Best Wuxia Games

Key Takeaways

• The Wuxia genre offers unique gaming experiences with engaging martial arts combat systems and immersive Chinese culture exploration.
• Games like Seal of Evil, Warriors Orochi, and Age of Wushu provide players with wuxia elements and combat-oriented gameplay in varying settings.
• Genre-expanding titles like Amazing Cultivation Simulator and Black Myth: Wukong showcase the growing popularity of wuxia and xianxia games.

Wuxia is a unique genre of fiction that deals mainly with martial artists in the setting of ancient China. This might seem like a specific thing to categorize, but the fact is that several great forms of media have used this wuxia genre to great effect. A great example of a wuxia film is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which is one of the most popular movies ever made.

Given the combat-heavy focus of this genre, it only makes sense that a bunch of video games have made the most of this setting. After all, using martial arts in any video game is a blast, but wuxia titles aren’t just combat-laden experiences. There is some real creativity shown in these titles, allowing players to explore Chinese culture in a unique and immersive manner. Players who want to check out wuxia games for themselves can definitely check out some great titles, although there’s no denying that this genre is criminally underrepresented in gaming when it comes to games with actual quality.

Updated December 11, 2024 by Rie Takumi: Unsurprisingly, the Chinese market has the largest number of wuxia games available on all platforms. Fortunately for non-Chinese-speaking fans, games with good English translations are more commonplace than ever. And with the release and success of Black Myth: Wukong, wuxia and xianxia fans can expect more releases in the future.

It should be noted that a lot of games listed as wuxia are xianxia or even xuanhuan. Strictly wuxia games are akin to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: purely martial arts, even if heightened to almost supernatural physical feats. Xianxia involves Chinese mythology, celestial beings, and fantastical elements. Xuanhuan is similar to xianxia, but misses the Daoist elements and draws from martial arts a bit more.

17 Seal Of Evil

Diablo-like With Engaging Combat

Seal of Evil is a sequel to Prince of Qin that serves as a marked improvement in every way. Combat is snappy, and the story is more engaging than ever before, even if the voice acting can be lackluster.

However, the gameplay is so engaging that players will forgive it for its faults. The game goes through several twists and turns in the narrative that will keep people engaged till the end. The crafting system is pretty robust and lets players create whatever they want, whenever they want. Along with this, the suite of combat abilities and special moves that each character can whip out is another bonus that gets people even more invested in the gameplay.

16 Prince Of Qin

Action RPG Set At The End Of Qin Dynasty

Players looking for a Diablo-esque RPG with wuxia elements will have a great time playing Prince of Qin. The games haven’t been updated for modern systems, which can make them hard to appreciate in modern times. However, players who get past this hurdle will love what this game brings to the table.

The combat is refined and engaging, with players having to keep track of various metrics to attain success. Prince of Qin didn’t set the world on fire, but was an engaging game that fans of wuxia titles can certainly appreciate.

15 Warriors Orochi

Musou Game Mashing Fantasy Ancient China And Japan

Speaking of Dynasty Warriors, another musou game with wuxia elements is Warriors Orochi. This series is a crossover of both Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors, allowing players to play as iconic figures in either Chinese or Japanese history and experience fun stories where they slice and dice their way through most enemies.

As is the case with most musou games, players shouldn’t expect genre-defining gameplay from these titles. However, the novelty of being in the wuxia genre plus the power fantasies fulfilled by this title more than make up for its drawbacks.

14 Naraka: Bladepoint

Beloved Chinese-Inspired Battle Royale

Naraka: Bladepoint is a unique battle royale game with elements of the wuxia genre. Players control one of thirteen characters in a massive battle royale where only the last one standing survives, as is the norm. The sheer number of interesting encounters in the game is great, with players having to be mindful of both their strengths and weaknesses to even stand the smallest chance of getting through these encounters.

Players can use a grappling hook to move around easily in the battle arena while using the wealth of unique hero abilities they have tactically to secure victory. The game also has a mode where players can team up as trios to take down their enemies, where team members can revive a downed ally to make things somewhat easier, although it’s still pretty challenging in its own right.

13 Kingdom Of Paradise

Good Chinese RPG If You Can Find It

Kingdom of Paradise is a vastly underrated action RPG, and easily one of the most overlooked hidden gems on the PSP. The unique gameplay elements were certainly ambitious, which makes combat fun in certain instances…even if the gameplay systems don’t have much of a leg to stand on.

The game has received a remaster for modern systems, which is genuinely surprising given its middling popularity. However, there’s no denying that players who missed out on this title can finally play it with a fresh coat of paint, which is great for fans of classic games.

12 Amazing Cultivation Simulator

Rimworld For Chinese RPG Fans

Rimworld is one of the most in-depth and engaging simulation titles out there, with the procedural nature of the title coupled with its deep and interesting mechanics making it a blast for fans of the genre. Players can lose hours in this title, showing just how addictive this experience can get. Players who want to engage in such a gameplay loop with a wuxia twist should look no further than Amazing Cultivation Simulator.

This title is one of the hardest on the list, but players who are willing to put in the time and effort to understand these complex mechanics will find themselves enjoying an absolute gem of a title. There are a lot of things to keep in mind when playing Amazing Cultivation Simulator. Missing out on any of its gameplay nuances can lead to the player’s followers and disciples becoming useless if they don’t die a tragic death altogether.

11 Age Of Wushu

MMORPG Elements Still A Winner

Many MMORPGs focus on the wuxia setting, and narrowing them down to recommend just one is a tall order. However, the popularity of Age of Wushu makes it well worth a mention despite featuring the trappings of any free-to-play MMORPG.

Players select one of eight factions at the start of the game before honing their skills and joining a School to further improve their abilities. It’s a simple yet engaging MMORPG that uses its wuxia elements to create an interesting gameplay loop.

10 Dynasty Warriors

The Ur-Example Of Combat-First Gameplay

While not all Dynasty Warriors are inherently wuxia games, they share common elements across the series that make them worth a mention. These musou games are a blast to play through, even if the gameplay loop does get rather simplistic when players are mindlessly fighting waves of enemies.

Regardless, playing as a legendary figure from ancient Chinese and Japanese history is quite a novelty…especially when said figures can wipe the floor with the majority of their enemies in no time at all. Dynasty Warriors may not be the most complex game around or the best representation of what a wuxia game is all about, but it’s still a fun way for players to dip their toes into this unique subgenre.

9 The Last Soldier Of The Ming Dynasty

The Last Soldier Is A Strong Hack-And-Slash Warrior

The Last Soldier of the Ming Dynasty puts players in the shoes of the eponymous soldier. Players must survive against Japanese pirates who will block, dodge, and parry blows. Close-quarters and ranged combat styles give players range and means to launch counterattacks.

According to the developers, the game is “inspired by traditional Chinese ink and wash paintings.” Bold contrasts between line widths, character proportions, colors, and combat effects bring to mind a quicker Okami. Meanwhile, the combat, down to the parry system, is reminiscent of Sekiro.

8 Warm Snow

Hades But With Chinese Myth And Immortals

Fans of Hades may want to try Warm Snow. Players control Bi-An on an isometric map full of beasts they need to tear through to defeat the Five Great Clans who’ve cursed the land. Hades fans may want to check it out, as it’s an action RPG with similar shoot/recall, dash, relic & power-up, and ability mechanics.

Although Warm Snow is technically Xuanhuan, with its supernatural premise and enemies defying Daoist principles, its combat is martial arts-based. Bi-an’s flying swords defend him from the fallout of an evil empire, and his skills must be cultivated to triumph over their schemes.

7 The Matchless Kung Fu

Peerless Open World Combat

Although still in Early Access, The Matchless Kung Fun has already attracted a sizeable audience. Billed as an open-world sandbox game, this title has separate systems for martial arts and verbal bouts. Players can wander the world and fight vagabonds through stylish, turn-based combat. And to use the right moves, they can invest in skills through its hexagrid Meridian system.

Players can also build the map of their open-world instance, as well as individual buildings. They can sneak around, dive, and qinggong or jump off vertical surfaces to traverse their environment.

6 Hero’s Adventure: Road To Passion

Over 10 Endings In Open-World Wuxia RPG

Players are an aspiring martial arts master-in-the-making in Hero’s Adventure: Road to Passion. The open-world wuxia RPG lets players cultivate a warrior attuned to their playstyle. Characters master dozens of weapons and skills and learn from sects that can be mutually exclusive.

Player choices strongly affect which of the nine true endings and two extra endings they achieve. These choices can also close off or change player reception in Jianghu’s 80 cities and villages, where they can trigger hundreds of narrative encounters.

5 Gujian 3

Action RPG With Massive Skill Tree & AI-Controlled Teammates

Beiluo is fascinated with mortals to the point that he has lived in the mortal realm for years. Yet his fey blood ties him to the immortal Shadowchasers. He’s forced to return to their capital, Skyelk, to protect both Shadowchasers and mortals from demons invading all planes of existence.

The combat system is what ties Gujian 3 to wuxia, as its story is more related to xianxia’s immortals. Its overworld, real-time action combat urges players to master combos, enemy attack patterns, and crowd management. Since Gujian 3 isn’t open-world, combat ramps up at a steady pace.

4 Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

Action RPG With Fun Mix Of Wuxia And Xuanhuan

Fans of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the most popular fictional account of the historical Three Kingdoms, may want to give Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty a shot. Wo Long follows the player’s custom character through the fall of the Han dynasty due to conspiracies, demons, and dark magic.

Wo Long’s long campaign can be tackled solo or by up to three players in the game’s pick-up-and-play co-op mode. Parties use their custom characters from solo campaigns and scale in level according to the lowest leveled player. Players can also help strangers through their campaigns regardless of the level they’re playing.

3 Wandering Sword

Lovechild Of Octopath Traveler And Suikoden

Wandering Sword looks like the lovechild of Octopath Traveler and Suikoden. However, its story is entirely wuxia, as it follows Yuwen Yi as he cultivates his martial arts skills. Yuwen Yi can recruit party members with a high affinity for him. He and his party can grow stronger through weapons and abilities, with bonuses unlocked by meridian points.

The game is also unique for disallowing healing items in fights. Players are encouraged to think about their builds, as well as the open roaming map, to get a feel for how they can strategize for battles.

2 Jade Empire

Old Bioware Attempt At Action RPG Still Funn

Jade Empire is a classic game released by BioWare that deserves a ton of love. The fact that this game is so woefully underrated is a shame. This title has some great gameplay that will keep players occupied for quite some time. The tale of the last surviving Spirit Monk as they team up with a bunch of allies to save their mentor and defeat the heinous emperor Sun Hai makes for a great time.

This game marked one of BioWare’s first attempts at a real-time combat system, and the result is engaging. Players can carry out light, heavy, and area attacks, along with both block and dodge options to avoid any damage. With enough upgrades, players can easily decimate enemies while looking cool in the process.

1 Black Myth: Wukong

Major AAA Title For Shenmo Fans

Strictly speaking, Black Myth: Wukong is a shenmo since Journey to the West, the novel where Son Wukong hails from, is a shenmo xiaoshuo (神魔小說). Shenmo xiaoshuo are novels about gods and demons, an apt description for Wukong, wherein players meet and defeat immortal beings.

Wukong fits this list by virtue of featuring amazing traditional Chinese martial arts, masterfully mo-capped by authentic practitioners. Its combat system is often praised by reviewers and players alike for its fast, fluid, and acrobatic combos that are fun to memorize and mix.