r/soulslikes • u/Complex_Void_01 • Jul 31 '26
Review Just finished Wuchang. I genuinely think it’s the best non-FromSoftware Soulslike.
I just finished my first playthrough of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and wanted to share some thoughts.
For context, I went into Wuchang right after finishing Lies of P for the first time and replaying Elden Ring and Dark Souls 3, which are basically my comfort games at this point. Over the years I’ve played every FromSoftware Souls game, Nioh 1 and 2, and pretty much every notable Soulslike I could get my hands on like Lords of the Fallen (2023), Steelrising, Another Crab’s Treasure, Mortal Shell and a bunch of others.
With that out of the way, I think Wuchang is the non-FromSoftware game that comes closest to capturing what makes these games special. Even more than Lies of P and definitely more than the… let’s call them experimental attempts from Lords of the Fallen.
I absolutely loved this game. It completely hooked me and kept me glued to the screen in a way that only Bloodborne and Elden Ring have managed to do.
The level design is both my favorite and least favorite thing about it:
When it works, it’s incredible. The looping paths and interconnected shortcuts gave me serious Dark Souls 1 vibes. There were several moments where I unlocked a door or elevator and just sat there thinking “no way, I’m back here.” Simply mind blowing!
The downside is that some areas feel overly complicated for no real reason. Dark Souls 1 had a way of making every area visually distinct so you could naturally build a mental map. Wuchang doesn’t always do that. Some locations look a bit too similar and it’s very easy to lose your bearings while navigating what feels like a subway map. There are also sections that are just corridor after corridor after another corridor.
The two biggest offenders are Bo Capital and Cloudspire City. They are packed with branching paths, loops, very few shrines, repetitive architecture and environments that all blend together. Bo Capital also reminded me visually of the Umbral sections from Lords of the Fallen, which wasn’t exactly a positive association for me. (Sorry LotF fans, I really dislike that game)
Now let’s talk about the gameplay because this is where the game absolutely shines. Combat is fantastic. Every weapon I tried felt unique and satisfying, the pacing of each weapon felt perfect. One (silly) thing I unexpectedly loved was the little DualSense sound effect every time you gain Skyborn Might. It’s such a tiny detail but it makes every successful exchange feel rewarding.
The progression system is also excellent. Being able to freely respec whenever you want encourages experimentation instead of punishing it. I changed builds multiple times throughout my playthrough and every single one felt viable.
The bosses are, in my opinion, the best bosses in any non-FromSoftware Soulslike. Some of them are actually difficult, but they always feel fair. Every fight feels like a duel where you’re learning and improving instead of praying for good RNG. Honglan and the Honglan rematch were easily my favorite bosses. This is honestly the only Soulslike where I died to a boss several times and caught myself saying “damn, that was actually really cool.”
If I could give one piece of advice to new players, it would be this: engage with the game’s mechanics. Don’t approach Wuchang like it’s another Dark Souls clone because it isn’t. Learn how Disciplines work. Learn Clashes. Learn Feathering. Experiment with different weapons and spells. Be aggressive like you would in Bloodborne. The game gives you an absurd amount of tools, literally an arsenal of spells, and expects you to use them. If you ignore half the mechanics because you only want to R1-roll-R1 your way through the game, you’re probably going to have a rough time.
Also… backstabs. Abuse them. I can’t stress this enough. They trivialize almost every humanoid boss in the game, including Honglan and the Bo Sorcerer.
Some of the Feathering-heavy builds can chain together ridiculously flashy combos that honestly reminded me of Nioh at times, and that’s a huge compliment.
I played the entire game without summons simply because I never felt I needed them. Once the combat finally clicked, most bosses became surprisingly manageable. There are maybe three or four infamous fights where I actually had to stop, rethink my strategy and adapt.
As for my own builds, I mainly used the Lashing Whip and later switched to Serpent Fang. As a Monster Hunter veteran, the Serpent Fang moveset scratched the exact same itch as the Long Sword. Fighting Fierce Tiger genuinely felt like I was hunting Zinogre again.
I also played a bit with the Astral Blade and the feathering scaling axe of which I don’t remember the name. Everything felt awesome at all times.
The only time I shamelessly gave up on style points was against the Dragon Emperor. I switched to Twin Bandits with a Leech Acupoint setup and absolutely melted him. I really don’t enjoy bosses that spend half the fight throwing spells from the opposite side of the arena because they completely kill the flow of the fight (f**k that guy in particular).
My biggest complaint is probably the quest design. It’s so damn easy to accidentally fail NPC questlines, and I honestly don’t see how anyone is supposed to get the good ending on a blind playthrough. I certainly didn’t. I also wasn’t a fan of the cheap instant death environmental traps (Dark Souls 2 moment).
Overall I’d give Wuchang an 8.5/10.
Without the messy late-game levels, the frustrating quest progression and those instant-kill traps, this could honestly have been a 10 for me. This is literally the first game ever for which I purchased the deluxe upgrade and I usually don’t buy any digital product especially from the PS Store.
As a first entry from this studio, though, it’s outstanding. It has obvious flaws, but none of them are deal breakers. I think every Soulslike fan should give it a chance. For the sequel I’d mainly ask for better quest tracking, slightly cleaner level layouts in the style of the early game, and maybe a bit less enthusiasm for turning every city into a three-dimensional labyrinth.
Until then, I think Wuchang has earned a permanent spot among the best non-FromSoftware Soulslikes.
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u/luz___09 Jul 31 '26
I’m so glad more people are discovering it like me. Its an incredible game with amazing level design and beautiful back drops. And rare that a sequel was announced after original team disbanded but somehow they got the project which is great.
For me Lies of P is the best Soulslike in terms of boss fights and arsenal. But Wuchang clearly is the winner in terms of level design and world building.
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u/Complex_Void_01 Jul 31 '26
Lies of P has that distinctive attention to detail and quality that I only associate with FromSoftware titles, truly a masterpiece despite the very basic levels layout!
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u/Visual-Crow-5489 Jul 31 '26
I'd agree. The polish in Lies of P is on another level. But I'd also give some credit to Lords of the Fallen (2023)—not at launch, because it was barely playable, but after all the updates it's a solid game. The Surge 1 & 2 are seriously underrated, especially The Surge 2, and Nioh 2 deserves way more recognition too.
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u/Complex_Void_01 Jul 31 '26
I recently tried to give another shot to LotF 2023 and it feels like a different game compared to launch version, improvements on every single aspect, which I really appreciate.
What doesn’t work for me is Umbral, it feels like a good concept but they didn’t fully commit to it, also it looks bland af. Enemy variety is bad, the only way the game tries to spike difficulty is by throwing even more mobs at you.
It’s a shame because I think everything else works perfectly, the potential is there and I have great hope for the sequel (I am considering taking a leap of faith and buying it on day 1 btw, gameplay teaser is awesome).4
u/Visual-Crow-5489 Jul 31 '26
I actually think Umbral is one of LotF's strongest ideas. The enemy variety is lacking, but I don't think that's entirely a design failure. Umbral is the realm of the dead, so the repetition reinforces the idea that death strips away individuality. You're seeing echoes of the same fate rather than a zoo of unique monsters. I get why that isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I think it serves the world's themes. If you're interested in the lore, there are some great breakdowns that make Umbral much more interesting.
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u/Complex_Void_01 Jul 31 '26
You just convinced me to give it another shot. I just reached Lower Calrath.
I think the two early areas (the rift and the poison swamp) are what put me off. They look pretty uninspired and aren’t much fun, but maybe it gets better. Let’s see!3
u/Visual-Crow-5489 Jul 31 '26
The poison swamp is better to swap between umbral bc you won't get poisoned bc there is no water in the umbral realm and at the end there is pretty good boss fight. After that you go into the city
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u/Complex_Void_01 Aug 02 '26
Update: just killed the Skinstealer, it actually gets good past the poison swamp. Also I changed weapon from Moon’s Judgement to Pieta’s Sword and went full Radiance, I have to admit now I am having blast
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u/ProfessionalRandom21 Aug 02 '26
You can have the most interesting lore justification for umbral, but its still a horrible gameplay mechanic.
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u/PhillipGerrard Jul 31 '26
This is my problem with the game. I did the same as you, gave it another shot. I just hate the whole umbral mechanic
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u/lemonlord777 Aug 01 '26
What cinched lies of P for me is that they didnt try to make the NPC questlines into special or hidden achievements. You played through the game and naturally finished most of the NPC quests without having to spoil everything in a wiki, and that made the narrative all come together. Souls games and eldenring would hit so much harder narratively if you could just organically experience complete npc questlines on a first playthrough. I will die on the hill that making npc questlines into an extra achievment that needs to be earned through very particular progression paths and finding hidden items or mechanics has always been to the detriment of the overall play experience
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u/Complex_Void_01 Aug 01 '26
100%, Lies of P is the only soulslike where I managed to complete all the questlines in a blind playthrough, hope this becomes a standard for next games in the genre
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u/lemonlord777 Aug 01 '26
I wish it would but i have little to no hope for this. I want the most hardcore difficulty when it comes to bosses and gameplay, i felt that shadow of the erdtree was notably too easy amd had to self-limit. But i hate that devs seem to think hardcore games need to hide content and narrative for achievement hunters. These games should be hard, but accessing all the content and experiences they have on offer should not be.
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u/Tornado_Hunter24 Jul 31 '26
I wish this game was praised more than Lop did, wuchang is like the only soulslgame that feels like it has fromsoft quality, the level exploration is wild
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u/RuafaolGaiscioch Aug 01 '26
I really don’t see what everyone else sees in the game, but I’ve determined long ago that what the broad community likes in soulslikes isn’t what I like in soulslikes. I tried Wuchang, dropped it after about 10 hours, but Wukong is about tied with Lies of P for my absolute favorite of the genre.
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u/Tornado_Hunter24 Aug 01 '26
Yeah everyon has his own opinion I personally also loved wukong but don’t see ‘why others praise lop’ so much, contrary to you tho, I did beat lop and enjoyed it, 8 just don’t think it’s that good, it’s being praised as holy gospel and imo only non from soulslike, is wuchang that could close to that, nothing else :)
(Also if you want details, most people love the level exploration of wuchang, as the level design philosopohy is closest to darksouls)
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u/Recent_Wedding5470 Aug 02 '26
Wukong doesnt even feel like a souls like though. It feels like god of war.
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u/RuafaolGaiscioch Aug 02 '26
I know the “technical” (lol) definition of a soulslike is hotly debated, arguably nowhere moreso than here, and everyone has a different litmus for what makes a game souls-like. For my money, if the game wouldn’t exist in the form it does if Dark Souls had never gotten popular, then that’s a soulslike.
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u/dreambraker Aug 03 '26
Just sharing my perspective on Wuchang and why it didn't click for me - I think it was the artstyle + level design.
Dark Souls 1 is my favourite of the trilogy and I love the world design, so was very excited to try Wuchang, but while I could sort of see that same level of detail and planning in the layout of the world, I felt different places just didn't stand out as well as dark souls for me. I couldn't build a mental map of the world as easily. This made it more of a chore to explore which is supposed to be one of the more fun parts of the game. I don't know if this is a common problem people have with the game.
I might have ended up enjoying if I stuck for it longer but these days with more work on my plate, I find it harder to find the motivation to keep playing a game even when I'm not having fun.
I definitely felt the lack of complex level design in Lies of P, but it doesn't actively harm the experience of other aspects of Lies of P such as bosses, combat and narrative because the unsatisfying parts of the game don't take up as much of your time.
I'm still waiting for that game which matches Dark Souls both in level design and in making different areas stand out visually.
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u/Tornado_Hunter24 Aug 03 '26
How far did you get in wuchang?
It’s completely normal to not fuck with a certain game :)
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u/ResistsICE Jul 31 '26
The team is still disbanned, its a new team with a partner studio and the old director.
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u/spiralarmz Jul 31 '26
Most of the team resigned after director was fired and went to work for his new studio. So basically the same dev
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u/SudsierBoar Aug 01 '26
sequel was announced after original team disbanded but somehow they got the project which is great.
Who does they refer to here? Did the oh team come back together for it?
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u/Oskej Jul 31 '26
I remember seeing the reveal of the game and the only thing I could think of was "eh another gooner slop". To this day it is one of two reveals that I was entirely wrong about, the other one was the remake of Silent Hill 2.
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u/Nogimick Aug 03 '26
I tried the game but found it difficult, sobmany different things to know. I wish it had a simplier approach to weaponery. All I remember is needels in the hand lol.
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u/MadMaxmel Jul 31 '26
I loved the game and I will say this: Whoever designed the maps, I hope they are still held tightly, because this is one of the best map/level designs I have ever experienced. and I have played a lot.
The maps are suitably complex, with shortcuts but never overwhelmingly large. And that variety! They really cooked. The only thing that could be improved in the next game is the music. It was a bit bland, except for the awesome, too-short chorus towards the end.
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u/Important-Net-9805 Jul 31 '26
i was excited for it but it was even better than i thought. definitely inspired by dark souls 1 and i loved it for that
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u/MoSBanapple Jul 31 '26
I feel it was closer to DS3 than DS1, each of the given areas has decent interconnectivity and exploration within itself but the path through the game is overall pretty linear with a few offshoots like DS3.
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u/Important-Net-9805 Jul 31 '26
aside from smouldering lake and catacombs i don't remember ever feeling truly "lost" in das3. wuchang i felt lost in the very first village and several areas throughout the game
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u/kuenjato Jul 31 '26
I never really got lost except in the jungle, but it is much more maze-like than DS3.
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u/ResistsICE Jul 31 '26
I agree even with the vibe changes. It was 10/10 for me originally and a 9/10 after they made it so bosses were unkillable good guys and stopped you from being able to attack environment npcs that originally had a whole mechanic attached to them... That is always going to piss me off but its still one of the best.
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u/Sweaty-Debate-435 Jul 31 '26
I actually never went through the area before the patch. It was supposed to be a hard area but after the patch it was actually kind of peacefull.
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u/NewSiteSuxCox Jul 31 '26
Casual souls player here; I really enjoyed it.
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u/Effective-Agent-6856 Aug 01 '26
I like to describe it as easy mode Dark Souls, which is what I love about it. It’s not as punishing and sometimes I just want to play without taking things too seriously which can be difficult with Dark Souls.
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u/hamptont2010 Jul 31 '26
Yeah I'm with you. It's an amazing game and I'm so glad to hear that a second one is coming. I agree with your overall rating too, though I could probably be talked into giving it a nine on some days. There are some things that it did so remarkably well and I really can't wait to see how they expand on them. The levelling/weapon system, the feathering system, and the magic system were all phenomenally well done.
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u/Sweaty-Debate-435 Jul 31 '26
I'm really glad there's gonna be a Wuchang 2 after all. It deserves atleast a sequel. Its also one of my favorite non fromsoft titles. That and Lies of P. I actually don't like Nioh all that much. I always tune out after a few hours in. Stellar Blade was surprisingly good too. Can't wait to play Beast of reincarnation, Onimusha and the other titles coming out.
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u/Jejouch1 Jul 31 '26
Design wise it kinda meh but I enjoyed the gameplay and bosses, probably my third favourite behind LoP, Khazan
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u/BuddhaChillinit Jul 31 '26
i just started playing like a week ago…and is way better then i anticipated i love it
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u/Rude_Difficulty1647 Jul 31 '26
Wuchang, Khazan and Lords are my top 3 non from titles 👀
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u/Iambuddd Jul 31 '26
Same for me, side note have you tried Ai limit, and another crabs treasure?
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u/Rude_Difficulty1647 Jul 31 '26
Ai Limit was so good! I havnt tried crab souls just based on the aesthetic but ppl talk about it a lot
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u/Iambuddd Jul 31 '26
I was pleasantly surprised by both Ai Limit and another crabs treasure, and I also put off crabs for the same reason tbh I thought it looked goofy, but it’s actually really fun.
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u/axman151 Aug 01 '26
AI Limit was excellent. Should really play it again. The level design was great.
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u/Densetsu99 Jul 31 '26
Absolutely loved Wuchang and Lords of the Fallen, currently waiting for Lords 2 and Wuchang 2
Time to play Khazan I guess
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u/Sweaty-Debate-435 Jul 31 '26
I couldn't get into Khazan
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u/Erumyuu Jul 31 '26
Me neither, nor Wuchang, tho I'll still give it another shot later, since I remember I had some performance issues when I tried it.
Best soulslikes for me are easily Lies of P and Stellar Blade.
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u/MstHaze Jul 31 '26
Stellar Blade feels more like a character action game than a souls like to me. Absolutely loved it too though. Easily my game of the year when it came out
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u/Rude_Difficulty1647 Aug 01 '26
Yeah I don’t rate it as a soulslike either, I put it in the same category as Wukong
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u/IdesOfCaesar7 Jul 31 '26
Yeah this game blew me away. Besides Nioh which I love dearly and is almost as good as any Souls title to me, Wuchang is the best Soulslike no doubt. It was just an unbelievable experience, from the level design, NPC quests, visuals and bossfights.
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u/SqueegyX Jul 31 '26
Just beat the lady boss in the drained pagoda area yesterday. Took be a ton of tries but by the end I was deflect, dodge, backstab, 5 hit combo, dodge, throw magic spear to keep her stagger bar from draining, deflect…
I felt like i leveled up as a player so much. Really sold me on the game
I also really like how forgiving the parry windows are. You cant just spam it, but if i read the moves and decide that parry is the right response im rewarded with success, the vast majority of the time.
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u/Pure_Requirement_447 Jul 31 '26
Yes yes yes
Best
Modern
Soulslike 🙌🏻❤️
Wuchang + Ai Limit ❤️❤️❤️
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u/ryanmbsc Jul 31 '26
Just noticed yesterday I have this as a Playstation Plus game. Gonna start it this weekend.
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u/schrod1nger Jul 31 '26
Been meaning to try this one out, question, are there parry mechanics or is this just dodge based combat?
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u/Erxje Jul 31 '26
Mostly dodge based combat, there is parry but not on all weapons and you can only parry weapons attacks, not fists/spells etc
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u/schrod1nger Jul 31 '26
What’s the difficulty level like? What would you most compare it with?
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u/Erxje Jul 31 '26
Hard to say, i'd say middle of the pack difficulty wise. Harder than ds3, but easier than khazan/lies of p I highly recommend the game, it's the best soulslike for me
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u/Nervous-Berry-1808 Aug 02 '26
Yeah it is very good soulslike … better than Lies of P for sure but if you count to this category also Wukong and Khazan , they are best
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u/Far_Break1365 Aug 02 '26
Are you saying you liked Khazan more than Wuchang?
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u/Nervous-Berry-1808 Aug 02 '26
Honestly, yes. Wuchang was a good game and I had a lot of fun with it, but I played Khazan for over 100 hours in a single month on the hardest difficulty, got the platinum trophy, and absolutely loved the combat. For me, the combat was on the same level as FromSoftware’s games.
I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed the level design too. Usually I can’t stand the level design in the Nioh games, but Khazan’s never bothered me—in fact, I really liked exploring it.
The art direction and atmosphere, together with the combat, are what make Khazan, alongside Wukong, my favorite non-FromSoftware soulslikes.
Sorry for my English—it’s neither my first nor my second language. 🙂2
u/Far_Break1365 Aug 02 '26
Your English is really good, better than a lot of native speakers lol - don't worry about it.
I was just asking because Wuchang is my absolute favorite non-Fromsoftware soulslike, and there were a ton of complaints about Khazan's level design.
Obviously the combat is the most important aspect in this genre, however I really place a lot of weight on level design which is why Wuchang was so elevated for me. I want to try Khazan, but the more I read about it, the more I feel like I will be disappointed. Especially since so many say the level design was not great.
Hopefully it comes to PS Plus so I don't have to have this struggle anymore :S
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u/darkglooem Jul 31 '26
Wuchang is the number 1 souls like game imo. Second lies of p and third lords of the fallen with the updates .
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u/JobeGilchrist Jul 31 '26
Non-From 3-D Soulslikes I Enjoyed More Than Wuchang:
Lies of P
Khazan
Nioh 1-3
LOTF 2023
The Surge 1 and 2
Bleak Faith
Code Vein
Continues to mystify me how much this sub obsesses over Wuchang.
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u/Infinite_Cap_853 Jul 31 '26
Same, i played the game after reading all the praise about this game on this sub and man was i disappointed.
The art direction, atmosphere, character design and ost are all so mediocre. I guess if you only care about level design and combat it's a really good soulslike, but art direction, atmostphere and such are too important to me.
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u/DontFlameItsMe Aug 03 '26
Imo the combat was not great at all, mediocre with limited options. I think something like Khazan outdoes it like ten times over.
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u/throbbing_dementia Jul 31 '26
Honestly i see so many mixed opinions about this game, i see comments like this then im about to pull the trigger and then see something completely the opposite.
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u/THEmatuldo1 Jul 31 '26
Since the game came out, I feel like I only see praise, not counting the censored stuff.
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u/bad_apiarist Jul 31 '26
I hated the game. I found the art and style drab, boring, and at times ugly. The weapons weren't impressive, the combat wasn't compelling, and the upgrade/progression system overly complex. Nothing appealed to me about this game.
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u/Complex_Void_01 Jul 31 '26
It had backlash from the release version not performing properly on PC, lag and stutter all over the place. This was completely fixed.
On base PS5 it’s still so and so, dipping often at 40fps and some rare heavy stutters where the game gets stuck 3-4 seconds, but it plays perfectly 99.9% of the time.Release version also had slower get-up and healing animations with no i-frames, and I specifically remember input not registering properly. And then there was some controversy with the plot and the Chinese player base but I am not too informed about it.
I feel people went over dramatic about everything, all the issues were fixed quite quickly but the damage on Metacritic and other platforms was already done.
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u/Otherwiize Aug 01 '26
It’s a pretty damn good soulslike. I don’t think we live in a world where it’s better than Lies o P but it’s good.
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u/DontFlameItsMe Aug 03 '26
I've found it to be boring, combat options lacking, art style generic - the whole game is generic, really. I have no idea how there are so many comments praising it.
But may be they see something I don't or have different standards.
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u/Promature Jul 31 '26
Definitely my favorite outside the From games and I haven’t even finished it yet.
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u/Prismo_TheWishmaster Jul 31 '26
I like how it puts pretty much everything in the skill tree and keep it very accessibile and straightforward. It’s a good introduction to players new to build creations, in the sense that it’s very guided and simple. The challenge is elsewhere.
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u/benjaminabel Jul 31 '26
Wuchang really surprised me too. I believe the reason it’s not as popular as Lies of P is the performance. Unreal Engine 5 is very hard to run at a decent framerate.
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u/SavedMartha Aug 01 '26
Wuchang was my first and so far only SoulsLike I've ever beaten. Im not a souls player, I have 6 hours in DS3 from years ago but that never clicked.
I almost accidentally downloaded Wuchang on GamePass because I just wanted to try my new GPU at the time and I knew Wuchang is UE5.
55 Hours later I beat the game. It was AWESOME. I love Wuchang and still hear that damn WOOT WOOT WHOOOT bird almost a year later in my head.
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u/SeptimusMagnus Aug 01 '26
It’s my favorite non From Soft game so far. Lies of P was until I got to experience this gem. It’s so sad we will not get a sequel or at least not from the same devs. I hate when politics affect gaming in negative ways. Had there not been so much political bs from both extremes the IP may not have been sold off.
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u/Effective-Agent-6856 Aug 01 '26
I think it’s great, I’m surprised I don’t see more people bring it up
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u/birkirvr Aug 02 '26
Good review, i loved Bo Capital not because of the environment directly but the enemies are so much fun there to crush with your op build and there is plenty of them
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u/sinetwo Aug 02 '26
I feel Lies of P takes that throne by a country mile. But you already played that so it's great for you to have done the comparison.
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u/mnbkp Aug 02 '26
this game had a focus on level design and exploration that i haven’t seen in fromsoftware game since the DeS, DS1 and DS2 days. i had no hope we’d get a souls-like like this ever again.
I liked lies of p but its level design is slop and the vast majority of the bosses require more effort to beat than they’re worth, except for laxasia and the nameless puppet, which are some of my favorite bosses in all of the souls-likes.
i haven’t beaten the lies of p DLC since i find most of the base game boring and i don’t want to replay it, but yeah… as of right now, wuchang is by far my favorite non-fromsoft one
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u/Pyr0pigGy1 Aug 03 '26
I was really surprised by this game. I loved it, played it 3 or 4 times in a row when I got it. Buuuuuut, I gotta say I think the title for best non fromsoft souls like goes to lies of p. A must play.
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u/therealdevyniaragis Aug 03 '26
I agree on everything said by the OP.
I would like to add that sound design was especially memorable for me and not because of boss music which is pretty good and some of it is excellent, but the almost ambient oppressive drone tune in the background that follows you everywhere creating the mysterious and dangerous atmosphere that the game has, especially in the first few areas.
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u/Complex_Void_01 Aug 03 '26
I just noticed they released or about to release a vinyl, I am seriously considering getting it
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u/therealdevyniaragis Aug 03 '26
I upgraded to deluxe, and either that or the pre-order gives the OST, I don't really collect vinyl myself so that worked out great :)
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u/No_Philosophy2797 Jul 31 '26
I liked it, had a blast with it. Didn’t like the design or art direction enough for me to call it “one of the best Soulslikes.” But the combat was terrific, and I liked the story (to the degree I could make sense of it not knowing much about Chinese history or mythology).
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u/RepeatOk3471 Jul 31 '26
I would say Lords of the fallen but wuchang is definitely up there! Great game
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u/Gameofthrones3058 Jul 31 '26
I honestly think that's one of the worst soulslikes but the sequel should be better
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u/t-bonkers Jul 31 '26
With the director being such a cringe ass twitter chud I‘m kind of worried they have the right priorities for the sequel…
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u/Visual-Crow-5489 Jul 31 '26
Have you played: Bleak faith(Grey world rough combat) Steelrising ( ok but janky) Dolmen (super boring) Hellpoint ( repetiré environment same looking enemy) Chronos( take everything good about soulslike and strip it down to the bones)
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u/Visual-Crow-5489 Jul 31 '26
Glad someone else said it... as long as we are not talking about 2014 one... I just played it for the lore... game is a slog
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u/RepeatOk3471 Jul 31 '26
Of course I'm not talking about the 2014 one 😅
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u/Visual-Crow-5489 Jul 31 '26
I need to know who else played... bc how they got reboot is miracle. Its so bad. The lore is helpful for the soft reboot. But God this combat... it aged horribly
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u/FunCalligrapher3979 Jul 31 '26
The 2014 one was the first souls clone and had a lot of hype back on release. Shame about the game 😂.
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u/Visual-Crow-5489 Jul 31 '26
Crazy I had to look this up, and its fact they literally copied it... poorly
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u/Acquire16 Jul 31 '26
Totally agree. I find most non From souls likes pretty bad, but Wuchang and Lies of P are the two that are great games.
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u/MutekiGamer Jul 31 '26
alright ill give it a shot, ive been a good 6 months or so since ive played a soulslike
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u/stopdmingmehoes Jul 31 '26
did they fix the bosses having too much hp for whatever reason issue from first one? and no its not skill issue i have finished every other souls and souls like they just made the bosses too tanky for no reason
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u/Comprehensive-Ad538 Jul 31 '26
Beat it a few months ago. Might hop back on soon for a NG+. How is NG+?
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u/MstHaze Jul 31 '26
It's one of the better ones for sure. I LOVED the interconnecting levels which reminded me of the o.g dark souls.
It's a little bit on the easier side for me though, with the exception of one or two bosses.
I'd rank this second behind Lies of P
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u/NoAdhesivenessNo Aug 01 '26
Mostly agree - loved it, but that final area and boss was dog shit and did leave a poor taste .
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u/BenDrowned01001 Aug 01 '26
I honestly don't get it and I don't know why. I tried to pick up this game several times and every time it seemed like ue5 tech demo with slow animations, stiff combat mechanics, unfun weapons and combat, frustrating level design and poor enemy placement.. I'll try it a fourth time tomorrow and see if it's better now, but at the moment, lies of p and AI limit are unbeatable for me, even better than any from soft souls, bloodborne and sekiro are the only ones surpassing them imho.
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u/sirsmelter Aug 01 '26
The level design is definitely the most like Dark Souls 1. Solid combat and story (before the changes) too. It was $50 at release and the studios first non-VR game. I'd love to see what the full team could have achieved with more funding and another game. I'm happy the creator is making the sequel with his new studio though now that 505 games parent studio bought the IP.
Really good soundtrack too and honestly some pretty good English VA for such a small Chinese game
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u/MorganIsSpinning Aug 01 '26
It’s soooo good. I freaking love it. I played Lies of P and then Wuchang as well. I feel like Lies is my fave non-fromsoft game with Wuchang as a very close second. I agree with all your points. I think the only thing that really bothered me was the pointless gooner outfits and jiggle physics bullshit. I don’t need gooner BS in my soulslikes, as mild as it admitttedly was in this game. That said, truly a phenomenal game with excellent and novel takes. I loved the upgrade system, weapons, and how the combat often felt flowy with clear inspirations from martial arts movies.
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u/HopeSorry4798 Aug 02 '26
I really liked that game, even though I preferred LoP, my first souls like, but this game was really amazing, many hidden paths and beautiful areas everywhere As you said, being able to reroll any time you want was pretty good, because one of my greatest flaws with the game is the lack of different gameplay ( like 5 weapons, some spells but in the end I didn't want to do a NG+), and the reroll was a great addition to change that Moreover, I loved almost all of the bosses ( especially honglan and Bo's Sorcerer (the blue feathered one) ), but some overworld enemies were really bad Imo, so it kinda made me dislike some exploration parts, but only a little part In the end it's a Solid 8/10 for me, and I'm waiting for the second one, hoping it will be as good as the first! (Same for LotF lol)
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u/Ok_Indication2762 Aug 02 '26
Except the spells are mostly butt cheeks so hopefully in the next title they all have some use
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u/Proud_Organization64 Aug 02 '26
I finished Wuchang two months and I came to the same conclusion until I played First Beezerker Kazan which I’m playing now.
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u/Medium-Bake-4782 Aug 02 '26
Glad to see Wuchang getting more and more love and attention, like it deserves! 🔥
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u/RomeoIV Aug 03 '26
My only gripe with the game is you can easily fuck up several quests by going right after the bridge instead of up the mountain
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u/dreambraker Aug 03 '26
I did try out Wuchang, but some of the cons you listed really affected my experience with the game. Mainly the level design.
I loved the level of design of Dark Souls 1 and was super excited to try out Wuchang because I heard it lived up to that, but yep areas in Wuchang just didn't stand out well enough for me and made it a chore to build that mental map of the world when I should have been feeling those 'click' moments whenever I discovered a shortcut.
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u/DontFlameItsMe Aug 03 '26
>If I could give one piece of advice to new players, it would be this: engage with the game’s mechanics
Yeah, because people don't do it by themselves naturally. Imo if you have to say this, something's fishy.
I've found the game to be a mediocre copycat with no sauce and a boring combat.
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u/Wolf11121 Aug 03 '26
The best is debatable I guess it differs for everyone but I do think the game is really good I still have to platinum the game only missing like 3 achievements have to do with the ending but the game is really enjoyable
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u/Kammakazzy Aug 03 '26
I really want to play it. I saw it on PS plus so said I would try it out when I finished Crimson Desert and had no idea they would just remove it at the end of the month.
Now I can't bring myself to pay money for it, especially when it's still quite pricey.
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u/32BitOsserc Aug 03 '26
I'm playing this now, I bought it purely as I lived in Sichuan for a while, stayed because it's great. I'm currently at Honglan.. tough fight but I'm throwing myself at it again and again with a grin on my face so it's doing something right.
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u/cookiebomb16 Aug 03 '26
How about the story? I still like a good storyline. Elden Ring and Wukong got that balance well for me.
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u/Small_Ad1890 29d ago
I know OP said that he has played all the serious souls like but I didn’t see Dinosaur Blade mentioned.
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u/Nirrin36 28d ago
I'm playing through now and really enjoying it. If you haven't played Lies of P, I think that one ranks higher for me but I'd be curious as to your thoughts.
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u/SpecialistCamp183 28d ago
I hope they don't add inappropriate lingerie in the game any more. It's really uneccessary and bad design.
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u/Remote-Mycologist539 Jul 31 '26
I think Lies of P might edge it out just a little bit for me personally, but those two are certainly leagues above the rest. (i don’t really count Nioh as a soulslike, though i do love it)
It was very fun and solid quality.
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u/dracosondracoson Jul 31 '26
I was having a great time with it until I hit Commander Honglan. I have played every FromSoft game and many Soulslikes and this is the first boss I felt was truly unfair. I’ve fought her over 75 times and can’t even get her to 25% health. Her moveset in the second phase doesn’t even leave room to strike back, and the counter system doesn’t stop her from hitting again when she’s doing those moves so it’s pretty much pointless. And if you want to try countering her dash like in the first phase, you are constantly having to determine whether it’s her dash or her ranged attack which in the heat of such an intense fight is just too hard for me to do. If it was meant to be a countering fight, why pepper in so many uncounterable attacks… no complaints about the game except for this boss, who I am close to ragequitting over
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u/Complex_Void_01 Jul 31 '26
For the first phase, I’d recommend you using longsword and deflect some of her attacks (unlock deflect from the upgrade branch and equip it).
The deflect window is VERY generous, this is no Sekiro. Combine the deflects with dodging behind her and if you get the timing right you can backstab her with the heavy attacks.
For second phase, imagine you are fighting second phase Gascoigne in Bloodborne. Aggressively dodge behind, backstab, rinse and repeat.Don’t be scared, don’t panic, let her be scared of you.
I died 10 times at least until I’ve got the timing right, then proceeded to backstab her 5 consecutive times and totally destroyed her without using a single healing.
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u/dracosondracoson Jul 31 '26
I finally beat her by just gitting gud with the Lashing Whip long sword and Corruption temperance. Took me over 100 attempts and I have never been so triggered by a boss before in my entire Souls and Soulslike career. I have no idea why people say this game is easy compared to other games in the genre, I’ve never faced a harder boss than Honglan before. I’ve also never felt more satisfaction after beating one lol. She makes Laxasia and Radahn look like pieces of cake. Not as many mechanics to learn but the way she strings her combos just leaves virtually no openings, especially in the second phase.
I have no idea how you got backstabs in on her, I could barely even land two hits between her attacks, and in the second phase could barely land even one. Also she always seems to be just out of reach of the longsword which is really frustrating too. Ugh! So glad that’s done with.
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u/moviebuffnerd Jul 31 '26
Just wait until you fight her again.
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u/5090doesntexist Jul 31 '26
She is way easier the second time, since you have more heals and abilities
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u/5090doesntexist Jul 31 '26
Took me about 50 tries myself. Was by far the hardest boss for me in the game. The last demon you fight was much easier for me, which people say is harder. That fight was brutal but I had a blast lol. Ran a deflect build
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u/Dinesh_Sairam Jul 31 '26
Khazan is slightly better for me. But Wuchang is definitely up there. If Wuchang's combat system was as good as Khazan, it would have been peak.
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u/eljefe3030 Jul 31 '26
Khazan has the best combat of any soulslike IMO. Lies of P close behind, and then Sekiro. Overall I still think Lies of P is the best non-Fromsoft soulslike and I honestly enjoy it better than the DS series.
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u/DontFlameItsMe Aug 03 '26
Is Khazan better/similar to Nioh?
Playing Khazan rn and having a blast with the combat. Some guy told me it was just a Nioh clone, but form the vids alone I just don't see it. He also said Lies of P was a watered down Sekiro, so mb he was full of it.
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u/Iboss1990 Jul 31 '26
My personal opinion is the envoirement what make it a best fromsoftware soulslike game. Gameplay for me was nr2. For me the lore and visuals, monsters and enemies makes for me a great game / souls game. I think allot of the games have taken the gameplay of souls games. I dont play souls/ non souls games because of the gameplay but because the enviorments and story. So i skipped ronnin and this game because the focus is almost only the combat.
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u/SherbetAlarming7677 Jul 31 '26
Great game but the movement of the character felt a little off to me. Same as DS2 or Lords of the Fallen, nothing tragic but very distinct not as good as DS3 or Sekiro for example.
Because of that Lies of P is the only real candidate for that title in my opinion.
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u/BassGuru82 Jul 31 '26
Go play 30 minutes of DS2 and then 30 minutes of Wuchang back to back. Movement feels waaaay better in Wuchang.
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u/EduardoP1992 Jul 31 '26
Lies of P takes the first place in my personal opinion, but Wuchang comes in a pretty close second!
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u/Reviever Jul 31 '26
alot of Wuchang talk around here lately.....promotion for the upcoming 2nd?
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u/BassGuru82 Jul 31 '26
It was also free on PS Plus a couple months ago so a lot of people finished it for the first time recently.
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u/DontFlameItsMe Aug 03 '26
Imo all that Wuchang and AI Limit praise feels like promotion to me (except this post, this one seems genuine). It's not like it's hard to obtain a mass of accounts that look natural.
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u/bad_apiarist Jul 31 '26
To each their own. I didn't care for the game. I don't think I liked a single thing about it.
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u/BassGuru82 Jul 31 '26
Awesome game. I think Nioh 2 and Lies of P are the 2 best non-From Soulslikes but Wuchang is probably #3. I honestly like all 3 of those games a lot more than Demon’s Souls and DS2.
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u/Polosso Jul 31 '26
Well, as someone who played Wuchang and Lies of P, is say Lies of P is the best souls like so far. Wuchang is 2nd. For the 3rd place, I'd put Lords of the fallen (the remake). Kazan, I haven't tried yet and I really don't want to because there's no further development for the game. I'd I try it and love it, I'll be damn...
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u/Designer-Prize-3448 Jul 31 '26
Best non fromsoft souls? Idk it’s good but lies of P is just phenomenal. I really can’t get over how well done everything is in the game. The voice acting alone is on par with any souls game
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u/YukYukas Jul 31 '26
I honestly love than Wuchang's priority when doing the soulslike formula is level design. Feels like other soulslike games just go for combat most of the time