Black Myth: Wukong

Beautiful game. The skills are well implemented and give Wukong personality, the music is also really good. The journal was very helpful for understanding the characters and bosses. All the fights were amazing, but Mount Mei and the final battle were on another level, I hope we can see something similar in the future. +15 social credit

Black Myth: Wukong is a game I had been looking forward to for a long time, and after playing it, I can confidently say it’s one of the best games I’ve experienced. The game is visually stunning, and its rich use of Chinese mythology combined with excellent combat mechanics makes it stand-out The story itself isn't a direct classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West". Instead, it's what-if interpretation of the Monkey King. This fresh take on the story makes it feels much more unique and refreshing. While Journey to the West is a great story, it has been adapted many times before, so this new take is a welcome change. The gameplay combat is definitely the highlight of the game. It's fast-paced, responsive and not as hard as souls-like games. In fact, if you were to overlevel your character. You can actually steam-roll through the game. The boss fights in particular feels really well designed. It's fun, rewarding and satisfying In terms of the world-design. It's breathtaking, building on Unreal Engine 5. It does suffers from occassional stutters but can't be deny that the world feels really alive. From temples to forest and mountains. Every location feels "alive" and are design with details. The environment really compliments well with the gameplay Let's not forget about the sound-design because it's equally as impressive. The OST is a blend of traditional chinese and modern elements creating an atmosphere that feels really engaging. The music enhances the overall experience of the gameplay The game is easily [b]10/10[/b] for me. From it's immersive storyline to it's well layed out world-design. This game is definitely your cup of tea if you're into Chinese Mythology or RPG exploration-ish games. It isn't in the same ball-park as Souls-Like game due to it's linear structure and overall more forgiving combat. But the game does have sprinkles of souls-like derived or inspired elements. Highly recommend and I'm excited for their upcoming Black Myth series

[h3] Good game, has a couple major issues that hold it back from greatness. One hell of a first try, but definitely not GOTY 2024.[/h3] [quote=] [b]TLDR:[/b] [list] [*] Spectacular visuals. A massive amount of unique, yet well-designed bosses (80+) that rarely repeat putting Elden Ring to shame. [*] Cool lore bits, secrets, and side missions, although they vary in quality. Sweet Wukong powers and meaningful gear system reward replayability. [*] Respect for not bending the knee to Western weirdos. Why should a game set in the world of Chinese mythology care about non-Chinese representation? Ah stupidity, it's bottomless, innit? [*] Over reliance on the basic X,X,X/Square,Square,Square combo for everything along with tanky bosses make the combat tedious. No projectile weapons of any sort to deal with airborne enemies is a humongous oversight. [/list] [/quote] [h3]Positives[/h3] [list] [*] Godlike animations and animation transitions. Top-tier production values. [*] Pure quality on several bosses and mini bosses that offer a decent challenge. [*] Assume forms of defeated enemies (with unique movesets) to fight other enemies? DOPE. [*] Value for money at full price. Doesn't have millions of paid DLC and season passes, which I appreciate. [*] Shout out to the gorgeous cutscenes at the end of every major chapter. Their artstyle? Breathtaking! [/list] [h3]Negatives[/h3] [list] [*] [b]Major issue #1:[/b] The basic combo is THE core combat = boredom. Uber powerful too and you're gonna be mashing that sucker billions of times even to build meter for more unique moves. There are three stances, but they are a formality - nowhere as deep as Nioh, or even Ghost of Tsushima. [*] [b]Major issue #2:[/b] Zero projectile weapons. The previews showed our character throw the staff/"power pole" that boomerangs back, but nothing of that sort exists. Makes the combat frustrating af since the game has airborne enemies and too many bosses just run away or backoff making you run awkwardly toward or wait until they get closer. [*] Art design is competent, but the level design is extremely simple. How can you make a game with a monkey and utterly fail at platforming? I didn't even see a damn interactable ladder here! [*] Oh yeah, the classic: UE5 nonsense. The game runs ok, but only with DLSS or other fake tech. [/list] [h3]Annoyance(s)[/h3] [list] [*] Most common enemies are trash. They are also recycled. [*] The game assumes you to be familiar with Journey to the West. I know a little bit from watching a couple movies, but I didn't get quite a bit of lore. Should've been touched on. [*] Confusing verbiage on some skills. Takes trial and error to know what they do. A training mode would've helped as well. [*] Holy f**k, 130+ Gigs! Invest in compression next time, people. [/list]