Wuchang: Fallen Feathers patch 1.5 is right here, and whereas a number of the quite a few modifications tackle some main participant complaints, one massive one radically modifications the story in ways in which many are calling censorship.
Regardless of typically being critically well-received for its gameplay and mechanics, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has been tormented by efficiency points on PC, leading to a wave of detrimental critiques round launch.
There was a patch to repair a number of the points simply days after launch, and yesterday, developer Leenzee pushed one other one, called patch 1.5.
Nevertheless, the patch additionally launched an enormous change to how some fights play out, each in gameplay and the story, now not permitting the participant to kill sure historic figures from China’s late Ming Dynasty, the interval during which the sport is ready.
What Was Modified, And Why?
After patch 1.5 (through VGC), Ming bosses are no longer able to be killed within the fights towards them, and the participant can now not assault Ming troopers and civilians.
For instance, after the combat with Ming basic Zhao Yun, as a substitute of an emotional second as he accepts his inevitable demise, he now steps apart and congratulates the participant on passing his “trial.”
Equally, after defeating the Dragon Emperor, the participant can now interact with the physique for a immediate that claims he and his consort are simply unconscious and will get up quickly.
The rationale for these modifications (through PC Gamer) may be traced again to uproar from some Chinese language gamers when the sport was launched.
In line with hachimi_ddj on the Soulslikes Subreddit, most of the preliminary detrimental critiques had been from Han Chinese language gamers (the dominant ethnic group in China, who traditionally shaped the Ming Dynasty).
The sport is a fictionalized depiction of the struggle between the Han of the Ming Dynasty and the Manchurians, or Manchus, who’re a minority ethnic group in modern-day China. The Manchus finally gained the struggle, establishing the Qing Dynasty.
In line with the Reddit put up, the Qing interval is seen as an incredible humiliation by many Han Chinese language to at the present time, and a few gamers had been anticipating the sport to have them serving to the Han push again the Manchus, as a substitute of combating towards the Ming Dynasty.
Because the sport options a number of historic Han rulers as bosses, and different Han characters as enemies, whereas the Manchus and their rulers are largely absent and thus can’t be fought or killed, some Han Chinese language gamers see the sport as racist anti-Han, pro-Manchu propaganda.
In line with one other put up on the CharacterRant Subreddit by alanjinqq, the controversy was largely pushed by youthful Han Chinese language individuals, a part of a broader wave of Han nationalism, who’re offended concerning the affect of the Qing Dynasty and the Manchus on fashionable Chinese language tradition and worldwide perceptions of the nation.
Whereas Leenzee haven’t commented publicly on the reasoning behind these main modifications to the gameplay and narrative, it appears fairly apparent that it was a response to the backlash from that group in China.
Unsurprisingly, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers’ viewers in the remainder of the world didn’t take nicely to this censorship, given the way it essentially alters the sport’s story and themes, to not point out making sure sections a lot simpler as a result of many enemies at the moment are non-hostile, and it’s now seeing one other wave of overview bombing.
