Earlier this month, the developers of Wuchang Fallen Feathers gave a four-hour demo of the game’s first chapter to several Chinese content creators. With the embargo now lifted, previews are coming in and the early impressions are overwhelmingly positive.
Why it matters: Wuchang: Fallen Feathers hopes to match the success of Black Myth: Wukong, which is exciting for both gamers and Chinese game developers.
The game takes place in a dark fantasy version of the late Ming Dynasty and follows Bai Wuchang, a warrior cursed with Ornithropy, a mysterious disease that gives her powers but gradually transforms her into a monster.
Mixing history with dark wuxia elements, the story includes real figures like Zhang Xianzhong and Li Dingguo, offering a combination of real history and fantasy.
Players can explore expansive, interconnected areas that encourage vertical exploration, with new paths and shortcuts opening up as bosses are defeated. Previews have also praised the game’s non-linear structure.
Furthermore, the combat received positive impressions as well. Combat is fast-paced and focused on player skill, rather than relying heavily on RPG stats.
Perfectly timed dodges and parries create “fallen feathers,” a special resource that can be used to boost abilities, like speeding up powerful attacks. This shows the game will encourage and reward perfect parries.
In addition to its combat, the game offers a large, Diablo-style skill tree. While the character progression sticks to familiar Soulslike elements, the skill tree lets players focus on specific abilities.
Players can’t unlock every node, so they must carefully choose their character build. Respeccing is free and simple, making it easy to try different playstyles. The variety of weapons also adds to the options, each offering unique combat styles and special abilities.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers will launch in 2025 for PC and consoles.
The previews say Wuchang Fallen Feathers’ visual design is truly impressive. Inspired by the Ming Dynasty and Chinese folklore, the game’s art style has received high praise.
The environments feature detailed architecture and beautiful natural landscapes, created using Unreal Engine 5 and cutting-edge technology like laser scanning and motion capture.
The character design has also improved, with the protagonist now having a smoother, more appealing look, inspired by characters like Eve from Stellar Blade.
Previews highlight how much Wuchang Fallen Feathers has improved since its 2021 reveal. Critics pointed out that the early trailers felt rough, but the game has since become more polished.
While it follows the classic Soulslike structure in terms of map progression and boss design, its unique mechanics and artistic vision make it stand out.
