I don't even know how to describe my experience with this game. For the first few hours, I was convinced I was playing
a soulless, shaky chaos without identity and without any real value. Everything felt bland, the intro was,
for my life, as if it was written by artificial intelligence, FromSoftware inspirations were too obvious and without
any independence, the areas completely lifeless, enemies rare and uninteresting, the progression system
complicated and too simple at the same time, and the NPCs completely forgettable.
In short, it fell short on every level compared not only to soulslikes in general but also to those from
2025, especially the gargantuan First Berzerker. And yes, I understand that “sex appeal” moves the world forward, but Wuchang as a protagonist is clearly made for “Stellar Blade.” If that’s your thing, great, but for me, “gooning” on pixels has always been a completely absurd and comical concept. In short: I was ready to give up, Wuchang used every opportunity to shove her ass in my face, and the game was slowly becoming nothing more than an obligation I would reluctantly fulfill just to write a review.
And then… something clicked.
And here’s the strange thing: I don’t even know what exactly. I realized that the map is intertwined and full of shortcuts? Nice, but
not enough. Did the bosses get better? Not really, most are quite disappointing. If I had to guess, I would say it was the moment I realized that the game actually has charm. Builds really change the experience. The areas become more detailed and carefully crafted as you progress. I even found a few bosses that I will remember forever. And most importantly: I was wrong. With all its flaws, this game has a soul. And a lot of it.
Why did it take so long to shine? I have no idea. Maybe the problem was with me. But that’s the point,
my experience was confusing, unexpected, and in the end, I loved it so much that as soon as I finish this
article, I will start NG+.
No spoilers, what you need to know:
- The map design is fantastic.
- Combat becomes excellent once you get into the rhythm.
- You can respec whenever you want.
- Exploration is always worth it.
- Four boss fights stand out, and one might be my favorite ever. The others? Either too easy or
uninteresting.
Currently, the game on Steam is barely “mixed,” mostly due to performance issues. I had to lower the settings to normal, but after that, it ran flawlessly. I have a feeling that a good portion of the negative reviews comes from people still trying to run every game on a 1060Ti over a 4K TV, but that’s a story for another time.
The final verdict:
Wuchang is my favorite soulslike that wasn't made by FromSoftware, alongside Lies of P. It's also one of the easier ones, so I honestly recommend it to everyone who is just getting into the genre. Give it some time and it will reward you. If you're short on cash, it's available on Game Pass and can be completed in under 40 hours, which is the ideal length for an RPG for me. I'm too old and too tired for games that stretch over 100 hours.
The best imperfection I've ever encountered.
