind of felt like there was a whiteboard in a meeting room at the offices of Leenzee Games, which had a list of things considered essential to have in a Soulslike, and “big boulder rolls towards protagonist” was one of the first items on there, right after “player should die during tutorial.”
It’s Certainly Familiar
Yes, Wuchang is tough, as the genre demands. But, it didn’t feel nearly as punishing as FromSoftware’s games. Most bosses only took me a few tries to complete, and a couple I even managed to figure out on the first try. Part of that may be because I have absolutely no issues with figuring out a grinding path, and spending some extra time farming areas for levels. After playing these kinds of games for well over a decade at this point, I can sniff out a good grinding area pretty quickly. So, perhaps I was a bit over-leveled for some of those bosses. But then again, if you want a real challenge, no one is forcing you to upgrade your build or grind it out before taking on the area’s boss.
Upgrades in Wuchang are numerous. There are prayer shrines to be found throughout the world, where your healing items can be refilled, at the cost of bringing back all non-boss enemies. Here is also where you can spend any Red Mercury you’ve collected from defeated enemies or in random locations. The Impetus Repository is where this currency can be spent to unlock new abilities, extra stats, and more. If you’re a bit short on mercury, you can use some items to generate more. Since dying doesn’t remove these items, it’s smart to only use them when you are about to upgrade, otherwise you risk losing that mercury when you die again.
Outside of basic upgrading of your character, you can also upgrade parts of Wuchang’s arm with needles. Think of it as a metaphysical version of acupuncture. This aspect helps give Wuchang: Fallen Feathers a more unique identity, as there is a narratively driven reason behind these upgrades. You can also slot upgrades into every weapon, although you must remember to re-equip them when changing weapons. The Invoke option allows you to purchase single-use items, at the cost of increasing your madness. The Discipline menu further adds to the numerous options for tweaking any build you desire.
The Dream Beckons
When in combat, parrying is highly encouraged. Performing one successfully grants you one bar of something called Skyborn Might. This has immediate effects on weapons, depending on what’s equipped. These effects can be added to from within the Impetus Repository, some of which are weapon-specific. This same Skyborn Might can be used to start special combos, or it can also be used to perform a Swift Draw, a move which switches weapons while also dealing damage. Parrying or landing successive hits on enemies can also charge this Might, as well as increasing energy stores for any magic-imbued weapons equipped. Taking a defensive approach is possible, but perhaps more tedious as the game is designed around using offensive methods.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers does not include any online functionality. In this genre, that usually means invading other players’ games in an attempt to kill them, thus earning rewards (and incurring the wrath of said player), or joining someone else in a co-op session, or the opposite where you host an invasion or have someone else join you. While it’s a shame this functionality isn’t included, a couple of things do help to remedy this. After a couple of hours or so, you’ll likely unlock an item which summons a CPU-controlled ally, who is fairly competent in battle, and at the very least serves as a distraction for whatever boss you’re facing. This cannot be used outside of major battles, however, so it cannot be used as a crutch. It feels reminiscent of the online mechanics of other Soulslikes, but not quite the same. Ultimately, those used to playing against unpredictable human players will feel like something is missing, because it is.
For those seeking an invasion-like feeling, though, then Wuchang’s Inner Demon mechanic will come into play. As you play, your level of a madness meter will fluctuate based on what happens to you. Dying or resting repeatedly will increase it, while certain items will decrease it. At a basic level, the higher this meter gets, the more powerful you become, while you simultaneously also begin to take more damage from enemies. If you die and your madness level is high enough, then a clone of you called the Inner Demon will show up around the spot where you last died, guarding your souls echoes mercury. It’ll have the same build as you did when you were last defeated, so there’s always a risk that your best build might also be your undoing. It’s an interesting mechanic, and the first time it happened to me, I thought I had been invaded by another player, before realizing that wasn’t a feature of Wuchang. This Inner Demon attacks indiscriminately, so you can use that to your advantage and have your clone defeat nearby enemies, or at least provide fodder for a time. It’s a feature that has been executed very well.
Verdict
Wuchang Fallen Feathers is a solid addition to the Soulslike genre, which, while not completely revolutionizing things, does do enough to warrant a look at by fans of this style of game. The core of the genre has been left intact, with some thoughtful additions that can enhance the depth of options available to the player. While combat does have its issues, they can be adapted to once you’ve spent some time with the game. If you’re looking for something different after playing too much Nightreign lately, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a fresh change of scenery, one that is well worth a look.
Score: 8/10
Pros:
- Great scenery, including 3D scans of real-life locations
- Fun, varied combat
- Dense environmental design, including vertical space
Cons:
- Mostly the same feeling as other Soulslikes
- Fall animations feel unforgiving
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers review code was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.
