Wuchang: Fallen Feathers propels itself into the rapidly overcrowding Soulslike scene with the promise of a non-linear approach, deep customisation, and its take on China’s Ming Dynasty. And, indeed, this mythological inspiration infuses the game alongside its locations drawing heavily from real-life historical sites. Following last year’s release of Black Myth: Wukong — one of the most successful Chinese video games of all time — many are pre-emptively holding up Fallen Feathers as a herald of a renaissance in the nation’s game industry.
While the success surrounding Black Myth: Wukong provided a powerful international stage for traditional Chinese stories, developers told livestreamers to avoid ‘feminist propaganda, fetishisation, and other content that instigates negative discourse’. Nothing as drastic has emerged before this highly anticipated release of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, yet the title is hellbent on avoiding politics. Every single time the game boots up, players are met with a caveat about it not endorsing any political ideology. Given the game is also alleged to have ripped off assets from Bloodborne, controversy tempers the buzz around its launch.
But is the game worthy of the speculation around whether or not it’s the next big Soulslike? If the critically acclaimed, monstrously successful Elden Ring has set the new genre benchmark, then Fallen Feathers falls short. The load screens are ponderously long, the environmental textures curiously stilted, creating a space the player never feels fully immersed in. Swinging one of the many weapons at a fence or tree either passes straight through or makes no sound and provides no controller feedback. Any breakable items only need to be walked over to access loot. In all, it looks like a lost relic from the PS4 era.
Good graphics alone don’t make a great game. But following the success of Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — a game produced by a small team on an AA budget — the paradigm has shifted. It’s not only that Fallen Feathers lacks a level of polish enjoyed by its bedfellows, but that it’s stilted by almost any visual criteria. Moving the camera is janky to say the least, resulting in blurring or phasing with little in the graphical options to remedy it. Moving the camera when the character’s static proved so bad, that it set off this reviewer’s motion sickness.
While there are some genuinely interesting gameplay mechanics with the ‘madness’, ‘Feathered’ abilities, and ‘corruption’ components, the biggest left turn Fallen Feathers takes from other Soulslikes is its deep levels of customisation. A sprawling talent tree brings even more variation to the 25 weapon sets, each with its own unique combat style. Weapons can be changed mid-fight and one of the game’s biggest draws is experimenting with different combinations in any given boss or combat scenario. In this way, the game reminds less of any title on From Software’s slate, and more Dynasty Warriors with its emphasis on mastering these different play styles. The combat, in general, feels closer to the best of the famed hack-and-slash franchise with an inability to jump (unless unlocked on certain weapon talent trees) feeling like a major handicap.
Instead, the game takes plenty of wrong lessons from Dark Souls including that most famous: surprise enemy attacks. Effective once, perhaps twice, but quickly prosaic. The enemies, in general, boast predictable attack patterns, serving simply as blade fodder until one of the many boss fights. If the metric for the success of a Soulslike title is its bosses alone, then Fallen Feathers is a success. They’re interesting, exciting, and difficult to master. Here’s also where the game truly relishes in its source material.
Care and attention has also undeniably been given to the playable protagonist, the pirate Bai Wuchang. Just not in the way you’d want. With her Barbie doll proportions, revealing outfits and ridiculous boob jiggle, Fallen Feathers makes it abundantly clear what audience demographics they’re targeting. While this isn’t anything as bad as we’ve seen in 2024’s Stellar Blade, that’s not saying all that much. And it’s an issue that underpins every non-combat aspect of the game. Simultaneously bloated but barren, it’s full of interesting gameplay mechanics but takes place in a world that feels empty. Given the many shrines to rest at and the key thread of Chinese mythology running through its DNA, this is a game that should feel spiritual. But it doesn’t. Now compare that to Elden Ring, a title that feels inherently spiritual, bordering at times on the divine, and the difference becomes yet starker.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers isn’t about to dethrone Dark Souls or undermine Elden Ring. It looks and plays like a game at least a decade older, its retrograde protagonist is thoroughly off-putting, and its spin on the formula has almost all been done better elsewhere. And yet, despite that, there’s plenty of fun to be had here, in mastering weapon sets, and enjoying the thoughtful boss design. If nothing else, it’ll tide you over until From Software’s next offering.
DEVELOPER
Leenzee Games
PUBLISHER
505 Games
Xbox X/S, PlayStation 5, PC
24 July 2025
