WUCHANG Fallen Feathers review

Love them or hate them, soulslike games are here to stay. Ball-breaking, rage-inducing titles that will turn the meekest individual into a screaming loon. The latest addition to this genre is WUCHANG Fallen Feathers! It is a cruel, unrelenting trip of failure, doom, and agony. However, under its brutal exterior is an incredible story, superb level design, and captivating, albeit tough gameplay.

Leenzee developed and 505 Games published this incredibly harsh single-player adventure. It captures every classic element of Souls gaming, and I admit I swore more than I liked. Additionally, I quit more than I wanted, and I questioned my life choices multiple times per hour. Yet, success is euphoric, and the baby steps and minor victories feel like you’ve climbed Everest.

WUCHANG Fallen Feathers sucks you in with its epic tale!

If you love incredible stories, you are going to adore every second. The lore, characters, and ungodly beasts get under your skin. Moreover, the claustrophobic caves, vast landscapes, and awesome buildings deliver an authentic Asian experience.

You control a skilled pirate warrior called Wuchang. This heroic fighter has lost her memory. However, as she completes her adventure, her memory is jogged. En route, she must help or avoid individuals’ requests for help. Depending on her nature, she will experience multiple unique endings. Accordingly, her actions have consequences, and her deadly infliction, the Feathering, empowers her.

Familiar mechanics and madness.

If you’ve played a soulslike, you’ll be familiar with “bonfires”, enemy respawns, loss of XP, and many other key elements. WUCHANG Fallen Feathers is genre typical in this approach. Shrines are your bonfire, and unlocking these is a godsend and a curse. The shrines allow you to spend your precious Red Mercury on new skills and improved stats. Furthermore, you can improve your weapons with runes and alter your elemental power with needles.

In short, the shrines are essential because you’ll die a lot. Moreover, it induces a madness state. The more you die, the more you are afflicted. This should be a bad thing, but it isn’t. Madness increases your strength and can be used to activate different weapons. However, it also increases the damage you take. Consequently, you must balance your play style to maximise your chances.

Incredible combat.

Every area is loaded with hellish monsters who wish to slice you in half. These demonic beings are the bane of your life. They slice, cut, bite, kick, and inflict multiple negative effects. Thankfully, the incredible combat mechanics allow you to study every move.

If you are mindful, observant, and patient, you will dance past every attack. Yet, this takes a lot of practice, and you’ll mutter profanities at an incredible rate. On top of this, there are demi God-like creatures who are out for blood. If you overcome these hellish brutes, you quickly realise that they are the tip of the iceberg. Every major boss will kick 7 barrels of crap out of you for fun.

The bosses are the pièce de résistance of this cruel endeavour. Every encounter is a battle of wits and skill. Moreover, you rarely have enough potions to keep you going. Accordingly, you must manage your Skyborn Might to great effect. This magical system lets you empower your main attack or master spells. It is the difference between victory and loss, and using it wisely is a lesson you learn very quickly.

WUCHANG Fallen Feathers depicts a failed Chinese empire.

WUCHANG Fallen Feathers is unbelievably eye-catching. The stunning world is a depiction of a failed Chinese empire. The Feathering has decimated the land. Bodies, creatures, and plants are withering and dying. Scorched ground, contaminated air, and zombie-like creatures rule the roost. The audio is just as spectacular. An emotional soundtrack rings out as drama and despair take centre stage. Phenomenal sound effects add energy to every combat encounter. Screaming monsters, shrill weaponry, and amazing ambient sounds dominate proceedings.

Though WUCHANG Fallen Feathers isn’t the easiest game to master, the UI and control system are fantastic. Responsive inputs allow you to slash, roll, dodge, and kill everything in sight. Subsequently, practice makes perfect, and a keen eye for detail is the difference between success and failure. Replay value and longevity ooze out of every pore. There are multiple endings, plenty of side quests, and hours of boss battles. Additionally, there is the usual grind as you try to desperately level up. Consequently, this will keep you busy for far too many hours.

WUCHANG Fallen Feathers is brutal but brilliant.

I hate failing, but WUCHANG Fallen Feathers convinced me that it was a necessary evil. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve died, screamed, or switched it off. However, it matters not. No matter how many times I fell, I desperately wanted to return for more. Such is the draw of this incredibly harsh game.

The developer has done an amazing job with this mind-blowing title. Not only does it look great, but the controls are tight, the combat is impressive, and the grim world is amazing to explore. On top of this, it is included with the Game Pass subscription service. Accordingly, you have nothing to lose, and I suggest taking a look at the Xbox store!