Wuchang: Fallen Feathersmay feel like just another Soulslike at times, but if there’s one thing it does very well, it’s that it finds unique ways to encourage intentionality in both offensive and defensive play. Soulslikes have always been about timing, patience, and precision, but rather than asking players to be more reactive incombat,Wuchang: Fallen Feathersinvites them to be more proactive in their approach. In this way, its battles become less about survival and more about perfecting the rhythm of offense and defense — especially in light of its Skyborn Might system, which relies heavily on purposeful defensive play.
While Skyborn Might may be the core system at work behind every successful combat encounter, however,Wuchang: Fallen Feathersstill has plenty of other mechanics where that came from, and one of which arguably stands out more than the rest. That mechanic is Alacrity, a word defined as “brisk and cheerful readiness” in everyday language, but translated inWuchang: Fallen Feathersas the best example of its marriage of offense and defense, where players can attack at the same time as they are dodging. Even with all the game has going for it, Alacrity is one of its most satisfying mechanics to pull off, and there’s little reason why it should be a one-off in the Soulslike genre.
Wuchang’s Alacrity Mechanic Reinvents How Defense and Offense Intersect in a Soulslike
Timing a Spell to Dodge Rewards Skill in More Ways Than One
Alacrity isn’t a universal mechanic inWuchang: Fallen Feathers, as it is specifically tied to spellcasting, but since players can use spells regardless of their build, it is a mechanic everyone has access to if they want it. Spells that have the ability to trigger Alacrity essentially mean that, should players be attacked while casting, they will automatically dodge the attack and even generate one Skyborn Might if they’re at 50% Madness or more —Madness beingWuchang: Fallen Feathers' central risk-reward mechanicthat fills when players die or kill certain enemies and then sees damage taken and damage delivered increased upon maxing it out.
Alacrity, a word defined as “brisk and cheerful readiness” in everyday language, but translated inWuchang: Fallen Feathersas the best example of its marriage of offense and defense.
What makes Alacrity so unique, though, is that it essentially acts as a Perfect Dodge (otherwise the most efficient method for generating Skyborn Might in the game), only it allows players to attack simultaneously. In other words, should players have enough Skyborn Might to cast an Alacrity-based spell, rather than simply dodging an enemy’s attack, they can kill two birds with one stone by both attacking and dodging. It’s something that has never been seen before in theSoulslike genre, and yet another testament toWuchang: Fallen Feathers' excellent balance of offensive and defensive play.
Alacrity Could Reshape Soulslike Combat Design Moving Forward
Future Soulslikes would be remiss not to consider implementingWuchang: Fallen Feathers' Alacritymechanic in one form or another, especially those that are more action-oriented in their approach to combat. It’s one of those systems that ounds simple on paper, but once players start taking advantage of it, it actually changes how they approach every fight. Rather than waiting for the perfect moment to dodge and then retaliate, Alacrity encourages players to treat defense as their best offense. And because it’s spell-based, it expands what magic can look like in a Soulslike, especially for those who don’t want to hang back and throw fireballs from a distance. It actually makes spellcasting feel more aggressive as a playstyle, and therefore more engaging.
IfSoulslike gamesare going to keep pushing forward, they need to keep finding new ways to reward player intention.Wuchang: Fallen Feathersmay not reinvent the genre, but Alacrity shows that it’s still possible to rethink what combat looks like. And it wouldn’t only need to be tied to spells either, as future Soulslike games could make use of the concept in abilities across the board.
