I had my first experience with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers during GDC 2025, and I immediately knew that I would have a good time with the full game. I am just getting into the Soulslike genre, but in the last few years, a ton of more accessible entries have entered the lineup. Wuchang is challenging but fair and has a ton of cool mechanics that are unique to the title.
If you haven’t been following, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers follows a pirate by the name of Wuchang. She has amnesia and is trying to uncover the mysteries of her past while also dealing with an illness called the Feathering that is spreading across the land.
From the very start, Wuchang drew me in with its atmospheric world and inventive mechanics that set it apart from other games in the genre. Even as a relative newcomer to Soulslike titles, I felt the learning curve was rewarding rather than overwhelming—each challenge taught me something new, and every victory felt genuinely earned. The game strikes a careful balance between difficulty and accessibility, encouraging you to experiment with different approaches rather than punishing you for each mistake. The systems in place reward patience and adaptability, making every encounter feel like a unique puzzle to solve. It’s the kind of experience that keeps you coming back, eager to see what surprises await around the next corner.
If you want to get into the lore of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, be sure to talk to as many NPCs as possible and read the different documents throughout the world. There is a good amount of loot and lore that can be missed if you choose to speed through the environment. Exploration can be risky at times, but rewarding. I don’t think that the story in games like this is the star, but you can invest if you want.
I have been playing Wuchang on PC, and I am going back and forth between low and medium settings. Even at its lowest settings, the game looks great as long as you make some adjustments. The main character and her various armors and weapons have a ton of detail. The environments for the majority of the game are rich and full of color. This changes a little once you get into some of the dungeon-type areas of the game, but overall, things still look good. My only knock when it comes to how this game looks is some of the enemy models. At times, there isn’t a ton of variety to their designs. In all honesty, this didn’t bother me much. Just something that I noticed.
Wuchang’s world thrives on atmosphere and rewarding exploration, drawing players into its mysteries from the very first moments. Even as someone still finding my footing in the Soulslike genre, I found the challenge here to be invigorating rather than punishing. Each setback was a chance to learn, and every hard-won victory felt exhilarating. The game strikes a thoughtful balance between demanding gameplay and a spirit of experimentation, giving you the freedom to adapt and improve without fear of harsh penalties. Each encounter feels distinct, almost like a puzzle waiting to be unraveled, and the systems in place encourage patience, observation, and adaptability. It’s this sense of discovery and personal growth that kept pulling me back, always eager to uncover what lay ahead. For those invested in lore, talking with NPCs and scouring documents enriches the journey, though—like many games in this style—the story never overshadows the thrill of gameplay itself.
The combat is the real star of any Soulslike game, and this is where Wuchang sets itself apart. In recent years, I would say that combat in similar titles has sped up substantially. Ideally, you want to control the pace of combat for maximum survivability. Leenzee Games made the great decision to give gamers the ability to swap between two weapons quickly. This allows the gamer to adjust to the various types of enemies on the fly. There are four weapon types to choose from, and they each have their unique abilities. You can choose from single and dual-handed swords, spears, and hammer-type weapons. There are also various throwables and spells that you can find and equip.
Wuchang has implemented a madness system that adds another level of complexity to combat. As you defeat human enemies or fall in battle, your madness level increases. Since I am a person who likes to grind in different areas, my madness level would slowly creep up even when I was avoiding death. When your madness level maxes out, your damage output increases, but you also take more damage. Also, when you fall in battle with a max madness level, a demon version of your character is spawned. This is something cool that I haven’t experienced in other games. This makes regaining your lost currency more difficult, but you can use this to your advantage in battle since the demon is also hostile towards enemies.
Leveling your character is handled a little differently in Wuchang. You find a substance called ‘red mercury’ in the game world, and you use this as currency and to increase the level of your character. The skill tree doesn’t have you put points directly into different attributes like your traditional Soulslike. You purchase abilities and skills that lean towards one of the various weapon types. You will find weapons and armor as you make your way through the game that will also increase and decrease certain attributes. If you have mastered dodging, you may want to utilize an armor set that increases your madness or unlock abilities that take advantage of a higher madness level and become a glass cannon of sorts. If you’re like me and suck when it comes to timing, as fast build with high vitality may be the way to go.
My time with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers was great overall. Being someone who is newer to the Soulslike genre, my experience with each game is new, and I don’t compare it to the grandfathers in the space. The fast-paced combat feels fresh, and the weapon system makes me feel like I have multiple options for every enemy encounter. Like any game of this type, you will definitely encounter some challenges, but Wuchang handles failure well.
At $49.99, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is well worth the price of entry.