Swords of Legends (Gujian 4) Preview: Soulslike Action-RPG in Chinese Myth

Swords of Legends, the fourth mainline entry in the long running Gujian series, looks set to blend a soulful, punishing combat loop with a sweeping tale rooted in Chinese mythology. Expect a premium single player action RPG with weighty boss duels, a wide linear structure that encourages exploration without sprawling into true open world chaos, and a striking twist on combat: harvesting spirits from defeated foes and turning them into tools of vengeance. If you love stylish swordplay, folklore infused worlds, and that delicious tension of learning a boss’s tells, keep this one on your radar.

What is Swords of Legends Swords of Legends positions you as a stern but sympathetic guide of the dead, an enforcer caught between the living and the underworld. Rather than a conventional chosen one tale, it leans into ritual and duty: ushering wayward souls onward, even when they bite and claw against the inevitable. It’s a setup that naturally lends itself to morally gray encounters and haunting vistas, from misty spirit roads to palaces built atop the backs of forgotten beasts.

That premise anchors a game that wants to be approachable without losing edge. The developers describe a campaign stitched together from densely authored zones, connective routes, and optional side paths. It’s not a checklist map maker, nor a corridor crawl; think of it as a pilgrimage where every detour has a story, a miniboss, or a crafting ingredient worth grabbing if you’re feeling brave.

Combat: steel, timing, and stolen spirits The heart of the pitch is its combat. At a glance, it carries the expected pillars: measured stamina economy, reactive dodges, risk reward parries, and a focus on learning patterns rather than button mashing. But it spices the formula with spiritcraft. When you slay a creature, you can capture a fragment of what made it dangerous and bind that essence to your own style.

In practice, that might mean slotting a wraith’s leaping thrust to close gaps, borrowing a spectral turtle’s bulwark for a clutch guard, or unleashing a chained specter as a temporary ally. These aren’t mere cooldowns; they look like skills that integrate into your move list. The promise is a build system where your combo routes and defensive options evolve based on the souls you decide to keep.

On the ground, expect deliberate animations and clear telegraphs that punish greed. Dodges will be about i frames, not escape buttons. Parries will open posture windows rather than instant kill counters. Crowd control seems limited, nudging players toward arena awareness and target prioritization. And then there are the companions: mythical allies that can extend combos, act as platforms mid fight, or enable team maneuvers that feel ripped from a wuxia daydream. A well timed springboard off a spear or horn can shift you from defense to aerial offense in a heartbeat, and those moments are clearly designed to be the showstoppers.

Bosses built to be learned Boss battles sit at the center of the experience. From hulking guardians to quickstep duelists, these encounters are about endurance and mastery. Expect multi phase fights with add waves or arena mutations, forcing you to adapt rather than brute force. That said, readability looks like a priority. Movesets escalate in complexity, but animations broadcast intent: sweeping cloak means wide arc, lingering glow suggests delayed strike, and so on. It’s the kind of design where each defeat teaches a tiny lesson that stacks into a satisfying victory.

Structure and exploration Wide linear is the phrase of the day. Zones appear layered and knotty, threading story critical routes with optional spurs that hide minibosses, shortcuts, or puzzle altars. Environmental traversal plays a supporting role: wall runs across lacquered temple beams, grapple assists onto protruding roots, wind currents to cross chasms. You’re not scaling mountains just to place flags on towers; you’re navigating handcrafted arenas that feed directly into the combat loop.

Side quests sound more like folklore vignettes than fetch errands. Instead of “collect ten somethings,” think rituals that reveal new spirits, duels that unlock techniques, or small tragedies that introduce a miniboss with a twist you can then bottle up as a spirit skill. It’s the sort of side content that enriches movesets rather than bloating inventories.

Progression and builds Rather than a sprawling forest of +1 percent nodes, progression looks guided and expressive. You’ll likely have core weapon upgrades with branching perks, plus a spirit board for socketing those captured abilities. The dream build archetypes write themselves:

• The stance dancer who parries to cash out posture breaks and slams heavy finishers.
• The mid range controller whose spirits set traps and delayed blasts to dictate tempo.
• The aerial aggressor chaining jumps from companion platforms and soul empowered launches.

If the tuning lands, each archetype should feel viable without a perfect gear dependency, and swapping spirits should make a noticeable difference in how you approach a boss.

Presentation: myth, teeth, and wonder This is a world drenched in mythic texture. Expect lacquered reds, weathered jade, and moonlit blues. Expect creatures that look familiar but wrong in the best way: cranes with lacquer masks, tigers woven from incense smoke, houses whose doorways grin a little too wide. The art direction leans elegant and eerie rather than gritty. The soundtrack will likely mix traditional instrumentation with percussive battle cues, while voice delivery holds that ceremonial cadence you’d expect from a story about rites and taboos.

Quality of life wish list Soulslike adjacent games thrive or wither by their quality of life. Here’s what we hope to see:

• Generous, sensible checkpoints that respect your time without trivializing tension.
• Strong input responsiveness on both controller and keyboard, with thorough remapping.
• Clear onboarding that teaches core timing without over explaining.
• Performance options and upscalers for smooth play on a range of rigs.
• Accessibility toggles for camera shake, quick time prompts, and color cues.

If those boxes get checked, the learning wall becomes a slope more players will happily climb.

Why it stands out The field is crowded with stylish action fantasies, but Swords of Legends has a sharp hook: spiritcraft. Folding enemy abilities into your kit does more than hand you power; it turns every encounter into a shopping trip for ideas. See an attack you hate? Beat it, bottle it, and make it yours. Couple that with cinematic team ups from your companions and a world built on ritual rather than conquest, and you have a personality all its own.

The road ahead There isn’t a release date pinned down at the time of writing, but the foundation looks strong: a focused single player adventure, layered combat built around timing and adaptability, and a mythic setting begging for secrets. If you’ve been craving a measured, boss forward action RPG that lets you weaponize the enemies you overcome, keep watching this one.

Hype check: cautiously high. If the spirit system sings and the boss design holds up across the campaign, Swords of Legends could be the next great pilgrimage for players who love learning through steel, failure, and the sweet echo of a final, perfect parry.