It's somewhat easy to regard Wuchang: Fallen Feathers as just another Soulslike at a glance, especially with how crowded the genre has become lately. However, for fans of Nioh or Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, there's something immediately familiar about it, perhaps even more so than Black Myth: Wukong, which it has been more relentlessly compared to. Between its setting, combat systems, and the historical folklore that makes up its world design, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers seems to be drawing from the same well that made Team Ninja's games stand out in the first place.
That's really why Wuchang: Fallen Feathers deserves a closer look from fans of Nioh and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. Even the comparisons to Dark Souls are easy, but that's basically every Soulslike these days, and there's arguably nothing wrong with that either. But how Wuchang rewards aggressive play, build experimentation, and precision all strongly echo Nioh, and its distinct East Asian atmosphere and story grounded in real-world Chinese mythology give it a Wo Long paint job and tone, allowing it to stretch its limbs beyond Dark Souls.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Review
At first glance, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers feels familiar, but its deeper systems take the genre in some unexpected and highly rewarding directions.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Could Be the Soulslike That Nioh and Wo Long Fans Didn't Know They Needed
The Combat Design Shares More DNA With Nioh Than It Might First Appear
On the surface, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers fits the traditional Soulslike mold, with many foundational mechanics that genre veterans should be able to easily slide right into. However, its combat system is actually less like Dark Souls and even Elden Ring and instead tends to keep up more with the pacing and aggressive tempo of Nioh. There are 25 different weapon types and dozens of spells, and players can even respec their skills one-by-one for free, allowing plenty of room for experimentation without punishment. The game's Skyborn Might and Madness mechanics also emphasize well-timed dodges and offensive momentum, which are both hallmarks of what has made Nioh the experience that it is.
As many new Soulslike games continue to strive for uniqueness in the genre, these systems are ultimately what separate Wuchang: Fallen Feathers from the rest. The focus on weapon mastery, custom builds, and rhythmic combat effectively mirrors what many fans of Team Ninja games have come to love. Rather than it simply being about surviving, as it so often can be in a Soulslike game, Wuchang is more about mastering a preferred playstyle and keeping pressure on the enemy from start to finish.
Its Setting and Mythology Could Be Its Strongest Weapon
Then there's Wuchang: Fallen Feathers' setting and mythology, which earn it comparisons to Black Myth: Wukong — though that could largely be due to Black Myth: Wukong's success, as it wasn't the first notable game to adopt such a setting. While most Soulslikes opt for high fantasy and gothic cathedrals, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers prefers plague-ridden towns, decaying forests, and temples inspired by real Chinese history and myth. Set during the final days of the Ming Dynasty, Wuchang draws from the lore of the Shu region and even integrates supernatural elements like the Feathering disease to build an identity that feels closer to Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty than anything else, and yet distinct in its own right.
How Wuchang rewards aggressive play, build experimentation, and precision all strongly echo Nioh, and its distinct East Asian atmosphere and story grounded in real-world Chinese mythology give it a Wo Long paint job and tone.
If Wuchang: Fallen Feathers had been released five years ago, it might have flown under the radar, but today, it's stepping onto the stage that Nioh and Wo Long helped build. It's not trying to compete with Dark Souls but instead shows that it understands why those Team Ninja games succeeded in the first place. For Nioh, that's clear in Wuchang's combat, and for Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty, that comes out in Wuchang's setting. For fans of these titles and even more by Team Ninja, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers should be a worthwhile way to spend some time gaming.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 70%
- Released
- July 24, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Leenzee
- Publisher(s)
- 505 Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Hack and Slash
