As someone who has spent countless hours delving into the intricate world of Soulslike games, I must admit that Black Myth: Wukong piqued my interest from the get-go with its striking resemblance to the genre I hold dear. However, after reading through various reviews and opinions from fellow gamers, I found myself a tad disheartened.
Although The Journey to the West has lost some of its prominence in more recent years, its impact on literature remains significant. One of its most beloved characters, Sun Wukong, has found himself appearing in various forms of media, often making guest appearances or cameos. In the newly released game called Black Myth Wukong, the monkey god takes center stage, helping to revitalize the legacy of The Journey to the West.
2024 saw the release of Black Myth Wukong, a standout game from Game Science, a Chinese video game development company founded in 2014 by industry professionals. Although the company had faced allegations of workplace discrimination the previous year, these claims didn’t seem to impact Black Myth Wukong’s success significantly, making it one of the most talked-about games of that year.
Now, after four years since its initial announcement, Black Myth: Wukong has officially been released. It’s been warmly received by gaming journalists and swiftly ascended Steam’s charts, becoming the most-played single-player game on the platform upon launch. Some may wonder if the game lives up to the hype. Join us as we gather Black Myth: Wukong’s review scores to see if it’s as impressive as promised.
Black Myth Wukong Review Scores: 82 on Metacritic
Black Myth: Wukong made a splash among gaming critics upon its debut, earning an average score of 82 for PC on Metacritic. Notably, Game Science didn’t distribute PS5 review copies to media outlets, so we’re still waiting to learn how the game fares on that platform. As for the Xbox Series X, it hasn’t been released yet on that console, with no confirmed launch date as of now.
The evaluations about Black Myth Wukong’s technical performance on PC vary widely among critics. Some have noted frame rate drops and sluggishness in certain parts of the game, whereas others played without encountering any problems during their reviews. It’s important to mention that this game uses Denuvo, a software protection system which has been linked to performance issues for some titles.
Additionally, it’s important to mention that most game reviews are typically based on the pre-release version of the game. It’s possible that any problems encountered during the review process might have already been resolved by the game’s Day 1 update.
Now that we’ve addressed the technical hiccups, let’s shift our focus to the game itself. What have critics and reviewers been saying about Black Myth: Wukong? Or, in other words, what are the opinions of experts regarding this game?
Gamersky gives Black Myth Wukong a perfect Review Score
As a gamer, I’m not here to argue about bias, but let’s face it, I doubt Gamersky will be revising their Black Myth Wukong Review Score anytime soon. The Chinese site awarded the game a flawless 10/10. Here’s a little taste of their review:
“Even though Black Myth: WuKong has garnered praise for its exceptional art and presentation, captivating gameplay, abundant content, and a story and artistic style that resonates profoundly with East Asian audiences, particularly those familiar with Journey to the West, it’s important to note that it’s not without its imperfections.”
As a gamer, I’ve got to admit that the level designs feel a bit green behind the ears, and there seems to be an overindulgence in resource allocation here, which has definitely affected my gaming experience.
Playing Black Myth: WuKong as a Chinese gamer who was raised on Journey to the West cartoons and TV shows feels incredibly personal and meaningful for me. The developers’ authentic portrayal of Journey to the West culture is greatly appreciated, and I am truly impressed by the game’s stunning artistic representation.
This profound cultural empathy has already made up for any shortcomings.”
It’s worth noting that Gamersky isn’t the only platform praising Black Myth Wukong with a maximum score. Other reputable sites like GamingBolt, GamersRD, and God is a Geek have also awarded it a perfect review. God is a Geek’s assessment provides a clear, concise overview of the game’s features.
Without a doubt, one of the standout action games of this year – Black Myth: Wukong, offers an exhilarating blend of stunning combat mechanics and ingeniously crafted boss battles.
Screen Rant wasn’t happy with the game’s lack of “inclusivity and diversity”
Screen Rant gave Black Myth Wukong 3 Stars out of 5, with their review reading:
Although it boasts impressive aspects such as stunning visuals, innovative combat mechanics, thrilling boss battles, and an engaging storyline, these elements alone do not justify a higher rating.
If we consider the areas where it falls short, which include performance, variety, and eco-friendliness, these aspects are essential to improving its potential. Essentially, they are key elements that every Role Playing Game (RPG), particularly those resembling “Soulslike” games, should strive to incorporate within their gameplay content.
As a passionate gamer who has grown up admiring various cultures and mythologies, I have always appreciated games that take me on a journey through these rich narratives. However, recently I came across a game titled “Game Science” which, despite its intriguing premise of exploring Chinese mythology and folklore, has received criticism for its lack of inclusivity and diversity. As someone who values representation in media, this is a concern that resonates with me deeply, especially given my own experiences as a member of a minority group.
Screen Rant’s sister site Game Rant gave the game a similar score, with a review reading:
“Black Myth: Wukong isn’t typically categorized as a ‘Soulslike’ game, but it certainly aims to appeal to fans of the genre. While it may not be the top-tier game in this category, it also doesn’t belong to the least successful titles that have been inspired by Dark Souls.”
If you approach it anticipating a predominantly typical Soulslike journey with intense boss battles sprinkled among ordinary level designs, your experience is likely to be more enjoyable compared to entering it with expectations of a conventional character action game.
The game Black Myth: Wukong provides approximately 30 hours of gameplay during the initial playthrough and offers a variety of additional activities to explore. However, some players might grow weary of the restricted combat mechanics before they even reach its stunning yet frustrating final boss battle.
The two websites criticized the game’s poor polish in terms of performance, with the reviewer from Game Rant having a top-tier setup: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU, AMD Ryzen 9 5900X 12-Core Processor running at 3.70 GHz, and 32 GB of RAM. It’s surprising that such powerful hardware might face issues playing the game, possibly due to inefficiencies in utilizing the newer Unreal Engine 5.
A majority of the Black Myth Wukong game reviews fall within the 60-80 points scale, accounting for roughly three quarters of all critiques. Publications like Eurogamer have assigned scores such as 60% or 3/5 to the game. In their review, Eurogamer writes…
“Black Myth: Wukong’s thrilling and impressive boss battles are what primarily hold it together. However, beneath its flashy exterior lies an action game that can feel empty and aimless.”
The Sixth Axis highly praised the game’s visuals and style, yet they awarded it just three stars out of five, as indicated by their review which states:
“Black Myth: Wukong visually captivates, yet its exploration could be more engaging, and the combat, while acceptable, doesn’t stand out remarkably. It’s not particularly memorable, making it unlikely to leave a lasting impression post-play.”
In numerous critical reviews we’ve come across for these large-scale video games in 2024, there’s often a common theme of dismay over the limited exploration opportunities and encountering seemingly impenetrable barriers – something that was more freely available in the original content.
No Review Scores for Consoles yet – and other Game Review Coverage Woes
Game Science didn’t provide review copies for the PS5, the console where their game was initially released. Consequently, at this point in time, there are no critic reviews available for the console version of the game. Moreover, the game is also yet to be launched on the Xbox Series X, so we don’t have any reviews for that platform either.
As a passionate gaming enthusiast, I’ve noticed some unusual aspects in Game Science’s game review guidelines, which has sparked discussions among game journalists and content creators. One of the issues they’ve highlighted is the scarcity of PS5 review copies provided by Game Science, but it’s not the only concern that’s been raised.
According to IGN’s report, Black Myth Wukong has been under scrutiny for its controversial guidelines on coverage, which some believe mirror the work environment within the game development team. Game Science allegedly requested that reviewers and content creators abstain from discussing certain topics, including “feminist viewpoints” and offering negative or critical comments about China.
People knowledgeable about the situation can grasp that the effort to suppress “feminist rhetoric” could be a response to accusations against the game developer over the past year. Additionally, it’s not uncommon for companies in China to avoid upsetting the Chinese government or the Communist Party, so this isn’t particularly surprising.
Despite the questionable policies surrounding their game development company stirring up some unfavorable sentiment, it’s undeniable that their initial release, “Journey to the West,” has thrived and garnered immense appreciation from players, with many enjoying the immersive 30-40 hour experience.
The action-adventure game “Black Myth Wukong” can currently be played on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, as well as on PlayStation 5. However, an Xbox Series X version is yet to be released due to the game not achieving required “quality standards” on that platform at this time.
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2024-08-20 20:40