Wuchang and Stellar Blade: When Stunning Looks Overshadow Great Gameplay
Wuchang Faces the Same Criticism as Stellar Blade
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers recently launched on July 24, and while it’s a solid Soulslike action game, the buzz around it isn’t about gameplay or story — it’s about the main character’s looks. Sound familiar? This situation mirrors what happened with Stellar Blade, another standout title from 2024.
- Why Wuchang’s character design sparks debate
- How Stellar Blade faced similar discussions
- The impact of focusing on style over substance
- What developers could do moving forward
Gameplay vs. Character Appearance
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers brings a mechanically sound experience with unique Soulslike elements and a skill tree system. It even offers an interesting setting. However, instead of fans discussing its gameplay, the spotlight has shifted to Bai Wuchang, the protagonist, who is conventionally attractive and features jiggle physics on her design.
Online conversations have been dominated by two opposing groups: one calling the game “gooner-approved” and the other praising it as a return to “real gaming.” This heated debate unfolded on social media before and after the game’s release, as seen in this Twitter thread:
Is this Wuchang? The incel bait game that supposedly runs like shit on PC?
— Lofty (@LoftyorBill) July 24, 2025
Déjà Vu: The Stellar Blade Scenario
Back in 2024, Korean developer Shift Up launched Stellar Blade (initially revealed as Project EVE), which caught attention partly because of its stylish and sexy lead character, Eve. Similar to Wuchang, much of the conversation revolved around Eve’s design rather than the game’s strong combat and atmosphere.
The marketing heavily emphasized Eve’s physique, even highlighting how the character was modeled after Korean model Shin Jae-eun. Director Hyung-Tae Kim openly admitted focusing on Eve’s backside because “that’s what the player would see most of the time.”
Despite Stellar Blade’s solid Metacritic score of 81 and over 3 million copies sold, many fans and critics wished more attention had gone into improving the story and other weaker areas.
Wuchang’s Evolution and Controversy
When Wuchang was first revealed in 2021, the female warrior protagonist wore historical attire and received lukewarm reactions, with some accusing the game of copying Dark Souls animations.
Later, the developers made Bai more visually “appealing,” inspired by Stellar Blade’s approach. This shift sparked new debates, with some critics predicting that revealing outfits would hurt the game’s reviews. For example, XboxEra’s review mentioned “gooner-approved” as both a positive and negative point, stirring predictable reactions on social media:
Reviewers are now upset simply because you like attractive women in games.
Wuchang. pic.twitter.com/OxyQoq6vNK
— Grummz (@Grummz) July 24, 2025
Currently, Wuchang’s Metacritic score paints a picture of a decent but unpolished game that tries to imitate genre giants like Sekiro or Lies of P but falls short in refinement — yet its protagonist’s design remains a hot topic.
https://www.metacritic.com/game/wuchang-fallen-feathers/
Looking Ahead: Substance Over Style?
It’s still early days for Wuchang, and conversations around games can change quickly. Stellar Blade’s perception has improved over time, with former PlayStation CEO Shuhei Yoshida stating, “The biggest reason for Stellar Blade’s success is its combat.” Meanwhile, the director acknowledged narrative shortcomings and expressed intentions to improve in the sequel.
Leenzee Games has kept quiet about the controversy around Wuchang, a smart move from a marketing standpoint. Still, they have a real chance to address criticism by updating the game to better align with their original vision.
If Wuchang wants to be remembered for more than just Bai’s appearance, the developers need to prove that style doesn’t have to come at the expense of substance.
