Ever since From Software’s Demon’s Souls created an all-new genre back in February 2009, I don’t think it’s an especially controversial take to suggest that something of the freshness which defined Demon’s Souls’ original release has been diluted or outright lost in the many Souls-likes that have been released since that time. Things, however, could be looking up with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, from Chinese developer Leenzee, looking to usher in the sort of refreshing changes to the Souls-like formula that feel long overdue.
An Evocative Setting That Plumbs The Opulent Depths Of Chinese History And Mythology
Following a somewhat similar path trodden by last year’s extremely well-received Black Myth: Wukong, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers makes a point of delving deep into the richness of Chinese history and mythology. From a historical perspective, developer Leenzee has made ample use of both China’s storied history and wealth of national landmarks. Chiefly unfolding in what we now know as Chinese province of Sichuan (known as ‘Shu’ in the game itself), Wuchang: Fallen Feathers makes the most of its picturesque locales by taking in such key landmarks as the towering Leshan Giant Buddha statue, the twin ancient sites of Sanxingdui and Jinsha to name just a few.
In terms of the mythological side of things, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers also goes to the well of Chinese inspiration, as players take on hordes of people that have been corrupted by a mysterious plague and transformed into monstrous creatures, as well as a wide cast of ultra-powerful, shape-shifting deities, too. This notion of spiritual affliction very much dovetails into traditional Chinese superstitions and myths around the effects that curses can have on both the human body and spirit.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Is Not For The Faint-Hearted
Though Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is firmly in the Souls-like camp from a design perspective, it also weaves elements of horror into its formative tapestry. Leaning into its central concept of bodily and spiritual corruption, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers’ tale of Wuchang, a pirate protagonist with amnesia who finds herself cursed by a mysterious Feathering disease which twists and corrupts her body as players progress through the game, is not for the faint-hearted. Neither, as it turns out, are the generous buckets of blood or the absolute throng of horrifically twisted and grotesque creatures. Make no mistake, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is definitely gnarly in ways that horror fiends will eagerly lap up.
The Feathering Disease And Inner Demon Mechanics Are Central To Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
Speaking of the Feathering disease, rather than just being some trite window dressing for the narrative, Wuchang’s titular plague has sizable gameplay ramifications that extend beyond the story. Tied directly into a ‘Madness’ system, the more damage or deaths Wuchang absorbs, the greater her affliction with the Feathering disease becomes, resulting in an increase of Madness that, in tur,n means that our protagonist can deal more damage but also take more damage, too. Interestingly, if Wuchang perishes while at a very high Madness level, a special inner demon will spawn on the spot of her death, possessing all of her powers and is required to be defeated by the player to reclaim precious Red Mercury (Wuchang’s version of XP currency) that would have been lost at the point of death.
It’s worth noting that the Madness system also goes hand in hand with Wuchang’s more traditional progression systems. This means specific abilities, perks, and even certain weapons can only be used when a certain level of Madness has been reached. Equally, some weapons can reach an even higher level of power if Wuchang’s Madness has been ratcheted up to the desired amount.
As you can probably well imagine, the way that the Feathering disease functions in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers lends itself to high-level play and, as a result, introduces a solid risk and reward element to the proceedings. As you become more and more proficient at evasion, do you ‘force’ deaths upon Wuchang to ramp up the Madness in attempt to find that sweet spot of high damage output – knowing that you’ll take much more damage in turn – or, do you play things more conservatively and prize every single life and chunk of damage? Whatever you choose, it’s clear that Wuchang: Fallen Feathers provides players with ample and welcome freedom to dictate the damage they take and receive in this way.
Dodging And Managing Space Are Your Best Defences
Being able to dodge and dodge well is hardly a fresh concept when it comes to Souls-like games, but Wuchang: Fallen Feathers places a more focused emphasis upon it than many of its genre stablemates. In particular, perfect dodges when successfully pulled off award Wuchang with something called ‘Skyborn Might’, a special buff that allows her to temporarily let loose with highly damaging techniques and proves to be a valuable addition to her burgeoning arsenal of attacks.
It also isn’t quite enough to merely have good reflexes. In Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, having a solid awareness of distance and space, and more specifically, the furthest point at which an enemy attack can reach you, are all crucial to survival. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers isn’t just about dodging – it’s about effectively managing your space so that you can counterattack effectively without leaving yourself open. So between the perfect dodging, the Skyborn Might attacks and the management of distance, the rhythm of combat in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is equal parts balletic, intelligent and wholly satisfying.
A Beautifully Versatile Combat System That You Can Switch Up
In a manner not unlike the recently unveiled Nioh 3, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers allows its titular heroine to switch between two entirely different weapons during combat, offering up a wealth of playstyles and tactical approaches in any given combat situation. And this is something that you’ll be wanting to do often too, as some weapons have particular attributes that make them more suited to certain encounters, such as faster, small blades that would be more suitable for faster foes, for example. Add in a sophisticated build system, bespoke weapon techniques and the aforementioned Skyborn Might and Madness systems, and it soon becomes clear that the combat in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is some of the most freewheeling and creative that we’ve seen in quite some time.
In the increasingly crowded world of Souls-likes, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers emerges as a bold and refreshing entry – one that dares to challenge convention while embracing its heritage. Rooted deeply in Chinese history and mythology, and enriched by a haunting atmosphere and imaginative mechanics like the Madness system and inner demon battles, Wuchang doesn’t just replicate the genre’s greatest hits, it reimagines them. With its emphasis on precision dodging, versatile combat, and player-driven risk and reward, it invites both mastery and experimentation. If the genre is in need of a second wind, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers might just be the storm that brings it.
