Review | Black Myth: Wukong

A Monke appears!

Black Myth: Wukong is a 2024 Chinese action role-playing game developed and published by Game Science. While the developers have done an impressive job drawing inspiration from other games (more on that later), the result is still highly engaging. The game is inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, featuring a monkey protagonist based on Sun Wukong.

The game was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on August 20, 2024, with an Xbox Series X/S version planned for a later date (though I’m curious how they’ll manage on the less powerful console). Despite some technical issues, it received generally positive reviews and sold an impressive 10 million units by August 23, making it one of the fastest-selling games of all time.

Before diving into the details, it's worth noting that the ultimate experience is on PC (via Steam). The game looks significantly better on PC, whereas the PS5 version, despite drawing inspiration from other titles, sometimes falls short in comparison. However, there are moments on the PS5 where the game still looks stunning. The developers had to make sacrifices to achieve 60 FPS in Performance mode, but even then, it only reaches 60 FPS through upscaling to 1440p (as far as I can tell). Degradation is noticeable, especially during boss fights with heavy effects. While the game runs mostly stable, after Chapter 3, it becomes evident that more polishing was needed, with issues like stuttering, FPS drops, and resolution dips. There are also Balanced (45 FPS) and Graphical (30 FPS) modes, but they are less ideal. Performance mode is by far the best option, as the game is fast-paced and sacrificing FPS would significantly impact the experience.

Monkey hero sure likes to visit some beautiful landscapes! The PS5 version is vastly unsuperior compared to the PC version - expect a lot of graphical degradation in terms of sacrifice for the FPS, and in general when the combat becomes fast-paced. When it's static, the game can look gorgeos.

Story and the characters

Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, ascends to Buddhahood but ultimately rejects life in the Celestial Court, choosing instead to live in peace on his mountain. Angered by his decision, the Celestial Court sends an army led by Erlang Shen to force his return. Sun Wukong duels Erlang but is incapacitated by the circlet that binds him to the court and is sealed in stone. Just before being fully sealed, Sun Wukong manages to split his power into six Relics, each corresponding to one of his six senses, which are scattered and hidden across China.

Over the next few centuries, the monkeys of Mount Huaguo send out young warrior monkeys in search of these Relics, hoping to revive and free Sun Wukong. One such monkey, known as the Destined One (whom you control), embarks on a quest to find the Relics. The journey that unfolds is filled with mythological creatures and challenges.

The story is solid, and the characters are interesting and well-crafted. This might be one of the best story-driven games, often compared to titles like the Souls series. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey, with the setting and mythological narrative being particularly captivating. However, a major downside for me is that the Destined One doesn’t speak, which detracts from the immersion. There are a few epic moments (like the headless singer!) and several decent ones as well. Overall, Game Science did a great job!

And just to mention - some animations like the big turtle island are really bad. I don't know what happened, but I would probably make them better than they did. There are some heavy tehnical issues with some animations, especially in arenas with fog where the camera only cares about the bottom and that fog! Some weird things indeed.

The transformations are more like a gimmick - you can fly on few occasions, mostly to reach some part of the chapter fast, with skipping some tough opponents along the way. You can ditch that and just make your way across regularly. The real deal comes from Spells and Transformations, which serve in combat. The exploration is 95% on foot.

Game design, exploration

When comparing this game to others, it’s clear that much of its influence comes from soulslike titles, but that’s mostly where the similarities end. Unlike the challenging nature of Souls games, this game is much easier, faster-paced, and includes unique features like transformations. It also borrows elements from other major titles: the chest-opening and equipment screens from God of War, meditation points from Ghost of Tsushima, a boss reminiscent of Monster Hunter (anyone remember the mud fish?), and a nod to Final Fantasy XVI in the secret ending. Essentially, it’s a mashup of several big titles, blended into a unique experience rooted in a Chinese novel.

In terms of level design, the game is mostly linear, though some chapters, like Chapters 2 and 3, are semi-open and quite large. While that might sound appealing to some, I found these chapters frustrating. Their size doesn’t translate into uniqueness, leading to confusion and frequent moments of getting lost. I often found myself wondering if I had already been somewhere or not. The overuse of rocks in the environment adds to the confusion, making navigation unnecessarily difficult. Around the middle of Chapter 3 and towards the end of the game, technical performance started to drop, making some boss fights almost unplayable.

My biggest overall issue is the presence of invisible walls. Some areas appear to be explorable, but you quickly hit a wall. Occasionally, you might jump across some rocks, assuming there’s nothing there, only to find a hidden chest. This really breaks immersion. The lack of a map doesn’t help either. Chapter 6 is one of the worst chapters I’ve encountered recently. It’s the only open-world map in the game, and it feels empty, with poor graphics and performance issues. I was hoping the final chapter would be the best, but instead, it turned out to be the worst. On the other hand - Chapter 4 is for me the winner. I loved it.

Despite these issues, exploring and finding secrets is rewarding. Just don't expect the flawless jumping (I think it's really off).

It's really worth mentioning that the game offers a lot of boss fights (over 70 enemy types), which keeps things exciting. Although there are a few copy-paste boss fights, they come with different movesets and rewards, so they still make sense. Secrets are truly hidden in this game, and some of the best areas are found in these secret locations. Good luck finding everything! 

You will really love the characters in this game. I love the headless singing dude, and your loyal compain the wild boar (a small one for pssst, he is feisty!). I think that the presentation is great in Wukong, much better than in some games from which it takes inspiration.

Combat

The biggest selling point of the game is the combat. It's fast and incredibly satisfying. There are three stances, several weapons, and armor sets that shape your main combat style. On top of that, you have four spell slots and two special attacks (transformations and vessel attacks). You can even steal the spirits of tough enemies and use them in battle, which keeps combat fresh and interesting. Some weapons enhance your attacks and even add new moves. Although this might sound like a lot, most of your time will be spent spamming light/heavy combo attacks and dodging like crazy.

Dodging is your best friend. The monkey moves like a whirlwind, though it requires stamina. Perfect dodges are particularly rewarding, and as you unlock more skills, you can continue your combo after dodging, making fights incredibly dynamic.

Leveling up is straightforward, and you don't lose any experience when you die. You accumulate levels, gain points, and use them to learn new skills or boost your stats. A feature I love is the ability to respec—allowing you to remove a point and allocate it elsewhere without resetting everything (though you can fully reset if you want). This flexibility encouraged me to try out different builds, which was really enjoyable. Kudos to the developers for that!

The visuals of the weapons and armor are also impressive. Most of the sets and upgrades are unlocked by defeating optional bosses and exploring hidden areas, so it’s worth investing time in those quests.

However, there are a few downsides. The technical performance during some boss fights, especially those with special effects, can be problematic. Additionally, when your magic move is interrupted by a phase transition, you lose the move without regaining your MP, which is frustrating. Another issue is the hitbox of charged attacks, which can be inconsistent, especially against larger enemies where your attacks often miss.

Lastly, the camera can be a real problem. When an enemy starts flying, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll end up against an invisible wall, often leading to your death due to poor game design.

Sometimes you need to slow down and take some pictures. The snowy area is like a maze, but some landscapes look good! I especially loved the animated short episodes at the end of each chapter.

Side Content

The side content in this game is fantastic. Despite the sometimes confusing level design, there are multiple secrets that hold some of the best parts of the game. Hidden areas are beautifully crafted, and the quests are engaging, seamlessly wrapped in lore that makes exploration feel essential rather than just filler.

Optional bosses provide a real challenge, often being tougher than the main story fights. Completing side content can even unlock a secret ending. However, be cautious—once you finish a chapter, you may miss out on some quests or transformations (which I did). While there’s a New Game+ mode to address this, I still hate missing things.

I highly recommend engaging in side quests and helping NPCs. They’re cool, interesting, and offer great rewards, such as Gourds for healing or Soaks that enhance the effect of each sip from your Gourd. The game’s customization options are diverse and fun, making the rewards from side content more than worth it when it comes to upgrades.

Conclusion

If you liked what you saw in the trailers, you’ll enjoy this game. It’s a light soulslike game that manages to carve out its own identity. While it draws inspiration from many other games, it still creates a unique experience, even if it’s built on familiar elements. And somehow, it all just works here! Unfortunately, the PS5 version suffers from technical issues, which is probably the game’s biggest drawback, along with those frustrating invisible walls. It needs just a bit of polishing. Even with that being said, most of the game works like a charm, so the state is more than good, but still! If they can polish some stuff, we are looking at a 85-88 game for sure!

Other than that, I’d recommend this game to everyone—though you might want to wait for some patches. I never encountered any bugs or crashes, just stutters and heavy FPS drops in some chapters. It’s an awesome game with excellent presentation, top-notch English voice acting, and combat that remains fun even after 60 hours or more. Highly recommended!

For sure you will not miss anyhing after playing this one. It has everything and everyone, and it stole from everyone! It sounds harsh, but there are so many influences, it's hard not to compare it.