Soulslikes are not my thing, in fact, I HATE THEM, but Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has lessened my disdain for the popular genre of video games.

You can’t seem to avoid them now. Soulslikes have become the norm in the gaming world since the popularity of them hit the stratosphere thanks to gems like Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Nioh, and most recently, Lies of P.

So with each game being thrown into the Soulslike hat, the question becomes what does this latest entry do that’s different from the others besides piss you off becuase you have died an insane number of times.

For their debut game, China-based game studio LeenZee Games decided to go the Soulslike route with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, which has all of the elements of the games listed above, like respawning enemies, shrines to level-up and restore your limited health and save progress, plus those big difficult bosses but does add a slight twist that you either will appreciate or come to hate during playthrough.

In my case, it was a complicated experience, which I will get into later in this review.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Story Isn’t Groundbreaking, But It’s Serviceable

In my limited time with Soulslike games, one thing seems constant: the plots are not the driving force that keeps the controller in your hands, nor do they subject you to punishing boss battles.

That remains to be the case with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers.

As for the story, you take control of Bai Wuchang, a pirate warrior, who, like many in the region of Shu in China, during the Ming Dynasty, where the game takes place, is afflicted with the Feathering disease, which eventually turns humans into mutated monstrosities.

For whatever reason, the affliction isn’t affecting Wuchang like the others, as she can use her curse to her advantage thanks to a feature called the Inner Demon System, which we will touch on later.

Wuchang is also suffering from amnesia, and her past is pieced together through in-game lore, conversations with NPCs on-screen and off-screen, and various cutscenes.

You can also take on sidequests from some of the NPCs that reward you with items that could help during one of those insanely tough boss battles, which also add to the story and provide you with one of the game’s many endings.

The narrative in the game won’t blow anyone’s socks off, but it’s serviceable and is carried by the game’s combat.

Combat Is Wuchang’s Biggest Strength & Is Also Maddening

While the story didn’t do much to impress me, Fallen Feathers’ combat left a lasting impression on me. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers’ combat system can be described as fast, flashy, and fun.

Dodging will be your main defensive tactic; you can eventually pick up a parry move, but I found myself just dodging more. Perfect dodges are rewarded in the form of Skyborn Might, which strengthens your skills and spells, making them more powerful, allowing for more damage once used.

Wuchang can also pull off flashy skills and chaining attacks, which feel good when landing them on your foes. She also uses five different weapons: longswords, spears, axes, dual blades, and one-handed blades.

Each plays differently, allowing you to find your favorite and stick with it, eventually pairing it with the magic skills you ultimately learn that will aid you on your journey.

Remember the Madness or Inner Demon System I mentioned earlier in the review? Well, it plays a very significant role in the game. When you die, and trust me, you will die a lot in this game, Wuchang’s Madness increases. It also increases when you consume certain items in the game.

As your Madness increases, so does the damage you deal and take. If you reach a certain point, a demon version of Wuchang manifests, and you have to defeat her to reclaim the mercury (souls/runes) you dropped.

This Maddeness system is both clutch and frustrating. It works when making your weapons and skills stronger, but it’s hella annoying if you’re fighting a boss who has your number, adding to the frustration that sometimes makes you want to chuck your controller at the television screen.

Final Verdict

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers isn’t a groundbreaking Soulslike game, but for its $49.99 value, it’s a worthy entry into the genre that is worth the time and attention of Soulslike fans.

It checks all the boxes, has intense boss fights, even though I admit, some of these bosses are a tad bit too hard, but it’s oh so satisfying when you do finally beat them and progress forward.

Fallen Feather’s world is beautiful, yet dark and mysterious, and encourages exploration, which highlights how interconnected the world in the game is, while rewarding you with items that are, for the most part, not useless, and sends you on side quests that have purposes and present a challenge.

While I don’t recommend this kind of game for casual gamers, I will say that if you have been seriously itching to get into Soulslike games, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers could be that game that turns you into a Soulslike god.

It’s very feature-friendly, allowing you to do things like reset your stats at any point in the game, and has a combat and leveling system that isn’t too difficult to use and master.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is out now on PS5, PC, and Xbox Game Pass.

*PS5 Review Key Provided By 505 Games*