Wuchang: Fallen Feathers - Review
Another solid hit from Asia
André Ramos
7/28/25, 9:59 PM
Atualizado a
Lately, games coming out of the Chinese and Korean markets have been getting better and better — they're starting to set a new standard.
It already happened with Stellar Blade, Black Myth: Wukong, and now Wuchang: Fallen Feathers.
Over the years, we’ve seen a drastic shift in the kind of games we expect — and actually get — from the Asian market, especially from China and Korea.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is just another example of this shift — or better yet, evolution — in the industry’s standards.
I’ll admit, when I first saw the trailer or gameplay, I wasn’t exactly eager to give it a shot. Mostly because of the overwhelming — and frankly exhausting — wave of games trying to be soulslikes without really offering anything new. And sure, Wuchang doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but the gameplay feels smooth and satisfying.
Which, honestly, is something I struggle to find in this genre outside of what FromSoftware puts out.
Like many games in the genre, Wuchang tells its story in a cryptic, indirect way. Don’t expect big cutscenes or straightforward exposition. Instead, the narrative unfolds through the world itself, item descriptions, and those classic vague NPC dialogues we’ve come to expect.
It’s also not a long game — and as the saying goes, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
The combat is smooth and thrilling
Like a typical soulslike, Wuchang sticks to the formula. This isn’t a hack 'n slash — movement needs to be deliberate; you have to react, not just act.
In Wuchang — to sum it up — you wake up in a cave with no memory of how you got there (like many games in the genre), and feathers growing on your arm. You quickly find out it’s a disease — or curse — called Feathering. Those afflicted lose their memory, grow feathers all over, and eventually turn into bird-like abominations.
You can equip two weapons and switch between them normally, or use your energy charges — called Skyborn Might — to swap weapons through a skill, activate weapon-specific abilities, or cast magic.
You regain charges by performing perfect dodges (dodging right before an attack lands) or through passive skills and upgrades.
You can also break enemy stamina, allowing you to land a stronger attack — much like Bloodborne or Dark Souls.
With each death, your Madness increases. As Madness rises, you get stronger but also more vulnerable. If you die at 100% Madness, instead of just reclaiming your dropped currency, you’re invaded by a corrupted version of yourself — or a demon with similar weapons and skills. You have to defeat it to recover your losses, or you lose everything if you die again.
Despite all the fun, some aspects feel like copies — and others could use some improvement
My experience with Wuchang has been really fun overall. That said… why does every soulslike need to have a poison area — or something similar?
The combat is solid, but there are definitely areas that could be improved.
When an enemy knocks you down, you lose control of your character until they get back up — and you can still be attacked during that time. It feels like a really cheap move. I’ve died several times just lying there, unable to move, while the enemy hits me again.
The dodge iframes are also pretty short, especially when enemies attack faster than your dodge recovery time.
I also didn’t like that almost every enemy gains hyperarmor after just two or three hits — even the weaker ones.
It feels like a cheap shot, and often during combos it’s barely noticeable that the enemy has recovered their posture and is counterattacking mid-sequence.
Regarding optimization, I played on PS5, so I didn’t experience the performance issues many PC users report.
That said, after playing for a while, there’s a slight stutter every 5 to 10 seconds — almost unnoticeable, but definitely there.
Also, some textures on objects that are right in your face are insanely low-res — like, really, really bad. At first, I thought the textures just weren’t loading properly.
Pros:
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Smooth and satisfying combat
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Risk/reward mechanics through Madness system
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Weapon and skill swapping adds gameplay variety
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Engaging atmosphere and environmental storytelling
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Straightforward progression without feeling repetitive
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Unique world design and lore
Cons:
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Some mechanics feel like direct copies from other soulslikes
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Enemies frequently gain hyperarmor, disrupting combat flow
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Knockdowns and recovery animations leave players vulnerable and without control
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Dodge invulnerability windows can be unreliable
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Gimmick-heavy areas still feel tedious
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Low-resolution textures and occasional stutters, even on console