As a seasoned gamer with over two decades under my belt, I must confess that Black Myth: Wukong has left me utterly spellbound. This gem from GameScience is nothing short of a masterpiece, a testament to their skill and passion for the genre.
I’ve never personally read “Journey to the West,” but I appreciate Chinese mythology and its influence in various forms of media. However, among the Four Great Novels, “Journey to the West” is one I haven’t explored. Although I’m familiar with elements from the book through movies, games, and TV shows, my understanding is general. The new action game, “Black Myth: Wukong,” developed by GameScience indie studios, is a reinterpretation and continuation inspired by the novel, but it primarily tells its own unique story, requiring minimal prior knowledge while still taking creative liberties with the original source material.
Years have passed since Sun Wukong’s defeat, and he has been banished with his power condensed into six powerful artifacts. These relics are now pursued by an evil league. However, there is someone who can stop them – you, the Chosen One, a descendant of Wukong, who may one day serve as a container for his immense and vengeful power.
In my perspective as a passionate fan, Black Myth and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty both delve into Chinese mythology in their unique ways. Instead of adhering to historical facts or logical reasoning, they present a world where gods and monsters coexist. This isn’t just any China; it’s a realm filled with magic, miracles, and the awesome power of deities, as well as the terrible might of mythical beasts.
Initially, I thought GameScience’s claim of 80 bosses meant they would be advanced versions of common enemies, or repetitive designs similar to Elden Ring. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I was mistaken. In fact, Black Myth: Wukong surpasses most games in its category when it comes to enemy and boss design. To put it simply, it leaves many other games in the dust in this aspect. And while I’m not criticizing From Software’s open-world masterpiece here, it’s fair to say that Black Myth: Wukong is the teacher’s pet when it comes to enemy and boss creation.
Indeed, it’s worth noting that while some encounters are repeated, most of the bosses you face in Black Myth: Wukong are unique. Those that recur have distinct move sets, and there are no ordinary enemies with altered colors or elemental attacks to add complexity. This design choice effectively prevents the game from becoming monotonous or frustrating.
As a devoted player, I must say the enemy placement in this game is ingeniously designed, avoiding the same traps that last year’s Lords of the Fallen succumbed to. Death isn’t just a possibility, it’s an ever-present danger, but more often than not, it’s my own errors leading to demise, rather than the game unfairly stacking the odds against me with impossible odds. The boss battles are generally manageable, yet occasionally I’ll run into a brick wall that requires multiple attempts to conquer. These instances aren’t back-to-back, though, and the game usually follows a tough challenge with several more manageable ones to maintain the momentum. It does have its challenging stretches, but they’re strategically dispersed throughout the game, making for an engaging and balanced gaming experience.
As a devoted admirer, I feel it’s essential to clarify the unique nature of Wukong. While it shares some surface-level similarities with Soulslike games, it doesn’t entirely fall into that category. It may look and feel like one at times, but it’s got its own distinct identity.
As a swift gamer, I dive headfirst into combat, where speed and agility reign supreme. My character, the Destined One, wields a staff like a dancer’s baton, shifting between three unique stances that each harbor their own secrets and skill sets. It’s not just about swinging, but reading the enemy, dodging at the right instant, and capitalizing on their missteps. Combat is a whirlwind dance of rapid-fire actions, and I’m armed with an arsenal of spells and abilities to master and unveil.
The initial charm you’ll master is called Immobilize, functioning similar to a cozy pair of slippers during your first fifteen hours or so. In essence, it freezes adversaries for five to ten seconds, giving you the opportunity to pummel them relentlessly – or control crowds while managing their companions. Rock Solid enables you to deflect any harm, whereas Red Tides is a transformative spell that empowers you with fiery attacks of great destruction.
In the game, each type of spell, transformation, ability, and strand can only be placed in a designated slot on the quick menu, so you can only use one of each at a time. This, along with long recharge times, prevents excessive use but proves helpful when needed. As time goes on, more bosses will grow immune to these abilities, sometimes even commenting on your attempts to use the same spell twice in battle. Additionally, there are separate skill trees for each archetype, which expand as you learn new spells and abilities. I didn’t anticipate it, but there is a level of customization, as you acquire new armor and weapons with varying stats and effects, create potions, or modify your healing Gourd. On several occasions, a challenging boss required me to respec (which can be done for free at Shrines) and adjust my strategy.
Speaking extensively about Black Myth: Wukong’s equipment system might lessen its complexity and richness. Similar to Elden Ring’s Estus Flask, the Gourd can be customized with various potions and abilities. Additionally, you can seize the spirits of specific foes, which can be summoned during combat to inflict damage or grant bonuses. The game also features “mantles” akin to Monster Hunter World, offering protection from elemental harm. Black Myth: Wukong offers a wealth of diversity in its mechanics, and mastering this variety is crucial if you hope to conquer the challenging lineup of bosses.
In this game, you’ll notice that the layout incorporates aspects from Sekiro and Nioh 2. The story unfolds in a series of chapters, but once a chapter is completed, you can quickly travel between areas. Keep in mind that certain characters and events will progress with you through the chapters, while others may vanish forever if left unresolved before moving on – there are no second chances given, so it’s essential to fully explore each area. Hidden pathways, concealed treasures, and optional bosses are scattered throughout, so don’t neglect any potential secrets you come across during your journey.
With the Unreal Engine 5, the game Black Myth: Wukong boasts breathtaking landscapes and explosive cinematics. Using an RTX 2060 8GB graphics card and AMD Ryzen 5 3600 X (not exactly state-of-the-art hardware), I managed to play the game in 4K with the settings on “high”, encountering minimal hiccups outside of scene transitions. The game ran smoothly without any slowdown or lag, not even during boss battles. Given its speed and responsiveness, that’s quite remarkable.
The storyline of Black Myth initially takes some time to unfold, but once it picks up, it’s straightforward and simple to understand who to support. It doesn’t offer a unique or even a classic story told in innovative ways; instead, it’s essentially a traditional quest for an object that leads you through diverse landscapes, with a new NPC companion each stage, who occasionally grant temporary or single-use powers, such as transforming into another creature to explore further ahead. This intriguing concept is not overused and thus remains fresh and engaging.
In summary, Black Myth: Wukong seems to be largely free from significant criticisms, with only occasional frame drops and a few boss battles that appear challenging or perhaps require advanced skills which I may not possess. Patience and calmness are essential for playing this game, traits that I often struggle to maintain during gaming sessions. Nonetheless, Black Myth: Wukong stands out as an exceptional video game and a remarkable accomplishment from an independent studio. Similar to Lies of P last year and Nioh 2 before it, Black Myth: Wukong demonstrates mastery in blending Soulslike aspects into something unique and innovative. The visuals are stunning, the music is one of the best this year, and its presentation exudes confidence and style that make it hard to find flaws with it.
One could potentially contend that GameScience is merely upgrading existing jewelry with fresh gems, but it’s immaterial in the grand scheme. When the standard of excellence remains consistently high across all aspects, there’s no need for further request. A whirlwind of supreme combat, user-friendly level design, and masterfully crafted bosses, Black Myth: Wukong undeniably ranks among this year’s top action games. It truly stands out as one of the best in its class.
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2024-08-16 17:17