Wuchang Fallen Feathers wants to pick up where Dark Souls left off: "If skilled players still rely on the HUD... the combat system has a significant problem"

"In my opinion, the most important feature of a soulslike game is its level design." These are the words of Bruce, co-founder & CTO of Leenzee, who is both the director and art director of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, one of the most exciting soulslikes coming in 2025. "The exploration and design philosophy of the levels are very unique, and the combat system and fragmented storytelling are often there to serve the level design. Wuchang continues the level design philosophy seen in Dark Souls and Dark Souls 3, maintaining a sense of exploration and challenge."

And boy, does it make Wuchang: Fallen Feathers a tantalizing prospect. The game world features beautiful 3D-scanned items and buildings from the real-life Ming Dynasty, recreating them exquisitely in the game engine. Being able to explore such beautiful surroundings before engaging in fast-paced combat against what Siyuan describes as "the Chinese-style supernatural" is the best kind of gamification of real history.

Stuff of legends

"For boss designs, we drew inspiration from Chinese history and culture, especially archaeological discoveries like Sanxingdui, as well as elements from Chinese mythology and folk stories, such as the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the 'Jiangkou Sunken Silver' legend. We hope to convey the uniqueness of these bosses through visual design, while also interpreting the 'Chinese-style supernatural' genre in the story."

Looking like the lovechild of Dark Souls and the OG Xbox's Ninja Gaiden, fluidity in combat is king. Or, in this case, queen, with leading lady Bai Wuchang exhibiting real martial arts moves, all motion captured by actual martial artists and then tweaked for fluidity, style, and – crucially – responsiveness. "We've made unique innovations in combat, particularly in the rhythm of the combat system." continues Siyuan. "Through the Skyborn Might system, we've integrated combos, builds, and equipment, making the combat both strategic and action-oriented. When players use different weapons and builds in combat, it feels like a new experience, which enhances player engagement."

There's also the ability to deflect attacks when dual-wielding swords, allowing strong players to absorb blows. However, weaker characters will benefit from a mid-combo kick to help them balance the gap in strength between themselves and the enemy, something which is shown off impressively during the latest gameplay trailer, leaving a boss prone to a larger attack.

But what about agility? How has the team approached making sure the gameplay feels nimble? Siyuan replies: "The term 'agility' isn't quite accurate. As a designer, my criterion for evaluating whether the action system has issues is: 'Can the game be played normally while hiding the HUD?' If skilled players still rely on the HUD to know their status, I'd feel that the combat system has a significant problem. Therefore, a skilled player in Wuchang should be able to fight bosses without the HUD."

The game does borrow a lot from Dark Souls, even down to the large white dot that signifies lock-on targeting and enables stealth kills. But one element that hasn't been mentioned much so far is the importance of the opening of the game and the choices you make as you play through it, suggesting a branching story that reflects your choices, though quite how deep that will go remains a mystery right now.

Siyuan is saying all the right things as far as we're concerned, and the game is looking like a more accessible and immediately spectacular proposition than even the great Elden Ring, cherry-picking the best of reality, mythology, and gameplay systems. So while it remains to be seen quite how it'll stand up to that particular gaming behemoth, it's certainly worthy of keeping on your radar, even among the high number of hack and slash soulslikes on the horizon right now. The game has been confirmed for a Day One release on Microsoft's subscription service, making Wuchang: Fallen Feathers a real contender for one of the best Xbox Game Pass games for members to check out. Though when it reaches us at some point this year, it will also be available on PS5 and Steam (where you can wishlist it right now).

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