Summary
- Black Myth: Wukong's combat is fast-paced & requires frequent dodges and attacks, unlike traditional Soulslike games.
- Black Myth: Wukong's progression is less punishing, as players can retain their experience and skill points after dying.
- Black Myth: Wukong's boss fights are extremely difficult, and enemies respawn when players rest at Keeper's Shrines.
The term "Soulslike" has been thrown around a lot lately, perhaps too much, as more and more games borrow elements of FromSoftware's signature formula without wholly devoting themselves to it. However, there are several, very specific features a game must possess to be a true Soulslike, so it's not as common as it may seem. Black Myth: Wukong is one of gaming's latest titles to be called a Soulslike by many onlookers, but it may not have what it takes to live up to the label.
Since Soulslikes make up a sub-genre of the action RPG space, it can be difficult to discern the differences between the two at times. In light of Black Myth: Wukong's technical classification as an action RPG and its constant comparisons to the Soulslike genre, it's worth examining which aspects of the game cause it to lean more toward the action RPG spectrum and which might justify its unofficial categorization as a true Soulslike game.
Black Myth: Wukong Review
Black Myth: Wukong from Game Science is a mixed bag action-RPG that shines just as much as it aggravates.
Black Myth: Wukong's Action RPG Features
Black Myth: Wukong's Combat Is Fast-Paced and Frantic
Judging by just a few minutes of Black Myth: Wukong's gameplay, it's easy to see that its combat requires non-stop dodges and frequent attacks from the player if they hope to emerge victorious. For the most part, traditional Soulslike games aren't known for having combat that moves this rapidly and, instead, generally demand a more patient and methodical approach from the player to prevent their stamina bar from draining and leaving them vulnerable. It is possible for the Destined One to run out of stamina in Black Myth: Wukong, but it's hardly ever enough to completely disable him and it recharges rather quickly.
Black Myth: Wukong's Progression Is Casual in Comparison to a Traditional Soulslike
Black Myth: Wukong's progression is one of the more prominent characteristics that set it apart from Soulslike games. Whereas it's possible for players to permanently lose any "experience" they've earned by dying twice before retrieving it, Black Myth: Wukong allows players to retain their experience and any Sparks (skill points) they've earned regardless of how many times they die. They do, however, permanently lose any medicine they might use before dying, which makes the use of rare medicine almost not worth it at times.
Black Myth: Wukong's Soulslike Features
Black Myth: Wukong's Bosses Can Be Absurdly Difficult
Anyone thinking they might be able to jump into Black Myth: Wukong and get another well-balanced challenge like God of War should think again. Black Myth: Wukong's boss fights are some of the toughest in gaming, which is largely why it has been regularly referred to as a Soulslike. In fact, some of Black Myth: Wukong's boss fights are absurdly difficult, with enemies having a massive library of skills and attack patterns to draw from, steepening the learning curve for those fights by a significant degree.
Keeper's Shrines in Black Myth: Wukong Respawn Enemies in the World
Another feature of Black Myth: Wukong that generally leads to other games being classified as a Soulslike is its enemy respawn mechanics. As it is with any true Soulslike game, when players rest to recover their health at a Keeper's Shrine in Black Myth: Wukong, all the enemies in the world will respawn, meaning players should be strategic with their rest periods.
Black Myth: Wukong may have some of the most defining characteristics of the Soulslike genre, but, at the end of the day, it is an action RPG through and through. The Soulslike genre is very strict with its set of rules, and if any of those rules are broken by a game, that game may lose its chance of being properly classified as a Soulslike. Even so, Black Myth: Wukong is just as difficult as a Soulslike game should be, so the tendency some have to refer to it as such makes perfect sense.
Black Myth: Wukong
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 80%
- Released
- August 20, 2024
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Game Science
- Publisher(s)
- Game Science
WHERE TO PLAY
Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology and based on Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.
You shall set out as the Destined One to venture into the challenges and marvels ahead, to uncover the obscured truth beneath the veil of a glorious legend from the past.
As the Destined One, you shall encounter powerful foes and worthy rivals throughout your journey. Fearlessly engage them in epic battles where surrender is not an option.
Aside from mastering various staff techniques, you can also freely combine different spells, abilities, weapons, and equipment to find the winning strategy that best suits your combat style.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unknown
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 39 hours
