You know that feeling when you see yet another Chinese title about to hit the Western market, and you think, “Oh, here we go again”? But then you remember—hey, we got Black Myth: Wukong, and there’s a wave of great games coming out of China—so your expectations rise a little. When I first saw the trailer for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, from a studio called Leenzee (which, let’s be honest, no one had heard of), I thought, “Okay, this might actually be interesting.” But honestly? I didn’t expect it to be a straight-up soulslike game. I was hoping for something a little different, a little fresher, maybe something better. But then I remembered—most developers who make soulslikes either play it safe, or they experiment so much they get lost in their own ambition.
Still, when I finally played Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, as much as it reminded me of souls titles, I had that moment of, “Wow… this is not bad at all, in fact, it’s excellent!” Somewhere in those 50–60 hours of hope, hype, frustration, joy, and stress, I fell in love. And no, not with the main heroine, but with the game itself.
In Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, you step into the shoes, or sandals, or heels, of Wuchang, a young warrior who wakes up with amnesia. So yeah, like in most games, she doesn’t remember a thing, nor how she ended up where she is. The only thing she can figure out is that she’s infected with a mysterious illness called Feathering. Essentially, Feathering is a condition that affects humans, causing feathers to sprout on the limbs initially and then spread across the body. First symptom: memory loss, just like our heroine. Then comes loss of coordination, and after that… everything else. The final stage of the disease is a full-blown mutation, transforming the human body into a grotesque, demon-like creature, with traces of humanity embedded somewhere in the monstrosity. Sounds creepy, right? Trust me, it looks even scarier.
Unlike others who are infected, Wuchang isn’t the type to just sit around and wait for the inevitable. Warrior and stubborn as she is, she decides to hunt for a cure—and for the ones responsible for spreading this plague. The problem? She’s infected too, which makes her a target—not just for mutated monsters but for warriors who haven’t yet been infected. A handful of brave souls recognise the heroine within our heroine and are willing to help—but of course, you’ll need to help them too.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a soulslike game through and through, but it’s not some blatant copy-paste like many others in the subgenre. This game has a lot to offer—a pretty unique, original, and memorable experience. If you’ve played any Soulslike before, the core mechanics will feel familiar. You’ve got Light and Heavy Attacks, two types of special moves, and “magical” attacks. Combat, at its core, is slow, methodical, tactical, and strategic—doesn’t matter who you’re fighting. But the best part? It doesn’t have to stay that way, especially as the game progresses. There comes a point where the game subtly tells you: “Hey, go on, fight aggressively. Try new things. You can do it.” And when that clicks inside you, when you realise that from this moment on, you can play the game however you want—the feeling is phenomenal! A lot of that comes down to the game’s progression system, which is refreshingly solid, innovative, and just plain fun.
At the start, you begin with a basic weapon, in my case, a longsword. Defeating enemies nets you Red Mercury, which you can convert into upgrade points called Red Mercury Essence. The skill tree branches into several paths, depending on the weapon you’re using. But it’s not just about weapon combos and techniques—the tree also covers stat upgrades like Vitality, Endurance, Strength, Magic, Feathering, and more. Each weapon favours specific stats, so those branches become your early priorities. For example, with my longsword build, Strength and Agility were the go-to stats for boosting damage. There are also sub-branches that unlock things like extra Mana Vases (your health flasks), improvements to Feathering-based effects, better healing potions, and so on.
And then there are some unique upgrade options you don’t often see in similar games—or at least not in this form. Tampering lets you imbue weapons with special traits—like setting them on fire mid-fight, or freezing them for elemental damage. Discipline is another layer, offering special moves. Every weapon also comes with a Weapon Skill, which is fixed and can’t be swapped—but Discipline? That you can change. My longsword initially had a heavy-hitting special move, but later I unlocked a Deflect option, and instantly switched. Sure, I lost a damaging move, but I gained the ability to parry, which completely shifted my playstyle into something very Sekiro-like. On top of that, there’s Benediction, which works like socketing gems into your weapon for passive bonuses. You can equip up to three gems in a weapon, and if they’re from the same “family,” you get a set bonus—like more stamina, more health, extra damage from back attacks, or even healing on backstab.
Now, let’s get back to the core of the game, the combat. As I said earlier, it’s slow, methodical, tactical… at least for a good chunk of the experience. But with systems like Discipline and Tampering, the game practically forces you to rethink how you fight, to embrace different playstyles. My Deflect-based longsword build turned fights into something that felt less like a slog and more like a dance. And I mean that literally, combat started feeling like a beautifully choreographed duel, where timing is everything. Some enemies hit slow and hard, others flurry you with fast strikes, and that rhythm becomes your cue to respond perfectly. When you nail it, it’s exhilarating. Yes, dodging is still a thing, you’ve got i-frames, complete with visual and audio cues for perfect dodges, but Deflect makes combat sing in a way that feels uniquely satisfying.
And then… the bosses. Oh, the bosses. Some encounters were so stunning, so intense, that Sekiro would be proud. When I finally beat them, I almost felt sad it was over, because no matter how brutal the fight was, the adrenaline and thrill hooked me hard. Each boss is distinct, not just visually, but in how they fight, how they test you, and how they demand new strategies. No recycling, no cheap gimmicks. The first few bosses lulled me into thinking, “Okay, this might be a more approachable soulslike.” Then I met Lu Hongliu. And he broke me. Over an hour of relentless deaths taught me that this was the game’s skill check, its way of saying, “Did you really learn anything?” Spoiler: None of my previous tricks worked. I had to start fresh, observe, adapt, and above all, be patient. Unless, of course, the boss invites you to a deadly dance. Decline that invitation, and you’ll wake up at the nearest Shrine minus your upgrade “souls.”
I’ve talked about weapons and combat, but what about gear? Here, gear matters as much as weapons. The outfits aren’t just for style; they affect resistance to things like Corruption, Feathering, Despair, and other magical or psychological effects, though they reduce your physical defence in return. So, depending on the enemy, you’ll need to swap gear accordingly. And here’s the funny part: to get max Despair resistance, you need to wear as little as possible. Why? Well, you can probably guess why, but it made me laugh.
Finally, let’s talk level design, because it’s phenomenal. Unlike Elden Ring’s open-world sprawl, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers channels the spirit of Dark Souls – tight, interconnected areas, countless shortcuts, and vertical design that keeps you exploring. For the first 20 hours, I thought, “Okay, this isn’t that varied.” Wow, was I wrong. As the game unfolds, it constantly surprises with its environments. From the starting village where Feathering began, to caves crawling with mutants, war-torn battlefields littered with corpses and hidden mines, snowy peaks where you leave footprints in the snow (and explosions melt it into puddles), mystical forests ruled by a sorcerer, it’s all breathtaking. Sometimes fairytale-like, sometimes drenched in despair and ruin, sometimes dripping with gothic flair that would make Castlevania jealous.
Enemy variety is equally impressive. Each region introduces entirely new enemy types—not just reskinned versions, but creatures that fit the locale perfectly. Their designs, attack patterns, and behaviours blend seamlessly into their environments. It’s clear that an incredible amount of effort went into making every region feel alive and distinct.
Audio-visual presentation? Top-notch. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, the game looks gorgeous, lush forests, crumbling fortresses, eerie caves, all dripping with atmosphere. On PlayStation, it’s a treat to look at. The sound design deserves just as much praise—the clang of swords, the crunch of parries, the sheer weight of combat—it’s all meticulously crafted. And the voice acting? Fantastic. I played with the original Chinese voices, and honestly, I can’t imagine it any other way.
Not everything’s perfect, though. UE5 brings its own baggage: frame pacing issues. Sometimes, walking or turning the camera feels choppy. Thankfully, combat stays smooth, but I hope this gets patched soon.
Wuchang Fallen Feathers (PlayStation 5)
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers blew me away, and I think that’s obvious by now. I had no idea what to expect going in, but after a few hours, everything just clicked. Superb combat mechanics, brilliantly designed levels, grotesque yet captivating enemies, unforgettable bosses, and a progression system that keeps you engaged the whole way. For me, Wuchang did more than all three Dark Souls games and Elden Ring combined. I know that’s a bold claim, and sure, some will disagree, but if you’re a soulslike fan, this is a must-play.
