Leenzee Games has stepped into the spotlight with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, aiming to make an impact in a genre that, to some, already feels oversaturated. Where Wuchang truly shines is in its stunning art direction and immersive world design—though these strengths occasionally falter. The game is also bolstered by its flexible and engaging combat system, which delivers satisfying gameplay for much of the journey. Unfortunately, things begin to unravel in the late game, where overly aggressive enemies and boss combos can feel unbalanced and frustrating.
There was a time when soulslike games were considered niche, appealing only to a dedicated audience. That’s no longer the case. Today, many developers are attempting to put their spin on the genre. Some, like Lies of P, successfully capture the essence of what makes these games engaging—tight combat, deep lore, and challenging gameplay. Others, like Code Vein, struggle to hit the mark and fall short of expectations.
If you’re already a fan of the soulslike genre, there’s enough here to keep you invested. However, for newcomers, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers might not be the best entry point into the world of challenging action RPGs.
Developer & Publisher // Leenzee & 505 Games
Platforms // PS5, Xbox X|S, PC (Steam, Epic, Windows Store)
MSRP & Release Date // $49.99, July 24th, 2025
Reviewed On // PC, PS5
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers – The World
Step into the role of Wuchang, a fierce pirate warrior who awakens with no memory and is cursed with a mysterious disease known as Feathering—a dark affliction of Ornithropy. Set during the chaotic twilight of the Ming Dynasty, your journey will take you through the haunting regions of Shu, where every battle has consequences. The world is filled with cursed villages, shadowed ruins, and does a good job of being interconnected with secret paths and shortcuts. I did feel at times that it was easy to miss a narrow path due to how much was happening on screen, blending with the overall color scheme of certain levels.
As you defeat enemies, you’ll collect Red Mercury, a rare and valuable resource used to enhance your abilities. But beware—this currency is lost upon death, feeding into the game’s unique Madness system.
Killing certain enemy types or dying repeatedly will increase Wuchang’s Madness level. With each level gained, she becomes more powerful—dealing increased damage—but also more vulnerable, taking extra damage in return. The higher your Madness rank at the time of death, the more Red Mercury you stand to lose. Having high madness isn’t always bad since you can pick skills that give you additional benefits. Such as a status effect applying to your weapon, such as fire, while using certain abilities.
However, all is not lost. Return to the location of your death to recover your remaining Red Mercury. But if you die while at maximum Madness, a powerful Demon will spawn at your last location. Defeating this creature will cleanse your Madness and restore the Red Mercury left behind.
The story is told through Characters
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers tells its story through gameplay, much like Dark Souls. Instead of cutscenes or direct exposition, you uncover the narrative by speaking with characters.
NPCs appear throughout camps, but not always consistently. If you miss a conversation, the story can feel disjointed. Characters may mention someone you haven’t met—or someone you barely remember. There is an in-game item called “Bone Whistle”. This is used to call an ally to aid you in a boss battle. This may not work if you haven’t progressed certain quests far enough. If you are someone who may need an extra hand, this is one of the reasons to stay on top of NPC quest lines.
These types of interactions are also tied to some of the game’s optional content and how you acquire the different endings that the game offers. I currently don’t know specifics since I only played the game once through, but I can piece it together by analyzing other reviewers’ playthroughs and matching them with my own. The game has secrets that have yet to be uncovered.
Luckily, Wuchang offers a way to track quest progress to some degree. When a quest becomes active, the character’s icon appears on the shrine fast travel screen. Shrines serve as key hubs. You can spend Red Mercury to upgrade stats, fast travel to visited locations, or change your combat disciplines.
One standout character for me was Xuanyangzi, who also happens to be the first person you interact with in the game. I received the ‘Jarful of Medicine’ ending, which features him making a surprising move I didn’t entirely see coming. His role added unexpected depth to the story and left a strong impression by the end.
Let’s Talk Combat
On one hand, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers offers some of the best combat in the soulslike genre. On the other hand, it can feel a bit too flashy for its own good. Let me explain.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers features a wide range of weapon types, including longswords, dual blades, spears, and more. Each weapon class offers a unique playstyle and its upgrade path, powered by Red Mercury, the game’s central resource.
One of the core mechanics in combat is the Skyborn Might system. Depending on your weapon and style, you can gain Skyborn Might in different ways. For example, straight swords build it passively, while longswords require precise combos or well-timed dodges to activate it.
Skyborn Might fuels both powerful heavy attacks and magic-based abilities. While these abilities feel impactful, like Crescent Moon, others can become less practical in tougher boss encounters. In later battles, some bosses give you very little room to be aggressive since they rarely stagger, forcing you into a defensive rhythm where you must wait for rare, safe openings. This isn’t always the case, but it happens often enough to be worth noting.
One of my favorite boss fights in the game was The Commander. It stood out as the first true challenge I encountered, pushing me to sharpen my skills. This battle forced me to master sword countering and build the confidence needed to create openings for attacks, making it a memorable and rewarding experience. The game controlled well, with its biggest issue being the camera at times. This becomes more apparent with large-scale and aggressive bosses like a fierce tiger.
The second standout gameplay feature is its flexibility in character and weapon builds. If you decide to change your weapon upgrade path, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers lets you fully refund the Red Mercury you’ve spent—with no penalty. This system encourages experimentation, giving players the freedom to adapt their combat style at any point.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Performance
I played Wuchang: Fallen Feathers on PC, and overall, the performance was decent. Throughout my playthrough, I averaged between 70 and 90 FPS.
However, the game did have some issues. I experienced occasional stuttering and noticeably long load times. A few patches rolled out during the review period, but they didn’t seem to improve performance in any meaningful way.
I experienced two crashes while trying to load my save file during the review process. For reference, I’ll include the PC specs used. Most in-game settings were set to medium quality.
- RTX 3080
- 32 GB DDR4
- AMD Ryzen 5900X
Graphics & Accessibility
As I mentioned earlier in my review, the world design is truly stunning. Powered by Unreal Engine 5, this game stands out as one of the better showcases of the engine. Compared to other UE5 titles I’ve played, like Black Myth Wukong—which often suffer from more technical issues—this one offers a smoother, more polished experience. The environments are rich and diverse, featuring breathtaking vistas, ancient temples, underground mines, and more.
In terms of accessibility, the game includes a few basic options, including increasing HUD size and disabling camera shake. While helpful, these features are fairly limited and not as in-depth as some might hope
Final Verdict
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. While the combat and level design don’t always live up to their full potential, it’s still one of the better soulslikes available. That said, if you’re not already a fan of the genre, the game’s inconsistent difficulty might be a tough barrier to entry. For instance, I defeated the first four bosses on my first try—and the same was true for some mid-game encounters. But then, out of nowhere, I’d be stuck on a boss for hours. The difficulty swings too wildly, often feeling unbalanced in both directions
Final Score – 7.5 /10
Pros
- Visually stunning and fantastic art direction
- Flexible customization
- Great Combat Variety
Cons
- Inconsistent Difficulty
- The interconnected world doesn’t always work well
- Combat mechanics can fall apart later game
*Code Provided by Publisher for This Review *
