Wuchang: Fallen Feathers’ Greatest Soulslike Strength May Be Its Most Divisive Design Choice

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Fallen Feathers, launched with some troubles despite positive reviews from critics in 2025. On Steam, the game has received a low user score of 31%, primarily due to concerns about poor optimization. Many players have reported technical issues preventing them from running the game at high resolutions or stable frame rates, which are linked to problems with Unreal Engine 5. While the overall quality of Wuchang isn’t heavily criticized, its technical difficulties have left many players frustrated.

In spite of encountering optimization challenges, the game “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” has demonstrated remarkable popularity. On its debut day alone, it attracted over 130,000 simultaneous players on Steam and ranked among the top 15 best-sellers on Valve’s marketplace. Although Leenzee and publisher 505 Games haven’t disclosed exact sales figures for “Wuchang” yet, its success appears to be widespread across all platforms, possibly surpassing expectations for most games of the AA Soulslike genre. However, certain elements of the game, beyond its technical performance, have not struck a chord with every player, particularly those who aren’t avid fans of traditional Soulslikes.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers’ Approach to Level Design is Bound to Divide Players

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Takes Inspiration from Older Soulslikes

In many aspects, the game titled “Wuchang: Fallen Feathers” can be considered a contemporary take on traditional games. It offers a more accessible experience compared to games like Nioh, making it friendlier for newcomers in the Soulslike genre. Although its combat mechanics are intricate, they aren’t so cryptic that they cannot be grasped by beginners. Interestingly, one of the game’s fundamental elements, its level design, draws inspiration from older FromSoftware Soulslikes, like Dark Souls and Bloodborne. The design decisions made by Leenzee for this particular aspect have significantly increased the game’s overall challenge.

Wuchang’s Levels are Mostly Linear, With Dangers Lurking Around Every Corner

Unlike the expansive open-world adventure found in Elden Ring, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers offers a more structured gameplay experience that primarily consists of linear levels. However, these levels are not solely mission-driven and retain a sense of interconnectivity. As players advance, they can revisit previously accessed areas by uncovering hidden shortcuts in the environment. Furthermore, there are opportunities to deviate from the main path and delve into optional locations scattered throughout each level of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers.

In the game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, you’ll find spaces called shrines spread across various levels. These shrines serve similar purposes as bonfires do in the Dark Souls series, providing options for saving your progress and quickly traveling between locations. Apart from these shrines, the levels of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers are brimming with something far more menacing – hidden traps. At unexpected moments, players might encounter enemies lurking within the environments or fall victim to landmines or drops of concealed poison scattered everywhere. While such challenges are common in many Soulslikes, Wuchang has a higher density of these deadly traps compared to most other games in the genre.

Fans Will Love or Hate Wuchang’s Level Design Depending On Their Preferences

In terms of whether the level design in ‘Wuchang: Fallen Feathers’ is great or not, that largely depends on individual taste. Action game enthusiasts who favor expansive open-worlds and have the freedom to tackle tough levels as they see fit might find the choices made by Leenzee frustrating. On the other hand, players who appreciate the traditional, linear style of level design that FromSoftware introduced in their early ‘Dark Souls’ games may find much to appreciate in ‘Wuchang’. Despite differing opinions on this matter, it should be acknowledged that Leenzee had a distinct vision for the game’s level design and stayed committed to it throughout the development process.

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2025-07-26 19:34