Initial release date: August 19, 2024
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows
Developer: Game Science
Engine: Unreal Engine 5
Mode: Single-player video game
License: proprietary license
Genres: Adventure game, Action role-playing game, Fighting game, Adventure
Black Myth: Wukong is a 2024 action role-playing game developed and published by Game Science. The game is inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West and follows an anthropomorphic monkey based on the character of Sun Wukong from the novel.
Black Myth: Wukong surprised me. Going in, I knew not to expect a souls-like, despite it seemingly sharing many of the genre’s hallmarks. The game’s Chinese developer, Game Science, has been adamant that it’s not a souls-like, preferring to define it more generically as an action-RPG. This is at least partially accurate, as Black Myth: Wukong is definitely not a souls-like. What I wasn’t expecting was for it to be essentially a lengthy boss rush. It’s not uncommon to go from one boss fight into another and then another, and it’s in these elaborate battles where Black Myth: Wukong shines. The moments in between, however, aren’t quite as strong, sometimes devolving into aimless tedium. But its satisfying combat and unique variety of boss fights mostly manages to overcome these flaws.
