Wuchang: Fallen Feathers review for Xbox Series – The Souls of summer for Xbox Game Pass

We analyze for Xbox Series the expected, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, one of the surprises of this summer, which arrives at launch on Xbox Game Pass.

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After years of development by Chinese studio Leenzee Games, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers arrives as the company’s most ambitious bet, and also as one of the most powerful productions in the country in the realm of soulslike games. Published by 505 Games and developed with Unreal Engine, this title not only seeks to compete on an equal footing with genre giants, but also to do so with a deeply rooted identity in Eastern history and folklore.

The story takes place in a fictional period inspired by the late Ming dynasty, a time of chaos, rebellions, and superstitions, in which a mysterious disease called Feathering is causing horrific mutations among the inhabitants. The protagonist, Wuchang, is a warrior marked by this plague, who faces both deformed monsters and the echoes of her own past as she traverses the decadent region of Shu.

Wuchang is not a heroine in the classical sense: she is a tragic and powerful figure, tormented by the weight of corruption that slowly consumes her from within. This duality is reflected in both her combat style and the Inner Demon system, which adds a layer of constant tension: if we don’t control her power well, it can turn against us.

The world she explores is just as ruthless. Inspired by the Shu region, in southwestern ancient China, we find lands corroded by disease, where natural beauty and spiritual decay coexist in a broken balance.

We’ve played it on Xbox Series X, where the title launches on July 24th in Xbox Game Pass. And after hours of play, it’s clear that this is not a game that holds your hand. Here, you have to learn through trial and error, explore with attention, and accept that you’ll die many times until you understand how the world and combat work, it demands, but it’s satisfying to learn and progress.

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Technical Section

On Xbox Series, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers offers three graphic modes: quality, performance, and a balanced one. Personally, I’ve ended up opting for the balanced mode after trying them all. The quality mode looks quite good, especially in reflections and ambiance, but it’s also where you notice slight drops in FPS, especially in large outdoor areas or during combats with many effects. The performance mode is more stable, but it sacrifices a lot of visual detail. The balanced mode, while not perfect, achieves that middle point that allows you to enjoy combat with fluidity without losing too much graphic fidelity.

Visually, the game bets on a very personal ambiance, with a marked style and clear references to traditional landscapes of southwestern China. The ruins invaded by the supernatural, the humid forests, and the decadent temples are well achieved, with dense fog, dim lighting, and a muted color palette that reinforces the feeling of decomposition and constant threat. It’s not a technical marvel, and it shows when compared to more cutting-edge titles in the genre, but the art direction knows how to make the most of the available resources.

The game surprises with more lush and alive areas, such as humid forests and waterfalls that break the visual monotony. Moreover, not everything is grotesque mutations: there’s a good variety of human enemies and distinct creatures, which enriches the formula and adds variety to both the artistic design and the combat rhythm.

In terms of sound, I’ve been pleasantly surprised. The combat effects have force, the impacts feel contundent, and there are careful details like distant noises that anticipate ambushes or dangerous areas. I’ve played with the voices in Chinese, which gives more coherence to the ambiance, although they can also be set to English. The texts are entirely in Spanish, and the localization is quite good. The music knows when to disappear to leave space for the environment and when to rise during boss fights.

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Gameplay

This is where the game really shines. Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t beat around the bush: it demands attention, memory, and a cool head from the very first combat. It’s not a soulslike that welcomes you with a smooth curve. On the contrary, from the start, it puts you to the test and makes it clear that if you don’t learn from your mistakes, you’ll die a lot. The protagonist, Wuchang, has a combat system called Skyborn Might, which empowers her attacks and special abilities. Mastering it is not optional: it’s the key to survival. This system allows you to execute combos, launch elemental abilities, and activate the powerful swift draw when you have two weapons equipped, a kind of lightning-fast counterattack that changes the tide in an instant.

Combat has that contundent weight that reminds one of Lies of P, but with a more tactical layer, especially when positioning and abilities come into play. It’s not as fast as Sekiro, nor as meticulous as Dark Souls, but it finds an interesting middle ground. Here, it’s not enough to just dodge: you have to read the enemy, wait for the moment, and know when to activate Skyborn Might or when to use the Inner Demon, a creature that can help you… or condemn you if you don’t manage it well. It’s a constant risk, but also a powerful tool for players who know how to dominate it.

The Skyborn Might is a central ability that empowers special attacks and combos, while the Inner Demon acts as a wild entity that can aid you in combat.

The level design is mainly linear, but with semi-open elements that allow you to discover alternative routes, shortcuts, and secrets. There are no complex maps, but the environment is full of structures that serve as visual reference points, something very useful in a world where everything can kill you in two hits. Exploring feels dense and tense, like in the best moments of Bloodborne, and the reward usually makes the risk worth it.

In terms of customization, there are many possibilities. Each weapon has its own style and rhythm, from heavy swords to claws or spears, and combining them with armors that offer bonuses, pendants that alter statistics, elemental enchantments, or strategic consumables allows you to build your own way of playing. The builds can adapt to each player’s style, and that’s always a plus in this type of game.

That said, not everything is perfect. There are moments when the collision system and hit detection aren’t as fine-tuned as they should be. Some enemies can get stuck in animations or repeat patterns too obviously, although it’s nothing that can be considered a major negative point. But even with these details, the overall feeling in combat is intense, demanding, and very satisfying. Wuchang doesn’t try to reinvent the genre, but it does bring its own mechanics and a unique tone that place it as a very serious proposal within the current landscape.

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Duration

We’re facing a game that doesn’t give anything away. It demands time, attention, and constancy, not because of its size, but because of how it presents each confrontation and each obstacle. The areas are designed with malice, and the boss fights require reflexes, strategy, and constant adaptation. The difficulty rises clearly, and there comes a point where a single mistake can ruin minutes of progress. And although we don’t want to reveal specific details, there’s more content than it seems, but we prefer you to discover it yourself.

Thanks to character customization, upgrades, combat, and exploration, this adventure can easily exceed 25 hours if you decide to delve into everything it offers. Leveling up, improving your resources, and making decisions at critical moments make each advance feel earned.

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Conclusion

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers doesn’t try to compete with the giants of the genre, but it earns its place with honesty, effort, and its own identity. It’s not a title that surprises with its mechanics or a cutting-edge technical display, but it transmits that constant pulse of danger and reward that makes this type of game great. The ambiance, creature design, and the way it demands the player (without making concessions) make it a serious proposal for those looking for something more than a simple challenge.

It may lack some polish in the technical aspect or not have the visual impact of a Lies of P or Sekiro, but it compensates with personality and an artistic direction that knows how to immerse you. And most importantly: it doesn’t treat you like a spectator, but as an active participant. If you fail, you learn. If you return, you improve.

It arrives on Xbox Game Pass on July 24th, so if you’ve been waiting for a game that doesn’t give you everything on a silver platter and forces you to improve by trying again and again, here’s a new opportunity to show what you’re made of.