Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers isn't perfect, but it doesn't need to be to stand among the best in the Soulsborne genre. It doesn't just mimic what makes these games fun but expands on the formula that few others could. Challenging gameplay, riveting exploration, and unique control mechanics help to elevate Wuchang well above the run-of-the-mill Soulsborne clone. Wuchang more than deserves its own franchise.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has most of the right ingredients of a fantastic action RPG, and adds its own refreshing takes on the Soulslike subgenre. The combat, accessible weapons and spells, punishing bosses, and stunning views are absolute standouts, but the story is slightly less desirable and at times, challenging to follow.

As a Soulslike player with tens of thousands of hours invested in the genre, I came away from Wuchang: Fallen Feathers with a complex mix of emotions. It’s one of the best-looking of the recent Soulslikes, and when its combat feels balanced, it is a lot of fun. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is encumbered by a few too many mechanics, sluggish animations, boss fights that need a tune up and slow progression. But it’s also a value-priced, substantial game with multiple endings and the potential for long-term play beyond the credits. It treads extremely familiar ground to be sure. Its greatest appeal m...

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is yet another great soulslike to add to the ever-increasing pile, featuring excellent combat, wonderful level design, an incredible skill tree, and fearsome bosses. Just watch out for some steep difficulty dips and spikes, and a reliance on cheap-feeling "gotcha!" ambushes.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers spreads its wings, delivering brisk and exciting combat that notches a radiant feather in the cap of the Soulslike subgenre. However, its plumage elsewhere is quite a bit ruffled.

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is a Soulslike game that aims to take a top spot in the genre. Providing a nice challenge for those looking to step up and fight through fearsome bosses. The focus in combat is to build up feathers to use spells and skills while in a fight, allowing you to utilize the arsenal of ways to fight bosses as you progress. Everything you do is a dance between yourself and your enemies; one wrong move and it can spell the end of the fight.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers had such interesting promise, only to lose itself to building a game on frustration rather than learning and fun.

Familiarity stalks you at every turn in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, a competent, cool and pretty soulslike with a nice twist on death but few true surprises.

The demands for fewer Souls-likes in the gaming release calendar make quite a lot of sense when they're as formulaic and familiar as Wuchang: Fallen Feathers.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers had a lot of potential, but overtuned boss fights and inconsistent level design make it more frustrating than fulfilling.

Wuchang brings some fun ideas to soulslike boss fights, but the rest of it is a pale imitation of much better games.

The ancient mythological world depicted by Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a fascinating one. Set during the late Ming Period, an era of great sweeping change in China when ineffective leadership resulted in famine, rebellion, and war, the game is also imbued with mythological elements inspired by the amazing discoveries found in the Sanxingdui archaeological site. Some of these bronze relics featured mysterious half-bird half-human creatures, leading to the concept of ‘Feathering Disease’ that provides the basis for the game’s story. This horrific plague transforms those poor saps afflicted into ...