Black Myth: Wukong is an action role-playing game closely following the events of Wu Cheng’en’s seminal novel Journey to the West. Based on Chinese mythology and Buddhist folklore, the story revolves around a monk who encounters a spirit named Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, in his quest for sacred religious texts. While the central narrative remains undisclosed, Game Science’s upcoming Soulslike depicts Wukong’s confrontations with Yaoguai – various creatures and demons from Chinese myth – set amidst breathtaking Eastern landscapes.
The hands-on demo commences at the base of Black Wind Mountain’s summit, within the Forest of Wolves. This area boasts lush greenery, alpine trees, and weathered stones and shrines. The ascent to the peak is guarded by scattered groups of foxes and wolf-like humanoids armed with axes, shields, and bows. Though these foes aren’t overly challenging, they serve as valuable opponents for mastering combat fundamentals such as dodging, charged staff techniques, and early spells like Immobilize, which temporarily freezes enemies for strategic attacks.
Wukong wields a bō staff, known as Ruyi Jingu Bang in the source material, which he can shrink to the size of a needle for safekeeping in his ear. The Monkey King employs various weapon combos, including charging up Jingu Bang to accumulate Focus Points for powerful heavy strikes. While Focus Points can’t be stored indefinitely – Wukong automatically attacks upon releasing the button – they can be stockpiled by landing sufficient light attacks on enemies for later use in combat. Mastering the timing of these weapon techniques alongside a growing repertoire of mystical spells is crucial for overcoming formidable foes, including the game’s numerous bosses.
The Forest of Wolves features at least half a dozen mandatory and optional bosses. During the demo, I faced two of the more challenging adversaries. The first was Guangzhi, a wolf wielding a flame spear, who tested my skills with sweeping flame attacks and rapid charges. After several attempts, I defeated Guangzhi by carefully managing cooldowns on spells like Immobilize. Upon victory, Guangzhi dropped his double-tipped spear, Red Tides, which integrated into one of Wukong’s spell slots rather than replacing his magical staff. Activating this ability briefly transformed Wukong into the defeated wolf, enabling me to wield its fiery powers, applying the Scorch Bane status effect to set enemies alight and inflict damage over time. Notably, Wukong’s health is distinct from that of the Yaoguai he embodies, making this new ability a potent tactic when facing the mountain’s formidable bosses.
Skipping another optional boss – a colossal humanoid with a disproportionately large golden head – I traversed a bamboo-covered mountain ridge to reach my destination: Guanyin Temple. Here awaited Lingxuzi, a colossal canine appointed by the enigmatic Black Wind King. The towering white wolf swiftly scaled the arena and struck me, initiating a fierce battle. Utilizing a combination of immobilization spells, light attacks, and focused heavy strikes, I persevered through multiple deaths characteristic of Soulslike gameplay. Upon finally triumphing, I acquired a rare wolf mask from Lingxuzi’s remains, granting a damage boost against critically wounded adversaries.
Black Myth: Wukong presents a captivating world with striking character designs, skill-demanding boss battles, and stunning environments. Anticipation builds not only for its refined combat mechanics and character progression but also for its interpretation of the beloved Chinese folklore.
