After I first stepped into Wuchang Fallen Feathers, I didn’t fairly know what to anticipate. Positive, I’d seen the trailers promising darkish Chinese language folklore, difficult fight, and haunting visuals, however trailers could be deceiving. Inside half-hour of booting up the PS5 model, I realised this recreation wasn’t messing round—it’s an unapologetic Soulslike, stuffed with brutal enemies, atmospheric stress, and moments that may take a look at each your reflexes and your endurance.
The setting instantly hooked me. Ming Dynasty China, twisted by the mysterious feathering illness, is each lovely and terrifying. Assume Bloodborne with a distinctly Chinese language aesthetic—darkish temples surrounded by cherry blossoms, decaying villages haunted by feather-covered monstrosities, and serene mountain paths hiding ambushes round each nook. Wuchang Fallen Feathers is dripping with ambiance, and its world design continuously pulled me in, even when its fight made me need to throw my controller throughout the room.
Fight – Precision, Persistence, and Punishment
Let’s discuss fight as a result of that is the place Wuchang Fallen Feathers earns its Soulslike badge of honour. It’s all about timing, precision, and studying enemy patterns. The primary time I obtained wrecked by a fundamental spear-wielding grunt, I knew this wasn’t going to be a straightforward experience.
Weapons play an enormous function right here. There are 5 distinct weapon varieties, and each adjustments the best way you combat. I began with an enormous curved blade that would cleave enemies in half, however it was gradual—forcing me to fastidiously choose my moments. Later, I attempted twin sabres, and immediately I used to be a whirlwind of quick, slicing assaults. Switching between weapons mid-combat stored issues contemporary and allowed me to adapt to bosses with totally different weaknesses.
The Skyborn Would possibly and Interior Demon methods are incredible. Skyborn Would possibly offers you enhanced assaults whenever you construct up sufficient power, whereas the Interior Demon capacity enables you to faucet right into a extra devastating energy state. These moments are extremely satisfying, particularly whenever you time them to counter a boss’s huge assault.
That stated, not every part hits as onerous because it ought to. Some bosses, whereas visually spectacular, can really feel somewhat “low-cost” with assault patterns that punish experimentation slightly than reward ability. Enemy selection additionally turns into an issue afterward, with too many fights feeling like recycled variations of earlier encounters. It’s nonetheless satisfying, however it doesn’t fairly attain the fluid brilliance of video games like Sekiro or Bloodborne.
Story & Environment – A Mythological Darkish Story
The story unfolds in a cryptic, virtually dreamlike method, very like Darkish Souls. You play as Wuchang, a warrior affected by the feathering illness—a situation that slowly transforms people into birdlike monstrosities. The narrative isn’t spoon-fed; as a substitute, you piece it collectively by means of conversations, environmental storytelling, and merchandise descriptions. It’s mysterious, haunting, and precisely what I would like from a Soulslike.
The ambiance is well one of many recreation’s strongest factors. Each location tells its personal story, from blood-soaked altars to deserted villages the place you may virtually hear the echoes of previous lives. The sound design enhances this completely—creaking wood flooring, distant shrieks, and the chilling sound of feathers fluttering within the wind. All of it provides as much as an expertise that feels deeply immersive… more often than not.
Voice Performing – Why English?
Right here’s the place I hit my first main gripe. Whereas I perceive why the builders included English voice performing, it simply doesn’t work right here. This recreation is steeped in Chinese language tradition, mythology, and historical past. Having characters immediately converse crisp English traces pulled me proper out of the world. It felt improper, like watching a kung-fu epic dubbed by a bunch of Shakespearean actors.
I might have most well-liked genuine Chinese language voice performing with English subtitles—it might have made the characters and setting really feel way more plausible. It’s a small change that would have made an enormous distinction, and it appears like a missed alternative for authenticity.
Lip-Sync Points – Immersion Breaker
And if the voice performing wasn’t immersion-breaking sufficient, the lip-sync points actually are. Some characters don’t transfer their mouths in any respect throughout dialogue, whereas others are barely animated. There have been moments the place I discovered myself watching a personality’s face, utterly distracted by the mismatch between their phrases and their facial actions. For a recreation this visually lovely, this appears like a obvious oversight that basically ought to have been fastened earlier than launch.
Visuals & Efficiency – Magnificence Meets Bugs
On the visible entrance, Wuchang Fallen Feathers is gorgeous. The environments are filled with element, from moss-covered temple partitions to the best way feathers drift lazily by means of the air. Boss designs, particularly, are grotesque artworks—I discovered myself each terrified and impressed by their creativity.
Efficiency-wise, nonetheless, there are noticeable dips. Even on PS5’s Efficiency Mode, I encountered moments of stutter throughout bigger fights or busier environments. While you’re locked right into a boss battle that requires split-second dodges, these drops could be irritating and result in low-cost deaths. It’s not game-breaking, however it does drag the expertise down, particularly in comparison with different polished Soulslike titles.
Audio – Soundtrack of Despair
The soundtrack in Wuchang Fallen Feathers is phenomenal. It mixes conventional Chinese language devices with ominous, fashionable cinematic tones, making a rating that’s as tense because the fight itself. Throughout boss fights, the music ramps up with pounding drums and sharp strings, making each battle really feel like a life-or-death duel. The ambient sound design is equally spectacular, with refined background noises that maintain you on edge. If solely the voice performing and lip-sync matched the standard of the music, the audio expertise can be flawless.
Last Ideas – A Lovely however Flawed Feather
Wuchang Fallen Feathers is a recreation I desperately wished to like greater than I did. The core fight is nice, the world is visually gorgeous, and the boss encounters are thrilling. However the immersion-breaking English voice performing, poor lip-sync, occasional body dips, and lack of selection in later phases maintain it again from greatness.
For hardcore Soulslike followers, Wuchang Fallen Feathers remains to be value selecting up, however it’s not the style’s subsequent huge masterpiece. It’s a recreation that soars excessive at occasions however sometimes clips its personal wings.
Wuchang Fallen Feathers Trailer
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Recreation code was supplied by the Writer.
I reviewed it, after which it was edited by my associate.
