Black Myth: Wukong is an action role-playing game that closely follows the events of Wu Cheng’en’s seminal novel. The road to the west. Based on Chinese mythology and Buddhist folklore, the work follows a monk who encounters a spirit named Sun Wukong, often called the Monkey King, while searching for sacred religious texts. While its main story is still unknown, Game Science’s upcoming Soulslike depicts Wukong’s encounters with the Yaoguai, various creatures and demons in Chinese myths, set in stunning Eastern landscapes.
My hands-on begins at the base of Black Wind Mountain’s peak, in a place called the Forest of Wolves, populated by lush greenery, alpine trees, and all manner of wind-swept rocks and shrines. The way to the top is guarded by scattered groups of fox and wolf-like humanoids who wield axes, shields and bows. While these enemies aren’t difficult, they serve as great punching bags to learn the basics of combat, such as dodging, charged staff techniques, and early spells like Immobilize, which freezes enemies in place for an opportunity to dash.
Black Myth: Wukong Release Date Trailer:
Wukong’s primary weapon is a bō staff, referred to in inspirational literature as the Ruyi Jingu Bang, which he can shrink down to the size of a needle and store safely in his ear. The Monkey King wields an arsenal of weapon combos, including the ability to charge Jingu Bang and string together Focus Points that allow him to unleash flashy heavy strikes. While you can’t save the focus points you gain by charging his weapon – Wukong will automatically attack as soon as you release the button – be able to save focus points for use later in combat by attacking the enemy in a light enough manner. Learning the timing of these weapon flourishes and how to use them along with your growing library of mystical spells is critical to success against large opponents such as the game’s many bosses.
While there are at least half a dozen optional and mandatory bosses in Forest of Wolves, I spend my time challenging two of its more difficult opponents. The first is a flame spear wolf named Guangzhi who charges down and floods me with slashes and flame bending dashes. After I beat him on my fourth try, which I did by relying on the cooldown of my immobilization spell, Guangzhi drops his double-pronged spear, called Red Tides, which slides into one of Wukong’s spell slots, instead of replacing his magic staff. Upon activating the ability, Wukong momentarily transforms into the wolf I just defeated, allowing me to control the boss’ fire powers and inflict Scorch Bane, a status effect that ignites enemies and deals damage over time. Notably, Wukong’s health pool is separate from the Yaoguai he embodies, making this new ability a great tactic to use when low on health against the predatory bosses of Black Wind Mountain.
I run past another optional boss – a gargantuan humanoid with a disproportionately golden head – and maneuver up a bamboo-laden mountain ridge until I finally reach my destination: the Guanyin Temple, home to Lingxuzi, a building-sized dog named by a mysterious figure known as the Black Wind King. A tall white wolf leaps into the air, circling the entire arena in seconds and tasting my blood after a quick strike. As Lingxuzi licks his lips, I freeze him in place and launch a flurry of light attacks and concentrated heavy strikes. Of course, this is Soulslike, so I end up dying a few times and slowly memorize Yaoguai’s moves and tactics over the course of about five tries. When I finally win, I equip myself with a rare wolf mask that I loot from Lingxuzi’s corpse, which gives me a damage bonus against critically wounded enemies.
Black Myth: Wukong seems to present an impressive world of impressive character designs, skill-based boss fights, and gorgeous environments. I’m eagerly awaiting the game’s release, not only for its excellent combat and promising character building, but also to experience its take on a prominent Chinese folk tale.