Black Myth: Wukong is a striking example of how a dark horse studio from a country whose game dev endeavors anything is barely known apart from Genshin Impact can make a splash, overturning the entire industry. Together with Revenuelab, we have reviewed the surprise hit title.
The Myth, The Legend
We’ve seen mythology encased inside the computer graphics quite a few times. Well, at least the Assassin’s Creed series has been prolific at enlivening the stories of old: from the Spring-heeled Jack terrorizing London in AC: Syndicate to MEdusa in AC: Odyssey, whose diabolical shrieks aren’t any less deadly than her glowing eyes.
Wukong is a different type of mackerel, however. It’s set in the mythological ambiance of the Tang dynasty era, focusing on the trickster-type character Sun Wukong — a sapient and resourceful macaque who earned the Monkey King title after jumping over a waterfall. Previously, seminal Chinese (or any other) novels barely have been lucky enough to become a blockbuster game — imagine RDR starring Huckleberry Finn as a lead character.
But the relation to a millennium-old myth nicely complements the gameplay here. Wukong, as an ape of mystery, is endowed with extremely mystical superpowers that let him fly through the air like a giant shaggy kestrel, shapeshift into numerous objects, and even copypaste himself like Dota’s Phantom Lancer.
Given the fantasy-satiated setting, Sun Wukong becomes a shining gem that perfectly fits the story and organically interacts with the rest of the gaming elements. And his voice acting, obviously borrowed from the Wukong’s adventures televised in the 80s, adds a nostalgic vibe.
The Visual Feast And Enormous Beasts
What makes the game grab your attention is the optical element. It’s hard to believe that Game Science — authors behind the epic — are humbly labeled “indie”.
The game’s world is gorgeous in each and every aspect. The beautifully crafted universe — filled with demonic Gonggong, Chiyou, Yaoguai, and others — actually takes your imagination to a place where early medieval China collides with the monsters and chimeras of the unknown.
Wukong travels on foot through the picturesque biomes: autumn-colored valleys, desserts that invoke thirst with their scorching barrenness, frozen lakes, and wintery forests where giant toads are dormant… Occasionally, he stumbles upon the chunks of a dimension where divine creatures dwell. (With whom Wukong has some sort of biff, according to the story.)
The game manages to make you drop your jaw from the very first scene, during which the Monkey King arrives at the heavenly kingdom to meet the Ancient Gods and tell them what he thinks of their policy against his monkey kind. The eerie, planet-sized deities are constructed in such a manner that, for a moment, you get a feel that the entire firmament is about to collapse on your skull. Quite painfully.
Gameplay: Wukong Clan And All The Superpowers
It’s safe to say that Black Myth follows the Dark Souls tradition in giving a tough challenge that is, at the same bloody time, beatable. And you can feel it! Thanks to how flexibly Wukong can combine and unleash his paranormal kung-fu powers, you can crack the code to every boss and ultra-tough NPC.
Sadly, this isn’t an open-world game per se. However, Wukong allows you to unlock and explore secret parts attached to every map once you make a few necessary acquaintances. But for that, you need to achieve certain goals first.
The skill system is also nicely architected. To collect experience points — dubbed Sparks in the game — you need to interact with meditation spots or simply keep leveling up. There are three components to upgrade:
- Stamina.
- Martial Arts.
- Survival.
They belong to the Foundation Tree — an obvious reference to Confucius — where you can unlock special abilities that help you dodge bone-crushing attacks, use the Mobile Spin that renders the enemy’s projectile attacks futile, and so on.
There are also Staff Stance, Transformation, and Magic talents that will make you a champion at disassembling your opponents. Among them are the Immobilization spell to freeze the demonic hooligans, Rock Solid for staggering the enemy in a tactical manner, duplicate summoning, and many others. At some point — when the battle with the four Heavenly Kings comes — Wukong can turn into a giant himself, which might be a polite nod to the Attack on Titan of sorts.
The Saga Continues
Black Myth: Wukong is a surprise masterpiece that shows how much potential there is hidden in other countries’ gamedev talents. It’s a beautiful journey into the story of trickery, humor, pluck, and mysticism. And even Eastern philosophy — there are various Buddhist easter eggs in the narrative. And connoisseurs of mythology will surely appreciate a Gilgamesh reference in the Monkey King’s line when he bitterly muses about how fruitless the quest for immortality is.
The game mechanics are nice, but it is also a strong cocktail of Dark Souls brutishly mixed with the elements of the God of War. Each boss battle feels like a dessert that you have to earn by eating tons of vegetables in the face of ghoulish NPCs who patiently wait to flay the heroic macaque as he roams through their spawning points.
Overall, the game serves 40 hours of pure gameplay that, if you’re willing to get used to numerous retries, becomes an irresistible joy. Especially thanks to the cleverly architected in-game world and zany characters that can both intimidate or bring a chuckle.
Wukong is the hit game of the season that has a chance to outlive the fad and become a legendary title. It also can pave the way for more games that are centered around local cultures and produced independently.
