Enough Soulslikes Already? Why Wuchang: Fallen Feathers Might Be the Last One We Need
All right, that’s plenty of Soulslikes
The action game Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is about to hit the shelves next week, featuring a pirate warrior with amnesia battling giant monsters infected by a mysterious feathery illness. Sounds cool, right? Well, there’s a catch—it’s another Soulslike. And honestly, the gaming world might be a bit tired of them by now.
- Introduction to Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and its Soulslike nature
- Overview of the Soulslike genre and its saturation
- Examples of recent Soulslike games and their similarities
- Reflection on genre fatigue and desire for fresh experiences
Why so many Soulslikes?
Inspired by FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, Soulslikes are known for their tough combat mechanics like blocking, parrying, dodging, and challenging boss fights. The genre has been popular for about a decade, but lately, it feels like we’ve hit a saturation point.
For example, SteelRising from Spiders put players in the shoes of an automaton fighting 18th-century robots during the French Revolution. The premise was fresh, but the gameplay loop felt all too familiar: parry, dodge, repeat, and struggle against bosses.
Similarly, Lies of P, a steampunk Pinocchio tale, and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty by Team Ninja, both followed the same formula. Even anime-style action games like Stellar Blade leaned heavily into the Soulslike combat style, with its focus on parrying and dodging.
Later, Black Myth: Wukong came along, earning praise and nominations but still didn’t break away from the genre’s core gameplay that many players find repetitive.
When does it stop being fun?
It’s not that challenging games are bad. They can be rewarding and memorable. But after facing tough bosses multiple times in a row, the excitement can wear off. The rich, unique worlds that these games create—like automatons in the French Revolution or Pinocchio’s dark steampunk realm—deserve more than just a tough combat test.
Sometimes, players just want to explore these settings without the stress of intense skill checks. A “walk in the park” now and then would be nice.
Even turn-based RPGs have felt the pressure to adopt Soulslike mechanics. Take Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which added a parry system so tight that it’s almost impossible for older players to keep up. Maybe sticking to traditional turn-based gameplay would have been better.
Still worth checking out?
Despite the fatigue, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers looks really promising. The premise is intriguing, and the setting feels fresh. The author admits they’ll likely give it a shot, even if it means learning the timing of yet another parry.
So, while the Soulslike wave might be wearing thin, there’s still room for standout titles that bring something new to the table. It’s just getting harder to get excited about another game marketed under that label.
