Wuchang: Fallen Feathers isn’t a revolutionary Soulslike title that aims to change the subgenre, but it’s catching the attention of many players right now, in part because it’s available on day 1 on Xbox Game Pass. Wuchang, however, does have some issues with underexplaining certain mechanics, which is giving players a little trouble. 

Wuchang makes some changes to the Soulslike formula established by FromSoftware, the developers of Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. Those changes aren’t laid out so clearly, and unfortunately that adds a layer of difficulty to the game that doesn’t need to be there. 

If you’re struggling with Wuchang, here are some tips to help you beat the game. 

Get the Sword Counter 

An easy tip to start with is a better explanation of the Sword Counter. It’s available in the Impetus Repository (the leveling-up grid), at a shrine, and it doesn’t take many levels to unlock. The Sword Counter is the game’s equivalent of the parry found in other FromSoftware games. It looks like a standard block, but if you time it right, you’ll parry the attack and receive no damage. 

But that’s not all. Next to the Sword Counter node on the grid are two variants that are also worth getting. By unlocking all three, when enemies attack you, you can deflect their attacks and knock them to the ground to sneak in extra hits. 

Something to keep in mind is that the Sword Counter can only deflect weapon attacks, so enemy punches or kicks can’t be parried. Also, with bosses, your deflects may only give you a window to get a free hit or two, but they have greater value in raising the bosses’ Obliterate meter, which is a circle that increases after successive attacks. Fill this up, and the boss will be staggered, which will allow for a critical attack to deal big damage. 

Unlocking the upgrades for your weapons

Along with the improved attacks, new weapon abilities, and stat increases, the Impetus Repository (the game’s name for its skill tree) has nodes to improve a weapon class. You need to unlock the node first and then acquire feathers to upgrade the weapon. The upgrade for a weapon class affects all weapons, so improving longswords by +3 means every longsword in the game will also be +3. 

You’ll need specific items for these upgrades, which are usually found on tougher enemies with red eyes and can sometimes be purchased from the merchants. There are Faint, Brilliant and Radiant Red Feathers needed for upgrades, with Radiant ones being the best of the three. 

Respec all the time

One useful mechanic in Wuchang is the option to respec, or reallocate your upgrades, at any time. If you feel like you’re a little weak or there’s something you haven’t tried yet, make sure to respec — don’t worry, it’s free and can be repeated indefinitely. 

On the Impetus Repository, there’s the option to undo an upgrade to just one node, or you can do it for an entire path. If a weapon like the axe has been doing well against bosses but there’s one boss who’s just too fast to land any attacks, then it’s time to respec and try another weapon. There’s no shame in doing so. And who knows? The new weapon might end up being your favorite. 

Wear the right equipment

Like in any Souslike, there are different status effects that build up over time, such as Burn or Blight, this game’s name for poison. Enemies in certain areas will focus on different status effects with their attacks, like how enemies in colder climates can cause Frostbite buildup. There are consumable items you can use to remove the effect or stop the buildup, but in the case of status effects like Despair and Corruption, if your armor resistance isn’t high enough, you can get killed almost immediately from the effect. If you find that happening (and you can tell it happens due to the status effect icon in the middle of the screen), then consider changing your equipment to better resist the status effects you’re running into. 

Armor in Wuchang is very situation-based. Some will offer a lot of slash and stab protection, which is great for bosses with swords or spears, but it may offer no protection against Blight, which means you can be poisoned very quickly. In general, armor that’s the best to protect against physical attacks is horrible for status effects, hence you can die almost instantly in certain areas. If you notice that happening, make sure to switch up your armor for the right occasion. 

Explore, explore, explore 

Like any good Soulslike with quality level design, like Wuchang, there are different paths available and some are easy to overlook. So many side paths in Wuchang seemingly lead to dead ends, but you’d be surprised how many will lead to entirely new areas. Not only can you find powerful items and weapons, but there are entire sections of a map with their own bosses you might have skipped. I missed out on multiple locations as I rushed through the game on my first runs through levels. If you’re having trouble with a boss, spend some time to backtrack a bit and explore every nook and cranny in an area. 

Another point to keep an eye out for is the teleport option at the Shrine. If there’s an NPC you should talk to, there will be a small face next to the location listing. These NPCs can give you items or help out with a boss fight, but some won’t be right next to the shrine. In general, places you come across with no enemies and something like a fire tend to be locations where an NPC will eventually appear. 

Just die if you’re mad 

Probably the most interesting mechanic in Wuchang is the Madness effect, which increases global damage that you deal and get dealt in return. Madness can increase or decrease, depending on what enemies you kill, but it increases significantly after dying. Once Wuchang’s madness reaches above 90%, the next time she dies, an orb that lies where the death happened will manifest into an Inner Demon, and if it kills you or is defeated, the Madness meter goes back to zero. This is very interesting for longtime Souls players because it acts as a punishment for players that can easily be overcome, and in a way, helps get the frustration out for dying. 

There is, however, a problem. If you die at the hands of a boss over and over again, the orb will be inside the boss arena and the Inner Demon won’t spawn. The result is that Madness, which if above 90% will increase the damage of your attacks while also increasing the damage you take, won’t go down. You can try to defeat some enemies to lower it, or make a donation to the statue at the Shu Sanctum, but the Madness meter will still shoot up if you die. 

If this happens to you, then you need to bite the bullet and just die somewhere else, ideally right near the shrine. When you respawn, you can head to the orb, take down the Inner Demon, and you’ll be back to zero Madness. 

Don’t forget to emote

Across the game, there will be certain shiny spots that aren’t signs. It could be a statue, an urn, or a grave marker. Inspect these locations and a message will pop up with a few words in blue. Those words can be “Pay your respect” or “Tai chi.” 

When you come across these spots, pull up the pose, or emotes, menu. You’ll see multiple poses, such as worship, examine and a very obvious one, Tai Chi. Assuming the pose at the specific location will unlock a clue about Wuchang’s past, or give up an item. 

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series consoles for $50. Xbox Game Pass subscribers can play the game as part of their subscription.