The Chinese mythology-inspired action RPG, Black Myth: Wukong, took the gaming world by storm when it was released on PS5 and PC last year. Despite being developed by a relatively unknown company, Game Science, it quickly topped the sales charts on both platforms and became one of the fastest-selling games of all time. While most of Black Myth: Wukong's sales came from China, the game managed to become an overnight sensation overseas. It was so popular, in fact, that it boosted Chinese tourism and contributed to a broader global interest in Chinese-developed video games.
Even though the game has a largely self-contained story, Black Myth: Wukong was always intended to be the first installment in a multipart franchise. Wukong's unprecedented success, however, has led Game Science to announce a successor to it earlier than some people expected. During Gamescom Opening Night Live, the company revealed a teaser trailer for Black Myth: Zhong Kui, the next mainline entry in the Black Myth series. Despite bearing the Black Myth moniker, this game will not be a direct sequel to Black Myth: Wukong. Instead, it will have a completely separate narrative and follow an all-new protagonist, the titular Zhong Kui.
The Next Black Myth Game is Focusing On an Entirely New Character, Zhong Kui
Like the game that came before it, Black Myth: Zhong Kui is heavily inspired by ancient Chinese mythology. Although Game Science hasn't revealed much about its plot yet, the game will likely feature many characters from Chinese legends, literature, and folklore. It's important to note, however, that Black Myth: Zhong Kui will not be adapting any of the content from the Chinese novel Journey to the West, as Black Myth: Wukong did. Instead, Game Science's inspirations for this game will largely stem from the origin story of Zhong Kui, a notable figure in Taoism.
In Chinese mythology, Zhong Kui is a Taoist deity who is considered to be an exterminator of ghosts and other evil spirits. He is often portrayed as a fierce middle-aged man with a large, unkempt beard, bulging eyes, and a burly physique. It is said that Zhong Kui has the power to command 80,000 demons to do whatever he wills, and he is usually depicted with five bats alongside him. These bats are intended to represent the Chinese concept of wufu (also known as the five blessings), which represents good fortune, wealth, and luck.
Although the story of Zhong Kui comes from China, he is well-known in other Asian countries, like Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.
Zhong Kui Has Deep Roots in Chinese and Taoist Folklore
Like Black Myth: Wukong's titular character, Sun Wukong, Zhong Kui has a rather interesting backstory in Chinese folklore. Before he became a ghost hunter, it is said that Zhong Kui was friends with a man named Du Ping, who grew up in the same town as him. One day, Zhong Kui and Du Ping decided to travel to the capital city of Chang'an (now known as Xi'an) to participate in the state's imperial examinations. Zhong Kui became an expert in scholarly matters, and he was granted the title of Zhuangyuan for achieving the highest score on the highest level of the imperial examination. His title was, however, ultimately taken away from him by Emperor Gaozu of Tang, simply because he thought he looked ugly.
The imperial examination was a system of tests that was used in imperial China in order to select candidates for the state bureaucracy.
After losing the title he rightfully earned, Zhong Kui repeatedly hurled himself at the gates of the emperor's palace in a fit of rage, ultimately killing himself in the process. Once he died, he found himself face-to-face with the judge of the underworld, Yanluo Wang. Due to his above-average intelligence, Wang saw some potential in Zhong Kui, so instead of punishing him, he decided to make him the king of ghosts, and he gave him the duty of capturing, hunting, and disciplining as many evil spirits as possible. Given his role as a ghost hunter and his intriguing backstory, it makes perfect sense for Zhong Kui to be selected as the protagonist of a video game. It will be interesting to see how Game Science handles his story in Black Myth: Zhong Kui.
- Developer(s)
- Game Science
- Publisher(s)
- Game Science
- Prequel(s)
- Black Myth: Wukong
