Fallen Feathers Patch 1.5 Has Players Calling Censorship

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers patch 1.5 is right here, and whereas among the quite a few modifications tackle some main participant complaints, one huge one radically modifications the story in ways in which many are calling censorship.

Regardless of generally being critically well-received for its gameplay and mechanics, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers has been stricken by efficiency points on PC, leading to a wave of damaging opinions round launch.

There was a patch to repair among the points just days after release, and yesterday, developer Leenzee pushed one other one, called patch 1.5.

Nonetheless, 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 by which the sport is about.

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 battle with Ming general Zhao Yun, as an alternative 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 explanation for these modifications (through PC Gamer) may be traced again to uproar from some Chinese language gamers when the sport was launched.

In response to hachimi_ddj on the Soulslikes Subreddit, most of the preliminary damaging opinions have 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 battle between the Han of the Ming Dynasty and the Manchurians, or Manchus, who’re a minority ethnic group in modern-day China. The Manchus in the end gained the battle, establishing the Qing Dynasty.

In response to the Reddit submit, the Qing interval is seen as an important humiliation by many Han Chinese language to this present day, and a few gamers have been anticipating the sport to have them serving to the Han push again the Manchus, as an alternative of preventing towards the Ming Dynasty.

For the reason that recreation 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 response to one other submit on the CharacterRant Subreddit by alanjinqq, the controversy was principally 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 trendy 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 effectively to this censorship, given the way it basically alters the sport’s story and themes, to not point out ensuring sections a lot simpler as a result of many enemies are actually non-hostile, and it’s now seeing one other wave of evaluate bombing.