After years of waiting for the game, Black Myth: Wukong has finally been released, and the combat system is amazing. This action-adventure game is like Elden Ring and takes players on a journey across different lands to collect relics in a story inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. 

There are adversaries to fight, bosses to defeat, personalities to meet, and hidden objects to find in these territories. Black Myth: Wukong achieves this. The gameplay is crisp, fluid, and very rewarding. You have special abilities such as "Freeze,” which immobilizes foes, or “A Pluck of Many,” which creates many copies of yourself to attack, along with your main weapon, a staff that can hit enemies and block projectiles.

Let’s take an in-depth look into the exciting world of Black Myth: Wukong. 

Gameplay

Black Myth: Wukong is, by all purposes, an action role-playing game. Before its release, there was much debate about whether it was a soul-like game. Game Science, the developer, does not consider so. Reviewers who played the game noticed it shares some elements with Soulslike games but does not fully fit that category. 

The game is played in single-player mode with a third-person view. As mentioned before, it is inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West.

The player controls a monkey protagonist called the Destined One. This character is based on Sun Wukong from the novel. The protagonist uses a staff as a weapon, modeled after the Ruyi Jingu Bang from the story. 

When fighting, players can use this staff that can grow bigger or smaller depending on the situation using magic arts. They include pillar, smash, and thrust stances representing different styles of combat. Stamina management and resource management (e.g., focus) are key aspects of the combat system.

Focus builds up through light attacks, well-timed dodges, and other actions. When the focus meter fills, a focus point is earned. These points can be used to start combos, chain with light attacks, or charge a heavy attack. Stamina decreases with actions like sprinting, dodging, and attacking.

Lost in the world: The frustrating beauty and rug-pulls of Black Myth: Wukong

It isn't all sunny in the game, as many players have commented. There is less of a connection between missions, as one user pointed out. For instance, you will end one chapter fighting a flaming bear on a hill, and the next moment, you are laying half dead in a desert with arrows sticking out of your chest. 

No explanation is given as to how you got there or what happened after that. It is sudden and kills any sense of victory over the boss that you experienced before. The game does not tell us what to do next, so the story loses its steam.

These abrupt shifts become even more pronounced later in the game. Next up, you’ve got an obnoxious companion who never stops insulting your every move. He makes such annoying comments that one might get tempted to grab his ‘legendary’ rake and give him a taste of it.

Failure to play correctly in Black Myth has repercussions. Mistiming a spell can be catastrophic. Spells have significant periods of time where they cannot be used again. It is even worse because your mana is so limited. You can seldom get it back through anything other than resting in a shrine. That is unfortunate since casting spells is the most enjoyable part of the game. 

Flaws in the game environment

The game's environments make things harder. There’s no map or compass, which is one issue. But the game focuses so much on realism that it often becomes frustrating. Lack of variation in areas makes moving around difficult. Without clear landmarks, it becomes taxing to recall where you’ve visited before. 

With each dusty ravine looking similar, you can find yourself lost and hitting dead ends over and over. Some players might enjoy finding hidden bosses or treasures. But the game often blocks your path with invisible walls, making exploration more frustrating than fun. When your character can't even climb over small rocks or tree trunks, "the destiny one" starts to feel like an ironic name.

The design polish for “Black Myth” is not as advanced as in larger open-world games. The environments are less interesting. So, you don’t move forward; it’s the story that drives you on. There is little to grab your attention here, and instead, most of the time, you wonder what to do next. This feels ironic coming from a game inspired by ‘Journey to the West’.

What Black Myth: Wukong does right

In spite of certain shortcomings, the game exhibits amazing visual effects that depict a mythical world. The scenery, characters, and motion pictures are quite elaborate. Every act presents itself as a piece of art. As you explore the world visually, it is a delight. 

The fighting system is complex and satisfying at the same time. Players have access to numerous skills and techniques derived from Monkey King. The gameplay has been designed to be smooth and responsive during combat encounters. As such, players experience continuous interest in mastering new tricks.

The game’s narrative comes with a profound Chinese mythological background. The journey of Wukong is an interesting one full of compelling characters and epic fights. In the end, it is a unique tale that will keep people engaged.

Similarly, the game comes with high production values. Even the cinematography of their cut-scenes and sound design are stellar. All these complemented by voice-overs and an original score, make the game more immersive to play.

As such, Black Myth: Wukong is definitely worth playing if you are an action RPG enthusiast. It stands out as one of the best titles in the gaming industry with its eye-catching visuals, exciting combat systems, and solid storylines. It establishes a new standard for AAA game development from China. So what are you waiting for? - try out Black Myth: Wukong and see how immersed you get.