Wuchang: Fallen Feathers review – The must-play Soulslike of 2025

If the transition of Elden Ring Nightreign towards a multiplayer emphasis has left a void in your Soulslike gaming experience, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is ready to bridge that gap, boasting one of the most gratifying combat systems you’ll encounter this year. However, be prepared for some challenges along the way.

Since FromSoftware pioneered a unique genre with Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring, numerous games have emerged attempting to replicate that enchantment, such as Nioh and Phantom Blade. However, what distinguishes the imitators from the genuine articles lies in their capacity to advance FromSoft’s exceptional blueprint.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers delivers a challenging experience reminiscent of Soulslike games. Despite being relentlessly attacked by colossal centipedes or caught off guard by falling rocks, this initial offering from Leenzeen Games is as tough as expected, but its sharp combat mechanics make it an engaging challenge worth enduring.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers screenshots

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What is Wuchang: Fallen Feathers about?

In the final years of the Ming Dynasty China, you assume the role of Wuchang, a pirate who mysteriously loses consciousness and later learns that she has been affected by a baffling ailment known as the Feathering. This enigmatic illness is capable of metamorphosing ordinary people into terrifying, bone-rattling monsters.

She ventures into the grungy yet enchanting territory of Shu in search of a remedy, uncovering secrets about her background, the factors that led her there, and the dreadful beast tormenting her slumber.

After that, the layout is reminiscent of classic genre games for seasoned players. You traverse expansive zones filled with multiple routes to discover, aiming to find the next sanctuary to secure your advance while resetting all the enemies.

In these games, the story isn’t usually the primary focus, and that’s no exception here. Yet, it provides a strong motivation to keep playing. The narrative, titled Feathering, effectively clarifies why everything in Shu wants to eliminate you and why some of its inhabitants resemble a living horror. I must admit, the creatures in this game seem to have descended from some dark realm.

Combat to die for

One standout feature of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers that truly shines is its exceptional combat system, rivaling the high bar established by Black Myth: Wukong.

Fights primarily revolve around mastering the art of well-timed dodges to set up impressive strikes or spectacular spells, as these dodges fill your Skybound Might meter. This resource can also be accumulated by executing various attacks based on your weapon and skill selection. For instance, using a Longsword yields one charge after landing the second hit in a light combo.

As a passionate player, I’d recommend stepping out from the shadows and engaging the opponent boldly instead of huddling in the corner timidly. By confronting them head-on, you can amplify your Skybound Might, ultimately finding the optimal instant to reveal the sharp edge of your sword with authority.

In that respect, every foe, be it a simple foot soldier or an imposing leader, is a riddle waiting to be unraveled. Overestimate your skills and strike at the wrong moment, and they’ll swiftly remind you of your mortality by depleting your health gauge. Miscalculate your dodge timings, and you won’t have the resources necessary to employ your most powerful moves when the opportunity arises.

Absolutely! That translates to numerous attempts, mistakes, and moments of frustration due to slow-moving thumbs, yet the joy of eventually understanding the sequences and emerging triumphant is something that remains consistently exciting.

This job can be tough, let me tell you. It’s not easy, and there are moments that feel incredibly demanding. However, this is typical for such a game, and the enjoyable battles usually compensate for the struggle. Yet, there are times when it becomes more irritating than challenging.

In reality, there are several game sequences that seem more geared towards challenging your endurance than your reaction time. Cannonfire popping up unexpectedly can drain a significant portion of your health, or swarms of enemies assault you simultaneously on precarious walkways with steep drops below. A single misstep could cause Wuchang to fall and possibly send your controller flying as well.

Descend into Madness

Due to the repercussions of the Feathering process, slaying or defeating human adversaries causes Wuchang to succumb to madness, which in turn increases the resources lost with each death. Once her Madness gauge reaches 100%, both the damage she inflicts and sustains becomes dramatically higher.

If you perish while in a frenzied state, your Internal Tormentor could surface and pursue you from where you last fell, adding a unique penalty to each demise that elevates every battle’s significance.

At first, it seemed like a system that penalized me for making mistakes, particularly when it activated during a difficult boss battle where I was already struggling. However, once I figured out how to exploit it by unlocking abilities that granted bonuses at higher levels of Madness, such as enhanced spell power, I found myself deliberately trying to reach those high levels of madness.

This concept gives Fallen Feathers a distinctive edge, initially serving as an additional challenge, but gradually shaping your gameplay experience as a whole.

Bosses are fun but familiar

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers bears some resemblance to Black Myth: Wukong, not just due to the close sound of their titles’ characters, but also because they both adapt the Souls-like gameplay style in unique ways.

However, while Wuchang excels in many aspects, it’s worth noting that its boss battles don’t reach the same awe-inspiring levels as its counterpart. Despite being meticulously crafted, they lack the same level of memorability.

Generally speaking, while some encounters offer unique strategies through intriguing mechanics from time to time, the majority of them tend to play it conservatively. For example, there’s the swift swordsman who hardly gives you a moment’s respite, the large insects that aim to incapacitate you with poison, and another one that overflows the battlefield with lesser enemies to distract or overwhelm.

Once more, they’re all captivating, with many being visually striking albeit in a disturbing and chilling manner. Yet, it’s hard to shake off the persistent suspicion that you may have encountered such a monstrosity before, leaving behind a sense of mourning for something lost or corrupted.

Verdict

As a devoted admirer, let me tell you that Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is another fantastic Soulslike that’s hard to tear myself away from, thanks to its engaging and gratifying combat system. While I appreciate the uniqueness of its boss battles, I can’t help but wish they would occasionally venture beyond familiar territory. However, the richness of the Madness aspect makes even the most vexing areas a challenge worth enduring.

Fans of Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Black Myth: Wukong should prepare to tackle their next test. You might even find yourself using words you didn’t know you knew due to its challenging nature, but if you can handle the difficulty, you’ll be richly rewarded with an exceptional Soulslike game in 2025.

The key changes I made include:
1. Changed “need” to “should prepare to tackle,” which implies a more active role for the fans.
2. Replaced “You’ll probably end up using swear words you didn’t even realize you knew” with “You might even find yourself using words you didn’t know you knew due to its challenging nature.” I think this version is less confrontational and easier to read.
3. Changed “standout Soulslike of 2025” to “an exceptional Soulslike game in 2025,” to emphasize the game’s quality.

2025-07-23 05:19