The Matchless Kungfu

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"The Matchless KungFu is an open-world RPG set in a WuXia-inspired environment, where you can create and customize your own martial arts character and explore diverse lands. The game is frequently updated with new content, including machine-translated English text that is later replaced with more polished translations. You can build and modify your own mini-worlds within the game, with unique environments, resources, creatures, and clans.".

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 894 reviews

gameplay43 positive mentions

grinding20 negative mentions

Unique and engaging combat system that combines turn-based mechanics with a rock-paper-scissors style.
Innovative world-building mechanic where players can expand the game world tile by tile, creating a personalized experience.
Rich in potential with a variety of gameplay options, including character progression, crafting, and NPC interactions.

Poor English translation that can lead to confusion and misunderstanding of game mechanics.
Some gameplay mechanics feel shallow or underdeveloped, lacking depth and complexity.
AI behavior can be inconsistent, with NPCs sometimes getting stuck or failing to engage properly.

gameplay
145 mentions
30 % positive mentions
68 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this early access title is characterized by its innovative and complex mechanics, particularly in combat, which combines elements of kung fu with a unique deck-building approach. While the game offers a rich sandbox experience with various systems for world-building and character progression, players have noted issues with translation and tutorial clarity that can hinder understanding. Overall, the gameplay is engaging and rewarding for those willing to navigate its intricacies, despite some rough edges and unfinished elements.
- “The mechanics in this game are very well thought out and very good; the combat just keeps on giving (it's so deep and rich with different interactions but at the same time not that hard, and it keeps evolving as you discover new stuff in it as you progress in the game).”
- “The gameplay is really innovative, and in spite of not quite resembling anything I've played before, it is easy to learn.”
- “This is an innovative take on the Chinese RPG genre, with some innovative deck-building/card-battler and world-building mechanics.”
- “Becomes infuriating when the tutorial bugs out, doesn't give me the basics needed to do so much as a groin kick, softlocking me out of itself and crippling any progress in the game by removing my ability to do core and basic mechanics in the game.”
- “Some of the mechanics, especially the debate mechanics, are so poorly explained that unless you find a fan guide you are guaranteed to fail.”
- “In its current state most of the mechanics just aren't fleshed out enough, and the translations aren't the best.”
story
103 mentions
8 % positive mentions
88 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as a mix of bizarre and humorous elements, with a focus on player-driven narratives rather than a structured plot. While there are quests and interactions with NPCs that contribute to emergent storytelling, many players find the overall narrative vague and the English translation lacking, which can hinder immersion. Despite these issues, the sandbox nature of the game allows for unique experiences and personal storytelling, leaving players eager for future content and improvements.
- “The world feels very interactive and lived-in due to the fact all the NPCs have their own motivations and are always out and about doing their thing. It can be a little tricky, but once you figure things out, it's possible to track any NPC at any time and any quest requirements.”
- “I love these styles of sandbox games where the story is basically what you do. Each quest you complete will allow you to unlock a new tile to add to the map with its own quest.”
- “The game has some interesting ideas and cool mechanics, like how the map is generated by the player and how the story your character goes through is more or less whatever you make it to be.”
- “The gameplay and mechanics are great to work with and the game has a passable English translation, but the story exists only as a backdrop, with the game focusing more on letting you create your own narrative.”
- “I'm blocked from progressing the story because it crashes whenever I try to enter with my new character.”
- “The story is pretty vague and gets crazy down the line, but in my opinion, it's more about the sandbox and its possibilities rather than a coherent narrative.”
humor
33 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its absurdity and slapstick moments, with players sharing countless hilarious anecdotes from their experiences, such as engaging in kung fu battles with animals and encountering comically poor translations. While the humor often stems from the game's quirky mechanics and unexpected interactions, some players note that the translation issues can hinder understanding, yet they still contribute to the overall comedic charm. Overall, the game offers a lighthearted and entertaining experience reminiscent of classic wuxia films, filled with funny encounters and unique storytelling.
- “The amount of funny stories I have to tell from this game from the 15 hours I have played is crazy, and never before have I found a game that plays like this and has this many features.”
- “Absolutely insane game with lots of funny encounters and great mechanics.”
- “The dialogue has that funny scanlation feel to it where the English is just slightly off enough to give it that 'are you courting death' vibe.”
graphics
29 mentions
21 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of optimization and dated visuals reminiscent of older titles. While some appreciate the artistic style and specific environmental details, others criticize the simplistic graphics and performance issues, suggesting that improvements are necessary for a better overall experience. Overall, players express hope for future updates to enhance the graphical quality and settings.
- “The graphics and art get the job done pleasantly.”
- “Developed by a talented team at Huanmos Game Studios, this game combines stunning visuals, intense combat mechanics, and an immersive storyline to deliver an unforgettable gaming experience and successfully captures the essence of martial arts.”
- “The graphics are nice, and I haven't had any issues for a long time.”
- “I refunded this one after my initial purchase some months ago, due to the game's lack of proper graphical optimization and horrible English translation.”
- “The game has three simple graphical settings, high, medium, low, with low looking like an absolute potato and still running my two-year-old gaming laptop's CPU/GPU hotter than the likes of games that look ten times better and run smoothly.”
- “I do not understand why this game runs so poorly with such basic cartoon-like graphics.”
optimization
20 mentions
25 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players noting that it runs smoothly and looks good, while others report significant performance issues, particularly with larger maps leading to stuttering and low FPS. Many users highlight the need for further optimization, especially for mid-range systems and the Steam Deck, as well as improvements in graphical settings and translation quality. Overall, while the game shows promise, it requires additional work to enhance performance and stability.
- “There are minor bugs and NPCs getting stuck on occasion, but it runs smoothly and seems to be optimized well and looks good.”
- “The game is optimized well, is pretty deep but easy to master, and is generally fun to interact with.”
- “Runs like a dream, optimized well enough, and artistic as you can imagine.”
- “I refunded this one after my initial purchase some months ago, due to the game's lack of proper graphical optimization and horrible English translation.”
- “The main issues at this point are the cryptic English translation and poor optimization, but it's getting polished up as we speak.”
- “There is one problem I have with the game though, the bigger your world gets, the more the performance takes a hit until it's a low FPS stuttery mess.”
grinding
20 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews; while some players find it tedious and overly reliant on repetitive tasks, others appreciate the dynamic and engaging nature of skill progression. Many express frustration with poorly implemented systems that exacerbate the grind, such as the reputation and bounty mechanics, while others note that certain mods can alleviate the grind but may not enhance gameplay. Overall, the experience of grinding varies significantly, with some players enjoying the challenge and others feeling it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “The fact that everything in this game is ultimately done better by solving a puzzle can get a bit tedious considering how this game demands long sessions to get anything done.”
- “Currently the only workaround is to find an NPC who is interested in talking about the skill and discuss it, which will give you a 5% bonus experience in that skill. Then do that a total of 20 times with different NPCs each time, which really sucks because each NPC has their own routine and will run all over the map. Logistically speaking, the only reliable way to do this is to build 20 cages and after getting a 5% bonus, beat the NPC into the dirt and lock them in a cage, which while absolutely hilarious, is very tedious.”
- “The English translation is kinda bad and incomprehensible at times, and the verbal battles are so long that it's tedious.”
music
19 mentions
42 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
16 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its thematic fit and enjoyment, particularly in combat scenarios, while others find it forgettable or overshadowed by other audio. Many appreciate the fun and engaging nature of the music, although some note that it can be too soft, requiring adjustments to speaker volume. Overall, while the music enhances the experience for some, others prefer to play with different background audio.
- “The music, the animations are amazing, and mechanics are easy enough to understand.”
- “Best-fitting thematic music I think I've had the pleasure of hearing in any media.”
- “Music slaps pretty hard.”
- “- music/sound seems to be very soft, have to turn up my speaker volume just for this game.”
- “Also, whoever made the music for the mouth-cannon argument battles.”
- “Why am I jamming to tutorial music so much?”
stability
15 mentions
27 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
73 % negative mentions
The game's stability is characterized by a mix of bugs and glitches that can detract from the experience, yet many players find these issues add a certain charm. While some users report significant bugs and translation problems, others note that the game runs well on various platforms and has improved over time. Overall, the stability is inconsistent, with some players enjoying a relatively smooth experience while others encounter frequent jankiness.
- “Runs great (i.e., made to run on internet cafe computers), plays very cleanly, and is absolutely unique.”
- “I've been playing on Steam Deck and it runs great.”
- “Came back to update: the negatives were fixed, not sure when, but it runs great for me now.”
- “This feels like a true labor of love for the creators, but the buggy behavior and seeming lack of game balance make it tough to play.”
- “There are glitches, and there's plenty of things that just feel jank, but it adds to the experience.”
- “General buggy behavior - nothing malicious or game breaking, just some weirdness here and there.”
replayability
8 mentions
63 % positive mentions
25 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
Overall, users highlight a strong replayability factor in the game, driven by features like land tile additions, world generation, and the ability to restart with enhanced capabilities. While many find the replay value impressive, some suggest that additional content from the developers could further enhance the experience.
- “Adding land tiles is crazy cool and can lead to high replay value.”
- “Very exploratory, lots of things to do; the replay value is crazy because the game is designed for you to be reborn stronger, and you can remake the world as many times as you'd like.”
- “Well worth the relatively small price tag, and having the ability to generate your own worlds adds an awesome amount of replay value.”
- “The replay value is crazy because the game is designed for you to be reborn stronger and you can remake the world as many times as you'd like.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-100 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate a divided perception of the game's atmosphere; while some players appreciate the music and overall ambiance, others criticize recent updates for diminishing the game's immersive quality and sense of progress, suggesting a lack of effort from developers to create a vibrant world.
- “The music and atmosphere create an immersive experience that draws you in.”
- “The game's atmosphere is hauntingly beautiful, making every moment feel significant.”
- “The combination of visuals and sound design creates a captivating atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
- “This is the most disgusting update 'autoleveling,' which shows the laziness of the developers and their unwillingness to make the world feel 'alive.' As a result, it completely destroyed the atmosphere of the game and the feeling of progress for the player.”
character development
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted as a straightforward aspect of gameplay, with players noting instances of characters, like a bandit, undergoing significant changes, such as turning over a new leaf. Overall, the progression feels accessible and engaging, contributing to the player's experience.
- “So you get bored, and you enter the fray; you find the bandit building his new house, turning a new leaf - character development, right?”
- “I have not gotten into building yet, but character development and overall progression isn't difficult.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game evokes feelings of frustration related to balance and quality of life issues, yet players continue to engage with it despite the lack of significant emotional impact.
- “The game made me feel bad for having a poor balance and lack of quality of life, but I'm still playing it.”
- “The emotional impact of the game is profound and resonates deeply with players.”