Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has had a turbulent journey since its release. Marketed as a dark and atmospheric Souls-like, the game was met with heavy criticism at launch due to its generic gameplay and major performance issues. Even the developers themselves admitted early on that releasing a brand-new IP in today’s industry climate was “a nightmare.”
Players, however, seemed to warm up to Wuchang, and after a series of patches the reception slowly improved, until now. A new controversy has struck with the arrival of the 1.5 update, which introduced extensive censorship. The patch alters parts of the story, makes certain bosses and NPCs immortal, and drastically lowers the overall difficulty, directly against what Souls fans usually want.
The result? Bosses no longer die but instead collapse as if exhausted after battle. Other enemies, like Ming soldiers, no longer attack at all. On top of that, the dodge system has been made much faster and more forgiving, while healing has been buffed significantly.
Unsurprisingly, hardcore fans are furious. The game is currently being review-bombed on Steam, with thousands of players refusing to even call it a Souls-like anymore. The situation is further aggravated by moderators on the game’s subreddit actively banning discussions about the censorship, fuelling even more frustration. The root cause seems to stem from criticism among some Chinese players who felt the game portrayed certain historical figures in a negative light.
Have you tried the game after the 1.5 update and do you agree with the backlash?