0 
0 When I was asked by the Senior Editors here at Thumb Culture if I wanted to attend a preview event of Leenzee and 505 Games upcoming title Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, I’m sure you can guess my answer. Even if I had to make my way from Wales to that there London! I had intended to go into this game blind upon launch, but who can say no to playing a game early and getting to chat to the developers about it?
Warning, the GIFs used in this article may contain flashing images!
Destiny is a heavy burden for such small wings.
For those who aren’t aware of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, it’s an upcoming Souls-like game with a Chinese Mythology setting. If you know how most Souls-likes go, then you’re fully aware of what to expect, but there are a couple cool things to point out. If you’re wondering when it releases, then you won’t have long to wait. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers launches on July 24th for PS5, Xbox, Steam.
I got to play as the titular character Wuchang, a young woman who awakes in a cave and has amnesia (besides some lingering echos). After this, I quickly ran down some hills and met with a couple of NPCs. One of which explains that a bird-like, man-eating monster has been attacking villages, and those affected become afflicted with something known as the Feathering. Wuchang is one of these people.
By the looks of things, we’ll be aiming to save the world, and return Wuchang’s memories. I was told that you can look forward to a rich story with great depth, as well as some heavy lore to uncover.
Gameplay
Over four hours, I explored a fair amount of one area. It mainly consisted of large temples and small ravaged huts, all of which were hiding enemies that tried to catch me off guard. Although the game gave me a long sword, other weapons were available for me to find. Each one offers a unique “Weapon Art” and move set, such as the Halberd Axe, with its devastating power but slow attack speed. Or the dual blades, which offered more evasion and its Weapon Art allowed me to fire off a bullet. Looking through the menus, we’ll be allowed to change certain combos for the weapons as well.
Madness & Magic
I’ve already mentioned the affliction Wuchang suffers with, but what makes it special is that she can now cast spells. Unlike traditional magic where you could find mana, you instead get Skybound Might! This is earned via dodging a foe’s attack perfectly or by pulling off a combo. Blocking isn’t really present in the game from what I played, but the Axe could do it. Now, the key word is “could” due to me only being able to stop weapons but not fists or feet. So don’t expect to block everything. Parrying is also in the game, but once again it’s more a skill.
In the preview, the spells were earned through beating bosses, similar to the souls games. Although, I’m not sure if we’re able to get weapons the same way. As I was killing my way through the forest, I noticed that with every kill, Wuchang became stronger. Unfortunately, so did my susceptibility to damage. This was thanks to the Madness mechanic, which in itself plays a fun part in the game. Usually in a Souls-likes, when you die and have to go retrieve your lost souls or lose them forever on a subsequent death. What I like in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is, when you die a second time without reclaiming your Red Mercury — Wuchang’s replacement for souls — you get another chance. However, now you have to fight a revenant of yourself. This made me smile, and I enjoyed that the game didn’t hold back on the challenge.
Bosses
Now, onto any Souls-likes bread and butter, the actual bosses. There were four in the game that I encountered. Three I met organically, while the fourth had me placed in a pivotal part for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers story. Two of these bosses I defeated, while the other two I got really close. So here are some details on a couple of the bosses and what you can expect. Side note, there was a fifth boss in the game’s preview, but I personally didn’t fight it. I only managed to see from someone else’s screen.
Each boss had a very distinct way of fighting, with some being more of a challenge than others. I’d say for me, the first boss I encountered was probably the easiest, maybe unsurprisingly. This boss was a crazed warrior monk-looking fellow who wielded a dual-bladed Glaive. His attack was really easy to read after my third try, with his leg positions giving him away.
The hardest was probably the monstrosity that looked like a mix between a centipede and spider. I really struggled to get my timing correct with its various attacks, especially the burrowing and charging mandible assault. But it did keep me on my toes, and the fight helped show off how sometimes the environment can aid you. In this case, electrical pillars that the bug could stun itself with, allowing an opening for me to attack.
Longevity
I was told that you could easily put 50 hours into the game. But, I also asked if that’s actually the length of the story or simply the difficulty. They seemed confident that was just the story/world. But the games challenge could extend that, of course. Another curious hint was that, while playing, we were only experiencing Wuchang’s 2nd cycle in the game. So make of that, what you will. Maybe we might need to play the game multiple times for different routes. As the dev confirmed, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has multiple endings.
Final Thoughts
Being honest, I think Wuchang: Fallen Feathers could be up there with Black Myth: Wukong and Lies of P for me. It just hits a good balance of challenge and reward that I’ve come to enjoy with Souls-likes. Tied in with the minor story elements I experienced, I’m looking forward to it. You’ll love and hate learning the combat, with its various weapons and spells.
The bosses felt unique and made me adjust my approach to each fight. Combat made me think carefully about my moves and being more precise, with magic feeling more like an extension. Funnily enough, the “hardest boss” they had, wasn’t the one I found that difficult. I wished I had more time to keep fighting her. She’s the one you’re going to really need to master the combat with.
I haven’t talked about Wuchang: Fallen Feathers visuals and sound, as during my brief time with the preview, I was focused on soaking up the gameplay. However, the outfits look great, and like other Souls-like games, offered fun stats.
Disclaimer: A press pass to an event was received in order to write this review.
YouTube |Facebook |Twitter |Instagram |Discord |Podcast
About Author
