Outside of FromSoftware's own Elden Ring Nightreign, The First Berserker: Khazan, and the Overture DLC for Lies of P, 2025 has been fairly light on new Soulslike experiences for fans of the difficult action RPG genre. One of the year's biggest, however, is hours away from release: Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, the debut title of Chinese developer Leenzee from publisher 505 Games.
Wuchang has garnered quite a bit of attention in the months leading up to its imminent launch, with players attracted to its aggressive and challenging Sekiro-like combat and also its day one availability on Xbox Game Pass — a service that offers access to quality Soulslikes very often.
And now, reviews for the game have gone live across various outlets, giving interested fans many critical opinions to consider before choosing to buy and/or download the title.
At the time of writing, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has achieved a "Generally Favorable" 75/100 Metacritic score, with that average drawn from 61 reviews conducted across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5 systems.
A range of different scores and quotes have been listed below:
- XboxEra (97/100): "WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers understands what makes FROM Software’s games so good. Level design is king, with incredible vibes. When you nail those two aspects, as well as WUCHANG has, and have some of the best balance I’ve seen at launch, it is an extraordinary experience. Our titular character is an amnesiac Pirate Warrior. For upwards of forty hours, you will discover the ills of late Ming-dynasty China, be faced with choices that go against fate itself, and have an amazing time while doing it in this Day One Game Pass title."
- PCGamesN (80/100): "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers exceeds all expectations as this year's GOTY-level soulslike. Leenzee finds new remedies for the chronic pains endemic in the genre, and its semi-open world is enriched by Chinese culture and masterful level design. However, framerate drops and familiar UE5 optimization problems can't be ignored."
- Wccftech (75/100): "WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is a solid Soulslike offering an interesting setting steeped in Chinese history and lore, and well-crafted interwoven mechanics that power satisfying combat. However, uninspired level design, mediocre PC performance and a formula that relies a little too much on the genre's conventions hold the experience back a bit, making it worthwhile only for fans of the genre who haven't had enough of it, and are willing to look past some shortcomings."
- GamesRadar+ (70/100): "Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a solid soulslike game with some unique systems that sets it apart from its contemporaries. Combat is flashy and fun, but it's bundled with some frustrating boss and movement mechanics. Still, a stunning world and excellent dungeon exploration make Wuchang: Fallen Feathers worth trying."
- TheGamer (60/100): "There’s plenty to enjoy about Wuchang, but it is not a game for the casual soulslike enjoyer. It’s a game for the soulslike sickos. I’m usually right there alongside them, but frustrations upon frustrations sour the whole experience."
- PC Gamer (49/100): "Skimpy outfits, dull combat, and an empty world cheapen the entire experience and bury the few things it actually does well. What's left is a game that constantly reminded me of all the ways FromSoft has done it better and most of the time I wished I was just playing the real thing."
With most games, there tends to be a general overall consensus that lies somewhere between extremely positive and negative reviews. For Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, though, scores are all over the place, with a huge range of different opinions across evaluations done on all three of the title's platforms.
Most critics agree that the highlight of the Soulslike is its very difficult, yet incredibly engaging boss fights, with reviewers also praising the aggressive nature of its flashy melee and magic combat and its creative options for buildcrafting.
The levels between those bosses, though, are far more contentious, with some praising them as very enjoyable and rewarding to explore and others criticizing them for being extremely repetitive and filled with bland, uninspired enemies.
Some also feel that Wuchang's high difficulty feels cheap and has too steep a curve, while more positive reviews find it fairly balanced.
Another aspect of the game that has some critics divided is its art direction, with many praising its Unreal Engine 5-powered blend of vibrant natural beauty and dark, dreary environments. Others find the two aesthetics to be at odds, creating tonal inconsistency.
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In case you're wondering, we at Windows Central have our own Wuchang: Fallen Feathers review, though it's in progress and not scored yet.
My colleague Jez Corden is tentatively giving the Dark Souls-inspired title 4/5 stars, calling it "one of the most brutally difficult games I've ever played" but praising it as "a simply, truly stunning game, with an absolutely massive map that really impresses its sense of scale."
I've also played a bit of the game myself, though I haven't gotten far enough to really express any opinions of my own. Widespread reports of PC performance issues do make me want to stop and hold off for now, though, and you may want to do the same if you're using Steam or the Xbox PC app.
It's hard to predict where the overall public sentiment about Wuchang will fall in the coming weeks, though I'd say it's likely that it will at least be considered a solid Soulslike for fans of the genre to try out on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PS5.
Again, it can be played on the former two platforms with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and on PC specifically with PC Game Pass, though you can also pick the $49.99 title up for just $36.69 at CDKeys if you'd prefer to buy it directly.
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