Wuchang: Fallen Feathers

At first glance, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn't offer much that makes the title stand out from the crowd. Soulsborne games have been made ad nauseam over the past 15 years, and with adventures such as Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and Black Myth Wukong, the Chinese mythology card has also played out on several occasions, and we're only talking about the last few years. However, working uphill doesn't seem to deter developer Leenzee, and after playing around 40 hours of this challenging action gem, I can understand why they have remained true to their original plan, because this is impressive, and with lots of content to explore and a discounted price tag, it's easy to recommend this to all fans of the genre.

The setting for Fallen Feathers is an alternate ancient China, and with massive empires and long-lived dynasties in the background, we follow our main character named Bai Wuchang. This skilled pirate warrior suffers, somewhat clichéd it must be said, from memory loss while also being afflicted by something called "The Feathering". This plague-like affliction causes feathers to slowly grow out of the skin while gradually driving the sufferer insane. Without treatment, the sufferer will eventually turn into a bloodthirsty monster, and with no known cure, the diagnosis is more or less a death sentence for anyone who contracts it. Time is therefore of the essence for our forgetful main character, and it is up to the player to solve the mystery behind this peculiar disease and find a cure before Wuchang is lost.

The story itself is not award-winning, but unlike FromSoftware's cryptic tales, this time we get a more open narrative, with clear brushstrokes that paint the guidelines and illuminate the characters' various motives. Sure, there are still a lot of subtle riddles and double-edged undertones that can lead to satisfying revelations, but don't expect the same kind of intricate story found in, for example, Elden Ring—for better or worse.

In terms of gameplay, however, it borrows much more from Miyazaki and his immensely popular Dark Souls series. Apart from the obvious cornerstones that one can now expect from a so-called Souls adventure, it is mainly in the environment design that the best elements from the genre's progenitor have been copied. The same type of ingenious and interconnected maps found in Dark Souls 3 and Bloodborne are also here to explore, and at times it really feels like you're back in Yarnham or Lothric, albeit with a different aesthetic. This may certainly be perceived as criticism by some, but since the aforementioned adventures are among the best gaming experiences I have ever had, it is more genuine praise for Wuchang: Fallen Feathers than any kind of scathing criticism for wanting to imitate.

However, not everything is copied from FromSoftware's various masterpieces; Leenzee also manages to add a lot of its own interesting ingredients that spice up the basic recipe. The battles, for example, are one such thing where you are encouraged to play well in order to perform better. By timing when to duck incoming attacks or parry a swinging sword, you are rewarded with something called "Skyborn Might". This is a side effect of The Feathering, and when you accumulate enough points of this value, you can unleash various special attacks or use magic spells that can help you in the most demanding battles. There is no classic "Mana meter" that you can fill up with various health potions, as in classic role-playing games, but only by exposing yourself to danger and playing with finesse can you use the game's more advanced manoeuvres. At first, it may be unusual for a magic user, for example, to actively seek out risks instead of casting spells from a safe distance, but I really like how you have to sacrifice your own safety to become temporarily stronger.

Another interesting system comes from something simply called "Madness". Every time you die, your inner turmoil increases, and when the meter hits the limit, you must face your demons in the form of a mirror image of your own character. Losing all your money and then being forced to wrestle with a fast and deadly version of yourself to regain your riches is a nerve-wracking experience, and if you thought the game was difficult before, it doesn't get any easier when you're forced to tackle your own murderous madness. However, this Madness does come with its advantages. The more you allow yourself to give in to it, the stronger you become in your own attacks. Sure, you take more damage at the same time, but if you are confident in your dexterity and ability to time your button presses, you can use this system to gain the upper hand. You can also trade Wuchang's peace of mind for a number of attractive items, and sometimes you have to weigh the benefits of taking on a tougher challenge against filling your pockets or increasing your own combat capabilities.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a challenging game, but it doesn't punish players unnecessarily. Sure, there are a few traps here and there where, in classic FromSoftware fashion, you have to bite the bullet or where frustration almost gets the better of the joy of playing. Fortunately, however, this is offset by allowing players to be very flexible in how they want to build their character. Every time you level up, you can add a point to your development tree, and there are specific branches based on the type of weapon you want to use. For example, if you mostly use your trusty battle axe, you would do well to add as many points as possible to its development tree, as these are the attributes that will increase damage. However, if you encounter an enemy that requires a different approach, or just want to explore a different play style, you can do so without being penalised and without needing any special items. I myself have gone from wielding flexible samurai swords to powerful battle axes within the same game session, and as soon as you encounter an enemy you feel is too powerful, it's nice to be able to experiment without having to grind for hours to gain powerful experience points.

A Souls game would not be complete without its fair share of challenging bosses, and although some of the game's earlier creations cannot be classified as masterpieces, there are a couple of battles in the latter parts of the adventure that are among the absolute best in the genre. One example of this came in the form of a battle with a war-torn queen who could use magic and use her legs like a hard-kicking thoroughbred horse. This combination of combat skills meant that the player had to keep their distance most of the time, and since the female monarch was in no hurry, moving slowly and majestically towards the player's character, the battle resembled an American football game. Imagine a few quick seconds of intense action followed by oceans of time where a thrilling battle of positions played out in slow motion. It was a battle full of air and negative space, quite simply, but one that left you challenged and satisfied once you emerged victorious.

At first glance, as already mentioned, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn't offer much to stand out from the crowd. It's yet another Soulsborne adventure that follows the path laid out by FromSoftware and countless successors over nearly two decades. Chinese mythology and aesthetics have also been used before in other adventures, and by now the novelty has worn off to some extent. However, it's in the true nature of the game, with control in your hands and the joy of discovery in focus, that Leenzee achieves what many other Dark Souls imitators fail to do. It manages to create a similar type of gaming joy that Miyazaki and his FromSoftware team has developed in stages, and even if finesse and deep-rooted mastery are not present to the same extent, it is enough to make you want to play more, and then a little more again.