Can this Soulslike soar above its rivals?
Set in the chaotic final years of the Ming Dynasty, WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is an exploration of the hauntingly beautiful landscapes of imperial China and the battle against mysterious forces that transform a grim reality to supernatural horror.
Soulslike games are nothing new, in fact you could argue that the market is a bit oversaturated with them. It takes a lot to stand out from the crowd and while there have been successful ones like Lies of P, there have been plenty that haven’t quite made an impact.
WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers definitely has its work cut out for it, but I was overly impressed from the get-go. If you like Chinese mythology, then this you’ll be drawn in instantly with this tale. The combat is a bit more fast-paced than your standard Soulslike and combos play an important part. I found it very satisfying, while I was impressed with the overall design of the game. I felt it was really clever in parts, and I didn’t put the controller down until I was done.
The difficulty is still a big factor when it comes to Soulslike games, you either love it or hate it. I’m a fan even though it did take me a long time to get through this one. Still, every death was a lesson learned, and it wasn’t long before I overcame the challenges in front of me. Finding the setup that works for you is essential to your success, take my word for that.
The visuals are simply stunning with its breath-taking surroundings, impressive character models and the framerate is solid throughout. I played on both PS5 Pro and PC, while PC naturally had the edge, the PS5 Pro version still performed admirably. The audio is also well done with decent voice-acting and a great soundtrack.
The Verdict
WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers doesn’t reinvent the wheel for Soulslikes, but it does add a few curveballs to make it interesting, add that in with Chinese Mythology and you’ve got a Soulslike that is pretty hard to put down.