- Game Title: Black Myth: Wukong
- Developer and Publisher: Game Science
- Release Date: TBD (early 2024 expected)
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Black Myth: Wukong is a highly anticipated action RPG inspired by the Chinese folklore classic, Journey to the West. Developed by Game Science, the game has garnered significant attention for its stunning trailers and its promise of a Souls-like gameplay experience steeped in Chinese mythology. Despite its immense potential and ambition, Black Myth: Wukong faces several glaring flaws that threaten to undermine its lofty expectations.
Gameplay – Black myth: Wukong
- Core Mechanics: The game attempts to merge traditional action RPG mechanics with Souls-like combat, emphasizing deliberate, weighty combat and punishing difficulty. Unfortunately, the gameplay feels overly derivative. It lacks originality, relying too heavily on mimicking FromSoftware’s formula without introducing unique mechanics to set itself apart.
- Game Modes: The game is primarily single-player, with no clear mention of multiplayer or co-op modes. This might alienate players seeking collaborative or competitive experiences.
- Objectives and Goals: While the game promises exploration and epic boss fights, the objectives lack clarity. Early gameplay previews suggest a repetitive loop of “fight boss, move forward,” with minimal variety in quest design. Side missions seem underdeveloped, lacking depth or meaningful rewards.
- Difficulty: The difficulty feels uneven, with some enemies offering little challenge while others have unpredictable and frustrating mechanics. This inconsistency makes progression more frustrating than rewarding, especially for players unfamiliar with the genre.
Story and Narrative
- Plot: The narrative loosely follows the legendary tale of Sun Wukong. While the premise is intriguing, the storytelling appears fragmented. Cutscenes are stunning but feel disconnected from the gameplay, leaving players unclear about their purpose in the world.
- Characters: Sun Wukong, the protagonist, has potential for depth but lacks personality in the snippets revealed so far. NPCs are sparse, and those that do appear often serve as exposition dumps rather than meaningful contributors to the story.
- Writing and Dialogue: The dialogue feels overly simplistic and lacks emotional weight. It leans heavily on mythological references, which may alienate players unfamiliar with Chinese folklore.
Graphics and Art Style
- Visual Quality: The game undeniably shines in this department, with breathtaking visuals that set a new standard for indie studios. However, the heavy focus on visual fidelity seems to have come at the cost of optimization and gameplay fluidity.
- Art Style: The game’s art direction captures the essence of Chinese mythology beautifully but feels inconsistent. Some areas are lush and immersive, while others feel barren and lack personality.
- Character and Environment Design: While character models are highly detailed, some enemy designs feel uninspired, with reused assets and a lack of variety. Environments, though visually appealing, often feel like static backdrops rather than living, interactive spaces.
Sound and Music
- Sound Effects: The sound design is inconsistent, with weapon impacts and enemy sounds occasionally feeling muted or unsatisfying.
- Music and Soundtrack: While the soundtrack successfully blends traditional Chinese instruments with orchestral elements, it often lacks presence during key gameplay moments, leaving battles feeling hollow.
- Voice Acting: The voice acting (in Mandarin) is competent, but subtitles often fail to capture nuance, leading to awkward or clunky translations.
Controls and User Interface
- Control Scheme: The controls feel sluggish, with noticeable input delays in combat. This is especially frustrating in a game reliant on precise timing and dodges.
- User Interface: The UI is minimalistic but not always user-friendly. Important information like enemy health or stamina levels is either poorly displayed or missing entirely, which detracts from strategic gameplay.
Performance and Technical Aspects
- Frame Rate and Stability: Despite the beautiful graphics, performance issues are rampant. Frame drops are frequent, especially during larger battles or in graphically intense areas.
- Loading Times: Loading times are unreasonably long, breaking immersion during key transitions.
- Compatibility: Early builds show poor optimization across platforms, with noticeable stuttering even on high-end PCs.
Replayability and Content
- Replay Value: While the game boasts multiple weapon types and skills, there’s little incentive to replay beyond experiencing different combat styles.
- Game Length: Early indications suggest a playtime of 20-30 hours, but much of this is padded with backtracking and repetitive combat sequences.
- Additional Content: There is no mention of DLCs or expansions, leaving the base game feeling incomplete.
Monetization and Ads
- In-App Purchases: There’s no indication of microtransactions, which is a relief. However, the lack of clarity around potential post-launch monetization strategies raises concerns.
- Overall Value: If priced as a full AAA title, the game’s lack of polish and originality may leave players questioning its value.
Community and Support
- Multiplayer Features: The lack of multiplayer functionality limits the game’s appeal for those who enjoy co-op or PvP.
- Community Engagement: Game Science has been transparent with updates, but their limited interaction with the global gaming community feels like a missed opportunity.
- Customer Support: Customer support options are unclear, especially for players outside of China.
Pros and Cons
Strengths:
- Visually stunning graphics with meticulous attention to detail.
- Faithful representation of Chinese mythology and folklore.
- Unique setting and premise compared to most action RPGs.
Weaknesses:
- Uneven and derivative gameplay lacking originality.
- Significant performance and optimization issues.
- Underdeveloped narrative with poor pacing and fragmented storytelling.
- Repetitive quest design and lack of variety in enemies.
- Poor translation and inconsistent voice acting quality.
Conclusion
Black Myth: Wukong is an ambitious project that showcases the incredible potential of indie developers to create visually breathtaking worlds. However, its flaws in gameplay, narrative, and performance prevent it from living up to the immense hype surrounding it. While the game’s stunning presentation may appeal to fans of Chinese mythology, it lacks the polish and innovation necessary to stand out in the saturated action RPG market.
