REVIEW – We’ve been seeing an increasing number of mobile game developers making their way into the AAA market recently. For example, this year, the Korean studio Shift Up amazed us with Stellar Blade, a team that gained fame with the provocative Goddess of Victory: Nikke. Now, Game Science, a Chinese developer known for Art of War: Red Tides nearly a decade ago, is stepping into the limelight with a single-player, story-driven title.

And what an entry it is! Black Myth: Wukong has the potential to be one of the standout titles of the year. It blends elements from Dark Souls and Sekiro to create a rich and distinct world filled with adventure and mystery. By leveraging Unreal Engine 5, Game Science has created a visually spectacular experience, but the question remains—does the gameplay have the depth needed to keep players engaged?

Breathing Life into Legends

Set in a mythical version of China, Black Myth: Wukong draws inspiration from the classic tale Journey to the West. Rather than focusing directly on Wukong or his legendary escapades, the game places you in the role of his successor. You assume the role of a young, voiceless monkey, years after the fall of the god. Essentially, you’re retracing Wukong’s steps on a long and treacherous journey to reclaim his relics and restore the realms to their former glory—more or less. The world lies in ruins: leaders have lost their minds, and power struggles are rife. Assisting these troubled regions isn’t your primary goal, but as you follow Wukong’s path, you’ll inevitably find yourself setting things right.

The narrative is one of the game’s most captivating elements, with encounters featuring characters familiar from mythology. However, the storytelling isn’t always on point. While the visuals and presentation later become truly mesmerizing, most chapters begin with a sense of confusion. Our little monkey hero arrives in new lands through unexplained means. Whether it’s hiding in a chest, waking up with a body full of arrows, or teleporting via an ancient warrior statue, the narrative often feels disjointed, as if parts of the story are missing.

That being said, the events in each chapter, though still somewhat unclear, are cinematic and will keep you hooked. They possess a God of War-like epicness, with certain cinematic moments leaving you in awe. Witnessing these Chinese legends come to life is a visual treat, so if you’re a fan of ancient Chinese aesthetics—from temples to mythological creatures—this experience is one-of-a-kind.

Button-Bashing Monkey Style

The combat in Black Myth: Wukong is arguably its weakest aspect, but that doesn’t diminish the overall experience, considering how well-crafted the game is. Playing as a young Sun Wukong, your sole weapon is a staff. This staff can be upgraded into various types, such as those focusing on critical hits or defense, but it remains a single weapon with limited variety in its use.

While the game incorporates some Souls-like elements, it’s closer in nature to a traditional action game. You won’t be managing attributes; instead, you’ll earn skill points to enhance specific abilities within the protagonist’s skillset. These include mystical arts, martial arts, and transformations, to name a few. Combat becomes particularly engaging when, despite primarily using light attacks to fill your Focus meter for a powerful heavy strike, you mix in unique abilities that add excitement to the battles.

The key to success in combat lies in choosing the right loadout for each encounter. Most of the time, you’ll favor specific skills in the open world, but there are bosses where understanding their strengths and weaknesses is crucial. For instance, one of your strongest abilities allows you to freeze enemies for a few seconds, giving you a window to unleash uninterrupted attacks. However, as you progress through the campaign, you’ll encounter bosses who are immune to this technique, or worse, can turn it to their advantage. You also have an ability that lets you create clones of yourself for a brief period, but be careful—some bosses will use them against you. These tactical elements ensure that each battle feels unique.

Does It Follow in Soulslike Footsteps?

While Black Myth: Wukong might be likened to Soulslike games, it’s much more accessible than you might expect. Only a few bosses posed any significant challenge, requiring five or more attempts, while most fights could be managed within one or two tries. Enemies do become tougher as the campaign progresses, and there are the usual traps that send you plunging to your doom, but generally, the game rarely throws more than one or two enemies at you simultaneously. The difficulty level is well-balanced; learning attack patterns is enjoyable, and it never feels like you’re being unfairly punished. While you can die in just a few hits, recovery is usually straightforward.

Black Myth: Wukong isn’t an open-world game like Dark Souls or Elden Ring. Instead, it’s divided into chapters. Each chapter has its own theme and enemy types, whether it’s eerie villages filled with bug-people or battles against rat warriors in the scorching desert. This keeps the combat and environments fresh, as just when you might start getting tired of one area and its inhabitants, the game introduces a completely new and original setting. The locations themselves are expansive. While you can follow the main storyline, numerous side paths await, offering side quests, new abilities, and optional bosses.

One of the standout aspects of Black Myth: Wukong is that it doesn’t hold your hand. There’s no quest journal guiding you to your next objective or detailing what you’ve collected. Every item you find and every NPC you interact with must be explored on your own to understand their significance. Most of the time, NPCs provide hints about where to go, but since these locations are vast, it’s easy to lose track, especially when you might have to traverse the entire map before progressing to the next stage of a quest. You’ll stumble across countless secrets in the world, and without a guided journal, the sense of mystery and discovery is all the more rewarding.

A Visual Spectacle—They Didn’t Monkey Around

Black Myth: Wukong is visually breathtaking. Game Science utilized Unreal Engine 5 to its fullest, and it shows—nothing compares to what they’ve created. From volumetric clouds that react to every swing of your staff to atmospheric lighting effects, this Chinese studio has developed one of the most beautiful games ever made. However, there are still some flaws inherent to Unreal Engine and non-linear games. For instance, certain rock geometries and textures may appear low-quality. If you’re admiring the high-quality environment only to turn the camera and see a low-resolution rock, it can break the immersion. This issue is less prominent than in something like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, but it’s still present.

The cutscenes between chapters are some of the most innovative we’ve ever seen in a video game. They function as short stories, presented in an anthology format, not necessarily connected to each other, and each is animated in a different style. These range from beautifully animated pieces inspired by ancient Chinese art to stop-motion reminiscent of the 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. We eagerly anticipated reaching the end of each chapter just to see these short films. Their connection to the story can be directly related to an antagonist you’ve faced or to side quests that offer a darker or more thought-provoking narrative.

Monkeying Around at the Pinnacle

Black Myth: Wukong has surpassed all expectations. The potential was apparent from the initial reveal, but what Game Science ultimately delivered is nothing short of extraordinary. This game is a visual marvel, breathing life into ancient China and its mythology in ways never seen before. While the story can be unclear at times, the creative presentation is so captivating that it more than compensates for any flaws. The world and quest design are top-notch, with every area brimming with exploration opportunities, keeping the campaign consistently engaging. Although the combat system can become repetitive, the boss battles are thrilling and require careful strategy. Black Myth: Wukong is a truly unique, immersive, and imaginative game that anyone interested in Chinese mythology or stunning visuals should not miss.

-Gergely Herpai “BadSector”-

Publisher: Game Science

Developer: Game Science

Style: Action RPG

Release: August 20, 2024.