WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t waste time telling you what you already know about soulslike games; it’s kinda here to punish you (and your PC, but more on this later). 

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Game Review

Set in a plague-ridden alternate history Ming dynasty, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers delivers brutal, stamina-based combat across corrupted villages, rotting temples, and cursed capitals in ancient China. If you’ve played a Soulslike before, you’ll know what you’re getting into. But while Wuchang follows the blueprint to the letter, it still finds space to breathe through clean mechanics, creative boss design, and a flexible combat system that rewards experimentation.

However, it’s not all smooth. A rocky PC launch, mostly flat characters, and some pacing issues hold it back from truly shining as a new entry into the genre. Yet for players chasing that familiar challenge, with a slightly different cultural backdrop (unless if you already tried Black Myth Wukong), there’s still a lot to love.

Gameplay Breakdown

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Gameplay

At its core, Wuchang is about spacing, stamina, and split-second reads. Every dodge, slash, and counter feels responsive, with combat being a lot more forgiving than in most soulslike titles. The game rewards aggression if you’re bold enough to take a risk. Whether you’re running the Empyrean Greataxe with Lifeleech or spamming frost daggers with Boreal Abyss, the combat system gives room for creativity. Builds are flexible, and respeccing is painless, perfect for players who like to experiment mid-run.

This is where Wuchang earns its feathers. Bosses are visually distinct, mechanically sharp, and don’t rely on cheap tricks. Some spike in difficulty harder than expected, but the majority of the 24 or so bosses feel fair once you understand the rhythm. The game also gives you tools to survive: powerful weapon arts, NPC summons that join your fights to help, and elemental effects that open new strategies. To be honest, whether you're a seasoned soulslike veteran or a curious newbie, Wuchang can still be fun without being as soul crushing as other games within the genre.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Map Design

Wuchang’s world is soaked in folklore. From overgrown rooftops to plague-twisted temples, the art direction carries more narrative weight than the script. NPCs often feel one-dimensional, sometimes even unnecessary, and the overarching story fails to reach the emotional highs of genre peers like Sekiro or even Bloodborne. But environmental storytelling does just enough to keep you immersed, especially if you’re the type to explore every shrine, scroll, and sealed gate. If the game was released before Black Myth Wukong, it probably would get a lot more applause for taking players on a spin into the Chinese ambience, but unfortunately, it didn't - and so it will most likely continue being compared to Wukong by most.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Gameplay

Let’s talk PC: the game launch on Steam was... kinda rough (mostly negative reviews as of July 26).

Missing content, performance stutters, and frame drops plagued early players. However, the game on console was much more stable, and didn't suffer as many issues. But unfortunately, the damage was already done, with over 17,000+ mostly angry players flocking to the Steam review section to express their feedback in the first few days.

Credit where it’s due, the devs pushed multiple hotfixes within the first few days and fixed the major pain points. It’s definitely a lot more playable now, but the rocky start still lingers in Steam reviews. 

Review

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t do anything too groundbreaking for the genre, but it understands what makes a Soulslike click. The combat is fluid and flexible, boss fights are memorable, the game's combat is a lot more forgiving than other titles (which can be a good thing for new players), and the world is dense with detail. But it stumbles when it comes to story delivery, technical polish, and pacing. If you’re looking for a challenge with a fresh aesthetic and don’t mind skipping cutscenes, it’s definitely worth a try.