A hallmark quality of the Soulslike sub-genre is, without a doubt, its boss fights. Historically, these encounters have not only produced some of the most cinematic moments in gaming history, but they also present players with a challenge that requires an amount of learned skill, patience, and time that many other games don’t call for.Wuchang: Fallen Feathersis the latest Soulslike to toss its hat into the ring for memorable boss fights, delivering some incredibly detailed enemy designs, for one thing, but also the rewarding combat experiences many crave from aSoulslike game.
Perhaps understandably in some ways,Wuchang: Fallen Feathershas often been compared toBlack Myth: Wukong, which all but refuses the label for some reason. To be fair,Wuchanglooks very similar toWukongand even has mechanics that echo those found in its competitor. However, when it comes to boss fights,Wuchang: Fallen Feathersarguably has the upper hand, asBlack Myth: Wukongapproaches difficulty in a vastly different way, to the point that its biggest encounters are messy, chaotic, and almost unlearnable at times.Wuchang, almost in defiant opposition to that philosophy, prefers the “less is more” approach, and it’s for the better in doing so.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers' Boss Fights Succeed Where Black Myth: Wukong’s Fall Short
Black Myth: Wukong’s Boss Fights Are Messy, Chaotic, and Almost Unlearnable
Despite being considered a massive achievement,Black Myth: Wukongdoesn’t get everything right. From its glaringly obvious invisible walls to some underbaked traversal mechanics, it falls short of being perfect in many ways. One of its most prominent criticisms, though, is its boss fights, which are often incredibly complex, and not in a good way. Perhaps this is whyBlack Myth: Wukongtries its best to avoid the Soulslike label, but even so, it’s a Soulslike even if it pretends not to be one.
What makesBlack Myth: Wukong’s boss fightsso complex is not that they are difficult, as Soulslike difficulty is something that can eventually be overcome through education after repeated encounters. Instead,Black Myth: Wukong’s bosses are infamous for having extremely large and varied movesets, making them hard to learn. Instead of slowly introducing new attacks over multiple phases, some bosses seem to unleash their full kit early on, which can feel chaotic and difficult to adapt to. As a result, many players have little choice but to try overpowering those enemies, practicing for countless hours, or even just have a little bit of luck.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers' Boss Fights Know the Meaning of ‘Less Is More’
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, on the other hand, takes the approach that most Soulslikes take, even if it becomes more accessible than agame likeBlack Myth: Wukongin the process. Rather than featuring bosses with an indiscernible number of movesets,Wuchang: Fallen Feathers' bosses generally have no more than players can count on two hands, making these fights more manageable, learnable, and all-around fun in the end. Even those who find it hard to get into Soulslikes because of their difficulty may find more enjoyment inWuchangthan they think, as they can actually see their progress with each attempt.
Black Myth: Wukong’s bosses are infamous for having extremely large and varied movesets, making them hard to learn.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathersmay not have the same buzz asBlack Myth: Wukong, but when it comes toSoulslike boss design, it understands the assignment. Its encounters are actually built to be studied, overcome, and mastered, all while being fun in the process, which is more than can be said for some ofBlack Myth: Wukong’s most chaotic fights. Soulslike bosses are supposed to teach players something, not just throw everything at them and hope they survive.Wuchangseems to get that.
