Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has been running into a bit of a disgruntled audience in the West and East alike. Bosses were made unkillable in Patch 1.5, with numerous areas fundamentally changed to reportedly appease the Chinese audience, leading Western players to review bomb the game.
Patch 1.5 made numerous bosses unkillable, rather than leaving them “exhausted,” and fundamentally reshaped how they are portrayed in the game. Specifically, this is tied to historical characters, such as generals and figures from Chinese history, which the game's domestic audience seemingly wanted to be portrayed with more respect (thanks, RPS).
Additionally, Ming dynasty characters from one part of the game, who were previously hostile and crucial to the area's gameplay dynamics, are now entirely friendly, also to seemingly appease Chinese players.
This structurally changed a lot of Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, its bosses and levels, leading players in the West to get up in arms against what they labeled “censorship.” Thus, a mod (via Nexus Mods) came into being, which rolls back all the changes of Patch 1.5, reverting them to what they were before the devs were reportedly pressured into making these controversial decisions.
The mod's creator claims Patch 1.5 “massively downgrades the game experience,” and that it has “ruined the game's story and immersion.” Whether or not these changes affect the game to this extent is a matter of personal taste, but censoring your title to appease some part of the audience is never a good idea, since it fundamentally reshapes one's artistic vision.
Art is a free form of expression where anyone, including developers, can do whatever they will, including transforming historical cultures, dynasties, characters, and populations into any form, so long as it is good and, as art should be—beautiful.
Wuchang: Fallen Feathers sits at only 50 percent positive reviews on Steam, giving it the “Mixed” rating, though it has been in the user review pits since launch, most notably due to performance woes.
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