Weekly Notes (July 21 – 27): When Performance Kills the Hype

Niklas Borglund

Author

2025-07-29

This week's biggest releases had a rough landing due to technical issues.

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers and Killing Floor 3 both struggled with performance problems that dominated player feedback. Meanwhile, smaller releases like The King is Watching and Mage Arena found their audiences by focusing on solid, if simpler, execution.

WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers by Leenzee

Largest audiences: ~89% Chinese(Simplified), ~6% English

This week’s most high-profile release is also the most controversial. As a direct contender to the massively popular Black Myth: Wukong it looked promising with it's not too shabby score of 75% on Metacritic.

But on Steam? It’s a different story entirely. With almost 60,000 reviews, the game sits at just 36% positive - and only 33% among Simplified Chinese reviews. For comparison, English-language reviews sit closer to 70%, but they make up a small slice of the pie.

Performance issues are the top complaint, followed by frustration over deluxe edition buyers getting less than standard buyers due to a rewards mix-up.

I looked into some of the top upvoted reviews specifically and some players also criticize the game’s use of Chinese history, calling it disrespectful or tone-deaf. It’s safe to say the backlash runs deeper than just frame drops.

Killing Floor 3 by Tripwire Interactive

Largest audiences: ~53% English, ~15% Russian, ~11% Chinese(Simplified)

The third entry in the Killing Floor series dropped this week to a lukewarm reception.

Fans still enjoy the core mechanics and weapon customization, and despite the issues, many say it's still fun.

But like WUCHANG, performance problems dominate the complaints. Crashes, stuttering, and inconsistent framerate are common. Some players also feel the game lacks content compared to its predecessors.

All audiences gave it mixed reviews, but the Simplified Chinese score is especially low at 34%. Top reviews from that region echo the same frustrations but with a sharper tone.

I've seen this pattern a lot now. If you're targeting the Chinese audience, performance problems will hit your score harder than elsewhere. Something to keep in mind.

The King is Watching by Hypnohead

Largest audiences: ~44% Chinese(Simplified), ~33% English, ~8% Russian

The King is Watching is a kingdom management roguelike where your gaze literally controls productivity - stare at your workers and they work harder, look away and things fall apart.

Players are hooked on the addictive gameplay and unique mechanics. The pixel art style gets consistent praise, and there's enough variety to keep runs fresh.

Main complaints center on the lack of a save feature (ouch for a ~13-hour game) and some crashes. But unlike this week's bigger releases, these feel like fixable problems rather than fundamental design flaws.

Mage Arena by jrsjams

Largest audiences: ~78% English, ~6% Russian

In Mage Arena - players cast spells by actually speaking incantations, which creates some genuinely magical moments when it works. The community loves the unique concept and the potential for growth.

The issues are predictable - voice recognition can be spotty, and some players want more spells and content variety. A few mention community behavior problems, which always seems to plague competitive multiplayer games.

At 3 hours estimated playtime, it seems to be more of a "try this wild thing" experience than a long-term commitment. But sometimes that's exactly what you want.

Wildgate by Moonshot Games

Largest audiences: ~83% English

A space battle royale with extraction shooter elements.

Players love the team-based mechanics and creative combat, especially the ship-to-ship battles. The visuals get consistent praise, and many appreciate that it feels reasonably priced for what it offers.

The problems are classic multiplayer growing pains: microtransactions frustrate players, server issues create lag, and there's a steep learning curve for newcomers.

s.p.l.i.t by Mike Klubnika

Largest audiences: ~76% English, ~15% Russian

A atmospheric horror experience focused on terminal hacking and malware attacks.

Players love the tense atmosphere, standout soundtrack, and innovative concept. The developer Mike Klubnika gets recognition for creating experiences that feel genuinely unsettling.

The main complaints center on length and confusion. At around 1.5 hours, many players want more content, and some find the terminal commands and gameplay mechanics confusing rather than immersive.

⚔️ Early Access Graduates

• Abiotic Factor - A multiplayer survival crafting game. Players love the story, unique mechanics and playing co-op with friends. Some dislike the grindiness, enemy mechanics and optimization issues. (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• WolfQuest: Anniversary Edition - A wolf simulation RPG. Players love the realistic gameplay, the engaging gameplay, and the graphics. Some dislike the repetitiveness, but generally well liked game. (Overwhelmingly Positive)
• SUPERVIVE - A MOBA Battle Royale. Players love the fun gameplay, character designs and visuals. They hate the gacha systems and matchmaking issues.
• Ghost Watchers - A multiplayer horror game. Players like the character designs, graphics and the ability to play with friends. They dislike the bugs & glitches & the game difficulty. Is often unfavorably compared to Phasmophobia.
• Le Mans Ultimate - A racing simulation game. Players love the immersive experience and the multiplayer features. They dislike the bugs & stability issues, DLC pricing and the overall need for general improvements.
• Pile Up! - A strategic building game. Players love the relaxing gameplay, visuals and addictiveness. They dislike the controls, bugs and lack of clarity on the mechanics and objectives - leading to confusion and frustration.

Notable Mentions

Here are some games or DLCs that were on the top but didn't get its own section in the weekly notes.

• WolfQuest: Classic - (Education. Hunting. Life Sim)
• Hell Clock - (Hack and Slash. Looter Shooter. Mystery Dungeon)
• Grimshire - (Farming Sim. Resource Management. Agriculture)
• Abiotic Factor - Supporter's Pack - (Action. Adventure. RPG)
• Monument Valley 3 - (3D Platformer. Point & Click. Puzzle)
• The Great Villainess: Strategy of Lily - (Grand Strategy. Tactical RPG. Auto Battler)
• Wheel World - (Cycling. Racing. Open World)
• Let Them Trade - (City Builder. Board Game. Base Building)

📊 Full List: Top Releases for July 21 - July 27 (2025)

And that's it! Thank you for reading!

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