Wuchang: Fallen Feathers – The First Hands-on Preview

In a abstraction arsenic crowded arsenic the soulslike genre, it tin beryllium hard to basal out, but aft 2 hours with the uber-difficult Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, it seems the folks astatine Leenzee Games whitethorn beryllium onto something. Taking spot successful a magical reimagining of dynastic China, you play a pirate warrior who has immoderate superior moves, making usage of intricate and deadly spells, an arsenal of weapons with potent movesets, and an upgrade histrion that’s overmuch much progressive than your emblematic action-adventure game. This makes for an escapade where, much often than not, I felt similar the scary badass the remainder of the satellite should beryllium acrophobic of, alternatively than the different mode around. Of course, the precocious bounds connected conscionable however overmuch I could marque myself consciousness similar an overpowered Dynasty Warriors quality was my ain accomplishment level and knowing of Wuchang’s highly analyzable systems, which I could lone dive truthful heavy with during my constricted demo. But what I’ve seen truthful acold has maine rather optimistic.

The main mode Wuchang: Fallen Feathers seems to differentiate itself from its peers is that here, alternatively of a fewer basal sword moves, a fistful of meager spells and abilities, and a tiny wellness bar, you’re fixed a beauteous extended toolkit of formidable tools to play with. Each limb allows you to unleash unsocial flurries of attacks that nonstop you soaring into the air, darting crossed the map, and performing insane feats of dexterity that are acold beyond what’s imaginable successful astir soulslikes. It got to the constituent wherever I felt similar the country brag stomping my enemies flat, alternatively than a scared, cautious adventurer facing unthinkable odds.

That feeling of superiority mightiness person thing to bash with however those abilities are acquired: by harvesting them from fallen enemies. That’s right! Every defeated foe is much than conscionable a fistful of upgrade materials. You really get to larn their moves and enactment them to usage against aboriginal opponents, yet turning you into a deadly reflection of everyone you’ve bested successful battle, and successful my clip with it I already began to consciousness similar a power-stealing badass successful abbreviated order. And this was conscionable the opening areas of the escapade excessively – I tin lone ideate however chaotic things get aboriginal connected erstwhile you’re squaring disconnected against much almighty opponents and presumably unlocking adjacent much insane abilities.

Don’t get maine wrong: determination were inactive plentifulness of instances wherever my eagerness oregon deficiency of consciousness got maine perfectly smashed to pieces, but I besides felt similar I had mode much options for cutting the force down to size. For example, 1 determination I was fixed portion wielding a elephantine ax fto maine leap consecutive into the aerial to ludicrous anime-level heights, past smash down connected my opponent, stomping them level and leaving a minion-shaped content successful the earth. Another weapon, accelerated moving dual blades, gave maine the quality to occurrence disconnected a clump of small, sticky explosives each clip I dodged, which past exploded doing a tiny magnitude of damage, but much importantly, interrupting force movement.

These abilities and limb combos, combined with spells that fto maine bash things similar occurrence disconnected a deadly disc of fire, allowed maine to play overmuch much aggressively than I’m accustomed to, and it’s wide there’s conscionable a full batch much to larn with Wuchang successful general. I didn’t person astir capable clip to afloat wrapper my caput astir the assorted accomplishment trees, quality customization options that fto maine change however my weapons functioned, and spellcasting system, but it’s wide this borrows rather a spot from RPGs and volition request to beryllium thought done if you privation to max retired your levels of badassery.

That volition beryllium beauteous adjuvant to bash too, due to the fact that of the 2 bosses I took connected successful Wuchang, 1 of them was highly assertive and arsenic beefed up with fancy movesets. It took maine rather a fewer tries to larn her quick, convoluted onslaught patterns, and maestro the timing for parrying her attacks, particularly successful the 2nd fractional of the combat erstwhile each swipe of her leaf sent retired monolithic gusts of upwind that knocked my connected my butt and did mode much harm than I thought the upwind was susceptible of. Eventually, though, I stood triumphant against her devilish tricks. Rather than a feeble goon hopelessly outmatched by an force intelligibly supra my powerfulness level, Wuchang’s brag fights made maine consciousness a batch much similar a adjacent locked successful a duel with beardown weapons and destructive abilities to spot who was much worthy of success.

If there’s 1 portion I didn’t get a wholly beardown work on, it’s Wuchang’s story, which centers connected a illness spreading passim the lands that drives radical huffy and makes them sprout feathers. I didn’t spot capable to accidental whether oregon not this is apt to spell the distance, but I volition accidental I’ve mislaid number of the fig of soulslikes successful the past fewer years that person leaned connected that incredibly bushed trope. I get that having a illness that turns radical into monsters offers a beauteous casual crushed to marque everything successful the satellite privation to termination you, which is precise adjuvant successful this benignant of game, but antheral americium I ever bushed of seeing it. I’d truly similar to spot Wuchang interruption escaped from immoderate of the communicative cliches successful the aforesaid mode it seems to beryllium switching things up erstwhile it comes to combat style.

It’s besides worthy noting conscionable however visually awesome Wuchang is, which is by nary means the norm for the genre. Even if I was dying fractional a twelve times to the aforesaid brag oregon mislaid among a oversea of disgusting, mutated enemies, I was astatine slightest capable to contented myself with however downright gorgeous everything looked, ruined and profoundly troubling arsenic the satellite was. That said, I did announcement somewhat agelong load times aft each humiliating decision that respawned maine backmost astatine a checkpoint, and I person to wonderment however overmuch of that bent clip is owed to the satellite and characters looking truthful dang good. In fairness, there’s precise small accidental this thing’s been optimized capable to beryllium typical of the last product, but since I was playing connected a PC that seemed reasonably powerful, it’s decidedly thing I’m going to privation to support an oculus connected arsenic I cheque retired aboriginal builds.

With lone a abbreviated exploration country and 2 brag fights to contend with, I lone caught a tiny glimpse astatine Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, but I already consciousness beauteous bully astir its chances astatine being much than conscionable different soulslike to adhd to the ridiculously overflowing pile. The movesets are intricate and interesting, the RPG mechanics look heavy and connection a batch of state (even if I can’t assertion to recognize immoderate of them fully), and the brag fights gave maine a superior tally for my wealth that’s uncommon these days. All that’s already got maine beauteous excited to play more.