It might be a bit derivative in some ways, but that doesn't stop Wuchang: Fallen Feathers from giving spellcasters more room to breathe than most Soulslikes have been known to offer. Within the genre, magic has often dominated the landscape in terms of raw damage, but isn't necessarily considered the most viable way to play across the board. In Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, at least part of that remains true, with magic tending to dominate the battlefield so frequently that many players might be tempted to make it their playstyle of choice, potentially even foregoing melee altogether.
It's actually possible to get through 99% of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers using only magic, as a little bit of patience and one of its best spells, Vorpal Blade, can see players coasting toward the end with maybe only a few headaches, depending on what their build is like. However, that approach may only last them so long, as one of the game's final bosses serves as a massive skill check for magic users. What might have initially felt like it would be an easy hurdle to overcome quickly proves to be a resounding wake-up call for those who have invested primarily in magic.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers’ Boss Fights Make Black Myth: Wukong’s Look Like a Bull in a China Shop
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has been frequently compared to Black Myth: Wukong, but some of those comparisons shine a light on what Wuchang does better.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers' Dragon Emperor Zhu Youjian Puts Magic Users to the Test
Magic Is Effective Against The Reborn
One of the last and most challenging bosses players will face in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is Dragon Emperor Zhu Youjian, but not before they've conquered his first phase as The Reborn. Like many of Wuchang's two-phase boss fights, the fight against The Reborn is not only fairly straightforward but also significantly easier than the encounter with the Dragon Emperor. This is largely due to the fact that magic is both highly effective and allowed in the fight against The Reborn.
One of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers' best offensive elements is fire, and that is especially evident in the fight against The Reborn. Many of The Reborn's attacks can be missed altogether by magic users who keep their distance, and the boss' long-range attacks are quite predictable and are therefore easy to evade. With enough patience, some powerful fire spells, and a build geared toward magic in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, players can take down The Reborn with relative ease. Unfortunately, that all comes to a screeching halt once the boss enters his second phase and transforms into Dragon Emperor Zhu Youjian.
Dragon Emperor Zhu Youjian Is Entirely Immune to Offensive Magic
Dragon Emperor Zhu Youjian is unlike any other boss in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, simply due to his ability to absorb offensive magic spells entirely. Shortly after the battle begins, the Dragon Emperor will conjure a giant glowing dodecahedron that renders all offensive magic ineffective, forcing players to commit to a different playstyle, at least temporarily. What's so interesting about the Dragon Emperor is that he is the only boss in the game that doesn't allow players to use offensive spells, meaning those who have relied on Wuchang's preference for magic up to that point are in for a rude awakening by the time they fight him.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is certainly no stranger to considerable difficulty spikes, but this one is by far one of the most random and unexpected. Essentially, Dragon Emperor Zhu Youjian then serves as a skill check for magic users, not only forcing them to employ different tactics than they're used to but also encouraging them to respec their entire skill tree in Wuchang: Fallen Feathers. Thankfully, respeccing in the game is free, so players can do it as often as is necessary, and the fight with Dragon Emperor Zhu Youjian is certainly one of those moments.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 76 /100 Critics Rec: 70%
- Released
- July 24, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Leenzee
- Publisher(s)
- 505 Games
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Soulslike, Hack and Slash
