Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Review

Chinese developers continue to impress in the global gaming scene, starting with Game Science’s Black Myth Wukong, an explosive debut with a retelling of the Journey to the West. That momentum is paving the way for upcoming games such as Lost Souls Aside and Tides of Annihilation, and titles from China have been garnering attention with each new release.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, developed by Leenzee Games, is next in line as it reimagines the Soulslike formula through a dark Chinese fantasy lens, serving as another strong showcase of the region’s talent and storytelling prowess.

Welcome to Shu

Set during the latter years of the Ming Dynasty, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers follows Bai Wuchang, a pirate plagued by a mysterious sickness known as the Feathering, a disease that not only spreads across the land but also erases her memory and causes feather-like growths on her body. Players will guide Wuchang on a journey to uncover both a cure and the truth of her past, encountering allies, foes, and disturbing horrors along the way.

Though the game’s setting appears calm and tranquil at times, gruesome imagery and unsettling lore quickly take over. The land of Shu is ravaged by the aftermath of the Feathering, with its victims reduced to scattered remains, some of which have been disposed of in chilling ways. Items, scattered documents, and NPCs help build a bleak narrative that’s familiar to fans of the genre, crafting a dark fantasy world that invites players to explore it further.

Blending fiction with history, Wuchang also features real historical figures, such as missionaries Gabriel de Magalhães and Lodovico Buglio, as well as characters inspired by the Three Kingdoms era. While rooted in Chinese history, the game’s story remains accessible and easy to understand, supported by solid Soulslike mechanics that cater to fans of punishing combat.

Soulslike and More

All the trademark features of a Soulslike experience are present in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. Challenging combat? Check. Strategic stamina and magic management? Confirmed. A resource for both leveling and item purchases? Yes. The risk of losing that resource upon death, with the chance to reclaim it? Certainly. Rest points that restore health, but respawn every enemy? Without question. Yet despite these familiar systems, Leenzee Games has found a way to refresh the formula through clever tweaks that set Wuchang apart.

From the outset, Souls veterans will feel at home with the combat mechanics: lock-on targeting, sidestepping, and timed attacks are all here, accompanied by the classic stamina bar. Even stagger-based openings for devastating backstab attacks make a return.

The game’s primary resource, Red Mercury, governs both progression and purchases. Rather than simply assigning it to stats, players will have to deal with the Impetus Repository, which is a system that reminded us of Final Fantasy X’s Sphere Grid. This “grid” includes five weapon paths and one dedicated to spells and enhancements. Leveling up grants Refined Red Mercury, which can be allocated freely across the Repository to boost attributes and unlock weapon techniques.

Aside from Red Mercury, players will encounter treasure chests containing Forgotten Remembrances, another key material for progression used in the Impetus Repository. Occasionally, the chirping of nearby birds signals the presence of Aurum Feathers, which serve yet another purpose. While tracking these many resources may seem tedious, each plays a role in expanding your mastery of weapons and spells.

Customization is one of Wuchang‘s strong points, as each weapon type emphasizes different character attributes. The Axe path enhances health and defense, while the One-Handed Sword offers more slots for magic. Those seeking support-oriented builds may prefer the Illusive Path, which holds spell buffs, healing abilities, and a meter called Skyborn Might, Wuchang’s unique take on mana.

Offense is not the only option in Wuchang, as playing defense is made necessary by a feature called Shimmering, which is essentially a Perfect Dodge that not only negates damage but also builds Skyborn Might. This meter allows players to cast powerful spells and special moves, and while there are other means to accumulate it, Shimmering remains the most effective. As a result, staying in the thick of combat and precise timing become essential, particularly when facing the game’s bosses.

By encouraging players to earn mana through skillful dodging rather than potion usage, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers adds a layer of risk and reward to the familiar Soulslike formula, resulting in a fresh take that helps the game stand out within its genre.

Horrors Abound

The land of Shu plays host to several biomes, ranging from lush forests and treacherous snowy peaks to sprawling ancient structures, all ravaged by the Feathering. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers excels in visually portraying ancient China through its environments and detailed architecture, making each locale feel rooted in history.

Throughout her journey, Wuchang encounters nightmarish bosses that are the stuff of nightmares. While corrupted humans and victims of the Feathering are tolerable, the creature design truly stands out. Bosses range from alluring to eerie and even outright disturbing, with an aesthetic that highlights the darker themes of the game. Their visual presentation is not only grotesque, but also looks like it fits the period, making each encounter feel appropriate for the era.

Not all inhabitants of Shu are out for Wuchang’s head, and she will meet a range of NPCs who offer simple yet rewarding side quests. These interactions bring a change of tone to the game, featuring characters that are a welcome sight amidst the horrors, including a fellow female warrior and even a charming panda vendor who trades items for Bamboo Shoots.

Shu’s interconnected design shows clear Soulslike inspirations. While not a fully open world, the region holds a sprawling, maze-like layout populated by hubs, NPCs, and strategically placed shrines that serve as checkpoints. Shrines can feel few and far between, making each trek a tension-filled experience.

Like its inspirations, exploration is also key, as hidden paths may lead to powerful gear, valuable items, or convenient shortcuts. The game’s non-linear structure allows players to approach most bosses in a preferred order, and as another Soulslike touch, special interaction points offer hidden items and lore by rewarding players who do simple tasks like posing using a specific emote.

Dressed for Battle

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers offers players a wide array of armor sets ranging from battle-ready gear to dresses and even robes. Each piece not only boosts your resistance to physical damage and status effects, but also reflects the fashion and artistry of ancient China.

Creativity is strongly encouraged, as armor appearance can be customized freely without any cost, giving players the chance to prioritize aesthetics while retaining their desired stats. However, appearances aren’t just cosmetic because in certain zones, the Despair status effect poses a deadly threat if not neutralized by gear that has resistance to it.

Combat in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers features over 25 weapons categorized into five types. Heavy weapons like Axes deliver massive damage at the cost of stamina, while lighter types such as Dual Swords and One-Handed Swords offer faster attacks with lower stamina usage. Spears and two-handed Longswords bring their own advantages, encouraging players to try all weapons out and find one what suits their playstyle. Because the Impetus Repository allows you to reset weapon nodes at any time for free, players are not locked to a build, furthering the experimentation aspect of the game.

As another twist, two weapons can also be equipped simultaneously, giving way to strategies that are not the usual. With the Quick Draw mechanic, you can swap weapons mid-combo to continue your offensive assault. Sadly, the game makes resetting the Impetus Repository unnecessarily tedious because you have to redo everything over and over again. A loadout feature would’ve been a welcome addition to ease this process.

Shrines serve as more than checkpoints in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers because they hold the key to managing the many aspects of combat like Disciplines, Benedictions, and Tempers. Disciplines determine active weapon techniques, Benedictions add combat buffs, and Tempers further enhance gear.

Uniquely, Shrines don’t automatically heal Wuchang or respawn enemies. Players must choose to reset them manually, which adds a narrative touch and grants players a level of control, especially when trying to avoid re-clearing dense enemy areas.

Like its many other features, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers carefully incorporates its story into gameplay elements. Wuchang’s condition, the Feathering, grants her powers but also carries consequences. Madness accumulates as she defeats non-Feathered foes or suffers frequent deaths, and when her Madness reaches its peak, she shows visible signs like glowing red eyes and demonic markings.

While she gains increased damage output, she also becomes more vulnerable. Dying under full Madness summons her Inner Demon, an enemy guarding her lost Red Mercury, at the death site. Retrieving your lost resources now becomes a duel against your corrupted self, increasing the stakes of each mistake.

Beauty in the Horror

No discussion of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers would be complete without acknowledging its beautiful audiovisual presentation. While Shu lies in ruin because of the Feathering, the game’s environments are a sight to behold, ranging from shadowy forests to vibrant woodlands, and even to dilapidated villages. These backdrops tell stories of sorrow and decay of those who once lived there, providing players with more context of how its present state came to be.

Complementing the visuals are fitting ambient sounds that add to the feeling of dread. Subtle audio cues, such as soft hums while passing over corpses, heighten the eerie atmosphere, while boss battles are accompanied by adrenaline-fueled music.

Technically, Wuchang performs well for the most part, with only minor hiccups such as occasional frame stutters and the rare instance of attacks clipping through walls, both scarce and far from game-breaking.

Verdict: Buy it!

For their debut entry, Leenzee Games delivers a remarkable and compelling effort with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. It faithfully incorporates the trademark qualities of Soulslike games while introducing mechanics and nuances that give it a distinct identity. As with titles in the genre, the game will undoubtedly test players, but the satisfaction of overcoming each encounter is well worth the struggle. The game definitely treads familiar ground, but it has enough tweaks and a distinct visual identity to make it stand out.

Beyond its gameplay, Wuchang successfully portrays Chinese history through a dark fantasy lens. Much like Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong, Leenzee Games offers a great first impression with a title that feels great to play, minor technical hiccups aside, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is one title that fans of the genre should consider.

*Wuchang: Fallen Feathers was reviewed on a PS5 with a review code provided by the publisher.