Black Myth: Wukong Review – A Spectacular Action Game with Unrealized Potential

Contents:

• Journey to the West
• The combat system is the best thing about Wukong
• A rich, but not very interesting world
• Rare difficult bosses are a reason to finish the game

In recent years, the gaming industry has witnessed the emergence of numerous mystery games developed by new studios, which sometimes surprise with their trailers and high-quality graphics. Despite some doubts, not all of these projects turn out to be disappointments, such as The Day Before. One striking example is Atomic Heart, the existence of which was widely questioned before its release. The result turned out to be a decent shooter, although not the most outstanding in its genre. Lies of P, in turn, has gained recognition as one of the best representatives of the soulslike genre, successfully competing with games from the studio FromSoftware.

Black Myth: Wukong, developed by the Chinese studio Game Science, immediately attracted attention and turned out to be among the successful surprise games. In just three days, the game sold a near-record 10 million copies, and its Steam page was filled with positive reviews. However, this phenomenal success is largely due to China's interest in its own culture, not just the quality of the gameplay. However, this does not detract from the merits of the game itself. Black Myth: Wukong offers engaging action and an original approach to mythology, making it appealing to a wide audience.

Journey to the West

Black Myth is an ambitious project based on Chinese mythology. The main character is the Monkey King, Sun Wukong, who confronts the deities of Heavenly Court. These gods threaten to destroy his homeland unless he joins their ranks. After a thrilling initial battle, Sun Wukong is sealed in stone, but he manages to divide his essence into six artifacts, which he distributes across the six provinces of China. The game's main events unfold many years later, when the Chosen One is tasked with finding the artifacts to resurrect Wukong. The game promises spectacular battles and a deep mythology, attracting the attention of both fans of the genre and new players.

Black Myth's exposition is visually impressive, but it may be challenging for players unfamiliar with the novel "Journey to the West," which forms the basis for the story. Figures such as Sun Wukong and questions about his role in Heaven and the destruction of Monkey Mountain are left unexplained. The writers assume players already have the necessary knowledge and build the narrative around that assumption. This can make the story difficult for new audiences to grasp, highlighting the need for a more accessible introduction to the game's world.

The problem with the plot isn't just that the light exposition fails to engage players unfamiliar with the source material. The story's subsequent developments are also far from engaging. Over the course of six lengthy chapters, with a total playtime of 40-60 hours, the silent Chosen One embarks on a quest to find artifacts scattered across China. These artifacts are mere MacGuffins, to which neither the player nor the protagonist feels an emotional attachment. However, the problem goes beyond this.

In a road movie, key items serve as catalysts for launching a larger adventure, and the narrative vacuum is filled by captivating events and local stories that emerge spontaneously along the way. However, Black Myth, unlike Journey to the West, does not offer a rich variety of interesting interludes. This can reduce viewer engagement, as the lack of rich context and exciting adventures makes the story less compelling.

An original novel is a unique work that stands out among other literary works due to its inimitable theme, style, and plot depth. Unlike adaptations or reworkings, an original novel offers the reader a fresh perspective on familiar themes, allowing them to immerse themselves in the author's world of ideas and emotions. Reading an original novel not only offers a captivating narrative but also opens up new horizons in literary art. Every page of such a work is imbued with meaning and creates a unique atmosphere that lingers in the reader's memory. Original novels often become the basis for further research and discussion, as they raise important questions and provoke reflection on life, society, and human relationships.

Black Myth can be considered a sequel to the classic work "Journey to the West." The game's plot actively references this famous novel, which tells the story of a group of characters who travel from China to India in search of sacred Buddhist texts—the sutras. These heroes include such iconic figures as the Monkey King, the pig-man Zhu Bajie, the white dragon, and the monk Xuanzang, who initiated this great journey. During their gripping adventure, the characters encounter powerful opponents and overcome various challenges using their strength and wits. You can learn more about the connection between the novel and the game in our separate article.

In the game, the main character is primarily engaged in clearing diverse, but virtually lifeless locations of enemies. The hero lacks character and voice, making their motivation unclear. The overall plot goal is not highlighted or emphasized by significant events. There is also no large-scale threat, similar to Ragnarok from God of War, that could motivate the release of the powerful Monkey King. As a result, following the main story arc becomes uninteresting, as there are no significant reasons for engagement.

The writers did not leave the game without a plot, despite the emphasis on gameplay. Black Myth features numerous short stories, each a standalone narrative about characters, mostly villains. These characters succumb to sin and have a negative impact on the world around them. This is why the game's locations appear withered and lifeless. This approach creates a deep atmosphere, allowing players to immerse themselves in a dark and captivating story, where each chapter reveals new facets of decline and morality.

The story structure proposed by the writers looks promising. It offers the opportunity to explore new stories beyond the original novel, allowing players unfamiliar with the source material to immerse themselves in the gameplay without feeling disconnected. However, in practice, this idea faces problems associated with a lack of clarity and consistency in the narrative. This can lead to confusion and a decrease in player interest.

The novellas in this work develop slowly and fragmentedly. The protagonist, the Chosen One, often receives new information from companions, who appear on stage approximately twice an hour and act as living sources of information. For example, in the second chapter, after defeating several opponents, the hero encounters a headless singer who tells of the enemies the Chosen One fought. These disparate details create a vague image of the events that took place, making it difficult to fully understand and deeply perceive the stories. Thus, the reader faces the difficulty in forming a holistic understanding of the plot and its development.

To get a better understanding of what happened in each chapter, pay attention to the short animated videos that play before the next episode. These animations help clarify the plot and sometimes reveal new aspects, forcing you to look at the chapter from a different perspective.

The player spends countless hours exploring an exotic location, yet only vaguely understands the reasons for the destruction of the surrounding world. The context of events is revealed only as the game progresses, which can be confusing. Had the developers presented an introductory cutscene at the beginning of the chapter, it could have significantly increased the gameplay's interest and deepened the understanding of the storyline. Visual information at the beginning of the game can create a more complete picture of the world the player is immersed in and increase engagement with the story.

The plot loses its relevance due to its fragmentation and inconsistency. The story lacks momentum, as the novellas describe events that have already occurred, unfolding slowly and sluggishly. The antagonists feel unconvincing and faceless until the very end of the chapter. The writers missed the opportunity to create a compelling metaphorical story about a hero who, by observing the flaws of other characters, gradually acquires virtue and realizes the terrible consequences of immorality.

In the second chapter, the hero explores a sandy mountain desert filled with anthropomorphic rats. In the short dialogue of companions and opponents, only a few facts can be discerned: the rats once inhabited this region, and some of them were formerly human. These creatures are responsible for the desolation of the canyon. However, the reason for their appearance and destruction remains a mystery. If the player had more detailed information about the setting, the richly detailed world would be perceived as an important part of the plot, and not just as an impressive set piece. In its current form, the environment and fragmentary phrases of companions are not able to create a full picture of what is happening.

The game's plot is perceived as an excuse to change locations, which, however, does not diminish its significance. Each new location impresses with its visual diversity. The player will find themselves in dense forests, sandy gorges, snow-capped mountains, and dark caves. These unique locations not only enrich the gameplay but also significantly impact the atmosphere, creating different moods and emotions.

С Enemies also change as the game environment changes, which positively impacts gameplay. New enemies require strategic adaptation and increase player engagement. This dynamic creates unique gameplay situations that make the game more engaging and varied.

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Black Myth is one of the most visually stunning games available today. However, if you plan to play on PC, be aware that the game is resource-intensive and has optimization issues. Starting with Chapter 4, Black Myth may experience regular stuttering, and the frame rate may unexpectedly drop to low values, regardless of scene complexity. To achieve a stable and responsive image, many users will need to enable DLSS or FSR technologies. Be careful: the game contains many details, such as fur and grass, which can negatively affect image quality when using upscalers. As a result, there is a risk of blurry images. It is recommended to lower graphics settings and play in native resolution for the best visual experience.

The combat system is the best thing about Wukong

Before its release, Black Myth was often compared to Soulslikes due to its emphasis on dodging, numerous bosses, and enemy respawns after resting. At first glance, it does resemble FromSoftware projects. However, the developers confidently rejected these comparisons, and as it turned out, they were right. Unlike Dark Souls, where the player controls a frail hero overcoming powerful opponents with courage, in Black Myth the character displays agility, cunning, and strength. This creates a completely different gaming experience, introducing elements to the genre that make the game unique and exciting.

Individual mobs pose little threat: the hero is able to effectively manage the distance to the enemy, and the windows for dodging are ample. The character strikes quickly, but there is one important caveat: basic attacks inflict minimal damage. To quickly dispatch enemies, it is necessary to use enhanced moves, which require the expenditure of Focus points. The Chosen One earns these points for successful attacks or perfect dodges. Using strategies and combining attacks can significantly increase the effectiveness of battles and improve the overall gameplay.

Black Myth encourages players to take the initiative in battles. In this game, counterattacks can even be performed mid-combo: if you activate a powered-up attack just before an enemy strike, the damage from that attack is completely ignored, and the character delivers an even more powerful blow. The more often you attack, the greater the chance to use special moves. This mechanic is simple yet captivating: the hero constantly attacks the enemy, building up the potential for significant damage later, while occasionally dodging the enemy's attacks. This approach makes the gameplay dynamic and exciting, allowing players to find their own strategies in the fight.

During intense battles, the game showcases exciting gameplay. Characters actively exchange blows, and the Chosen One deftly avoids attacks to deliver a powerful counterattack.

In the future, magical abilities will be added to the game that will emphasize the aggressive style of Black Myth. The character will be able to paralyze opponents, summon copies of themselves, and even transform into a powerful creature with a unique moveset and a separate health bar. These abilities are aimed at inflicting significant damage: a paralyzed enemy becomes defenseless, and the transformation effectively changes the hero into a different character. If the hero dies in this state, they will return to the Chosen One form with the same health as before. To use these abilities, you will need mana, which will be enough for several spells from the very beginning.

Initially, combat in Black Myth is enjoyable thanks to a rich combat system that feels fresh and offers outstanding visual feedback. However, as the game progresses, it becomes apparent that the gameplay design hasn't kept pace with the player's growing skill and the protagonist's development. The character gains increasing power and abilities, inflicting significant damage on enemies. While combat scenarios remain static, the developers haven't implemented effective counterbalances for opponents, resulting in a lack of challenge and a less strategic approach. This creates an imbalance in the gameplay, which reduces the overall interest in battles and may disappoint players looking for deeper, more thoughtful gameplay.

Towards the middle of Black Myth, the game resembles a "free damage simulator." When you encounter another boss and die (which doesn't happen very often, as most enemies are defeated on the first try), instead of analyzing your mistakes, you're tempted to optimize safe moves. For example, you should start by attacking a stunned enemy, immediately use the acquired focus to launch a powerful attack, and save your transformation for the second phase of the fight. This approach allows you to more effectively handle difficult situations and increases your chances of victory.

Defeating bosses can be challenging, but many players are able to overcome these difficulties. Successfully overcoming the challenges presented by bosses requires strategy and patience. With the right approach, it's possible to overcome a significant number of enemies, making the game more engaging and exciting.

One could argue that not all video games need to be as difficult as Sekiro, and that bosses don't have to force the player back to checkpoints as often as Malenia does in Elden Ring. The developers of Black Myth have indeed stated that their game isn't a typical Soulslike. However, the main problem with the gameplay isn't its simplicity, but rather that it creates an overly relaxed and almost chaotic feel. The player isn't challenged to learn the bosses' attacks, leading to the fact that even with regular mistakes, they still emerge victorious from the battle. This is disappointing, especially considering the bosses' movesets are very interesting. They are balanced, but sometimes unpredictable, with a varied rhythm and lengthy preparatory animations.

No amount of attack will help the enemy if it can be easily countered with a magic skill. One such spell allows the player to become invisible and leave a copy of the character in place. During this time, the enemy will fight this copy, while the player can retreat to a safe distance. This technique allows the player to practically dodge any attacks that the player hasn't fully mastered with impunity. Using such strategies significantly increases the chances of survival and successful completion of the game's levels.

Once this is realized, the approach to combat becomes irresponsible, which leads to monotony. Sometimes comical situations arise when the boss is introduced in an epic and lengthy cutscene, but the battle itself lasts only a couple of minutes and passes without much effort. The problem isn't that the boss dies on the first try, but that players get complacent, lose focus, and aren't as engaged.

The developers faced a serious design problem related to the fact that safe damage in the game does not require specific player skills. A character starts with sufficient mana, allowing them to use magic throughout combat without the need for significant leveling. Therefore, a simple solution consisting of increasing enemy damage or health will not be effective. Perhaps the developers should consider abandoning the traditional concept of mana and introducing a system in which magic is a resource that the player must earn through good actions in the game: perfect dodges, consistent attacks, or successful parries. This approach will not only increase player engagement but also add an element of strategy to the gameplay.

Combat issues arise not only during boss battles but also in regular encounters with enemies. Typically, the hero is attacked by weak enemies that simply need to be destroyed. This is a situation in which the developers should take into account the experience of the FromSoftware developers. In their games, even mundane combat scenarios are often imbued with meaning. For example, a character might be trapped in a narrow corridor, making even simple mobs more dangerous. In such conditions, the player must act more thoughtfully and think through strategies in advance, which turns each fight into an exciting challenge.

Black Myth doesn't offer similar features, and this is a significant drawback, given the game's enormous potential for developing unique combat mechanics that could utilize a diverse arsenal of techniques. For example, the player may face multiple opponents simultaneously, forcing them to create copies of the hero to distract some of the enemies. It's also possible to create a scenario in which a ranged enemy is at a great distance from the main forces. In this situation, the player would have to use invisibility to preemptively neutralize this threat. Such elements can significantly increase the level of interaction and strategy in the gameplay, making it more engaging and dynamic.

The developers demonstrated their ingenuity by placing the archer in a hard-to-reach area. This solution requires players to use freezing abilities in advance to cope with this combat challenge. This approach adds a strategic element to the gameplay, forcing players to think through their actions and use resources more efficiently.

A Rich, but Not Very Interesting World

Black Myth features vast, multi-layered locations filled with numerous secondary paths and hidden areas. The gameplay actively encourages exploration through a progression system. In Black Myth, various elements are upgraded: the main character, weapons, equipment, special skills, and individual stats. Even a health-restoring item like a bottle consists of three components—a bottle, a drink, and a supplement—each of which can be individually upgraded. This creates a unique experience for players and deepens interaction with the game world.

To improve this vast assortment, unique resources are needed, scattered throughout remote corners of large locations. At the beginning of the journey, when the hero has limited abilities and is not omnipotent, exploring these resources is an exciting activity. However, over time, interest fades as the value of upgrades diminishes. There are too many upgrades, and most of them are limited to minor bonuses, such as a 5% damage increase or a slight boost to focus gain. Progress from level to level becomes inconsequential, and collecting rare resources feels like a trivial event. This leads to a decrease in player motivation, as the significance of upgrades is lost amid the monotony. To restore interest, the upgrade system needs to be reworked, making them more meaningful and varied.

The game's level design leaves much to be desired, negatively impacting gameplay. Serious flaws can be encountered here, including frequent invisible walls and an unclear world structure. Although locations contain numerous branching paths, a weak visual language makes it difficult to understand which one leads to further story progression. In the first half of the game, levels are open spaces with several passages leading to similar locations, but with new branching paths. This creates confusion and can lead to frustration among players looking for clarity and direction in their gameplay.

The hero has the option to choose a direction: left, right, or down under the bridge. The first two paths will open up new areas, but it will be impossible to determine which one advances the story and which are connected to additional content, even after completing them. This is just one of many forks in the game. Each decision affects gameplay and opens up unique opportunities for exploration.

Some paths will return the player to the starting point, while others will open access to additional bosses or hidden locations. Although the terrain is attractive, it is quite uniform, and one fork in the road often looks the same as the next. Visual cues that could indicate the direction of progression through the story are virtually absent. This creates a difficulty in navigation and can make it difficult to understand the player's next steps.

Players often get confused while playing Black Myth, as they can forget whether they've explored all the areas of the map. Exploration is key in this game, as even the hub location is optional, and not everyone will be able to find it. Meticulous players find themselves wandering along various routes, unsure of where exactly they're headed. This not only creates difficulties, but can also cause fatigue.

By the second half of the game, the design becomes more linear and resembles the last God of War series projects. This is due to the introduction of a clear goal: the Chosen One must reach the bottom of the cave. This intuitively makes the player understand that any forks in the horizontal plane are secondary. This approach makes the gameplay more dynamic, and the developers should have followed this direction from the very beginning.

The game's ability to create various builds significantly enhances the gameplay. While gathering resources may seem boring, the ability to unlock new gear with unique effects becomes an exciting part of the game. Black Myth features a variety of armor types with unique modifiers, allowing players to experiment with different combinations. Some armor enhances specific types of magic, while others increase the hero's effectiveness in specific conditions, such as fighting in water or under toxic conditions. This diversity creates the opportunity to create unique strategies and increase interest in the game.

The game has unique effects not only Not only equipment, but also weapons and transformation abilities. This allows for flexible character customization according to the player's personal preferences. However, the developers do not insist on the need for in-depth study of stats and careful selection of equipment for success. Players can complete the game without delving into the details of build construction. Given the game's lack of significant challenges, character customization feels more like an additional element than a mandatory aspect of gameplay.

Rare difficult bosses are a reason to complete the game

The text may give the impression that Black Myth is a simple and monotonous action game that does not offer the player significant challenges. In most cases, this is true, and the moveset of most enemies becomes unnoticeable even before the fight is over. However, the game does occasionally throw challenging bosses at the player, allowing Black Myth to showcase its potential and show what it could be with a more carefully considered difficulty balance.

These battles happen infrequently—roughly once every few hours—but each one is incredibly satisfying. Some opponents attack with a constant barrage of blows, forcing players to use special moves to deal damage. Others take into account the Chosen One's unique abilities—they can cancel stuns or maintain distance so the hero can't strike endlessly. As a result, players are forced to act thoughtfully, and the use of abilities becomes an important tactical resource that should be used sparingly.

The number of difficult bosses in Black Myth is puzzling. They can appear unexpectedly, dramatically increasing the game's difficulty. Players who have spent several hours relaxing against simple enemies suddenly face a complex boss that requires a radical change in strategy. This can be a source of irritation for many casual players. To successfully complete the game, it is important to keep in mind that such moments require players to adapt and improve their skill level.

Despite many critical reviews, Black Myth: Wukong does not deserve to be called a bad game. As a debut title, it showcases many strengths: impressive graphics, gorgeous set pieces, and thoughtful gameplay mechanics. The developers have taken a step toward originality, avoiding the clichés of more established genre representatives and striving to create something more than just another soulslice.

Despite Black Myth's clear strengths, its potential is held back by numerous design flaws. It feels like the game's development was haphazard, using various games as references. One team worked on the combat system, drawing inspiration from FromSoftware games, while other developers focused on creating bosses without considering the importance of engaging progression. This disjointed design approach prevents the game from fully exploiting its strengths.

Black Myth requires a more structured approach, and the team appears to have the resources necessary to address these shortcomings. However, the question remains whether these changes will happen, given that the game has already demonstrated good results in the market.