Black Myth: Zhong Kui May Be More ‘Pokemon’ Than Soulslike

The Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase ended with a bang as developer Game Science revealed its follow-up to 2024's successful ARPG, Black Myth: Wukong. The second game in the Black Myth series, Black Myth: Zhong Kui, is set to follow a new titular protagonist and promises to meld Chinese Mythology with action gameplay once again. However, the nature of this mythological figure makes it seem like Black Myth: Zhong Kui may be primed to take inspiration from an unexpected source.

The brief teaser trailer for Black Myth: Zhong Kui didn't reveal much about the game aside from the similar level of stunning visuals Black Myth: Wukong players are familiar with. Although the game is described as an action RPG similar to its predecessor, which also included Soulslike features, Black Myth: Zhong Kui may have more tricks up its sleeve than Game Science is ready to share. In particular, Black Myth: Zhong Kui may lean into some form of Pokemon-like gameplay given Zhong Kui's role in real-world mythology.

Black Myth: Zhong Kui May Be Trading Soulslike Elements for Pokemon-Like Ones

black-myth-sequel-zhong-kui-announced-game-rant-two-men-hiding-1

Zhong Kui is Basically a Pokemon Trainer in Taoist Mythology

According to the original Taoist Mythology surrounding the figure, Zhong Kui is tasked by the Chinese god of the underworld, Yanluo Wang, with the capture and training of all ghosts after his death. As a spirit himself, Zhong Kui is given the title of King of Ghosts and has become synonymous with chasing away unwanted spirits, but also with taming and commanding them, much like a Pokemon Trainer would. It's believed that Zhong Kui's powers include:

Command of over 80,000 ghosts
The power to bring good fortune while warding away misfortune

black-myth-sequel-zhong-kui-announced-game-rant-large-oni-scratching-1

Game Science remained very faithful to the source mythology with its portrayal of the Journey to the West story in Black Myth: Wukong. As such, it's likely that Black Myth: Zhong Kui will take the same careful appreciation for its inspiration and give Zhong Kui the unique portrayal he deserves. As a part of this portrayal, it seems more than likely that players will get to command ghosts in some form, potentially drawing comparisons to other popular monster-tamer games like Pokemon.

Currently, Black Myth: Zhong Kui has no release window, so it is unclear how long players will have to wait before they can play it.

Black Myth: Zhong Kui Can Blend Wukong's Action Elements with Ghost-Catching Gameplay

Even if Black Myth: Zhong Kui is an Action RPG first and foremost, there is still plenty of room for creature-collecting gameplay. Black Myth: Wukong already dabbled in this type of gameplay with Wukong' s spirits, allowing players to summon certain Yaoguai by defeating them around its world. With this foundation laid, it seems clear that Black Myth: Zhong Kui has a lot to build on when it comes to taming ghosts and summoning them for battle, potentially taking the mechanic to the next level with even more Yaoguai to summon or the ability to use more than one at a time.

Black Myth: Zhong Kui can even incorporate the ability to summon ghosts into its core ARPG gameplay while still drawing inspiration from Pokemon. With Pokemon Legends: Z-A's battles changing to a real-time action-style combat system, it's clear how Black Myth: Zhong Kui could follow a similar formula for summon gameplay. Perhaps Zhong Kui could employ the use of ghosts during combat in a way that forces players to control both Zhong Kui himself and the summoned spirit during battles. A gameplay change like this would go a long way toward aligning with the mythological roots of Zhong Kui while also helping the game stand apart from its Wukong-focused predecessor.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image