While I wasn’t exactly doubting that Black Myth: Wukong would be a decent game, I was unprepared for how much fun the game has turned out to be. Seriously, with so many games failing to live up to what’s shown in the trailers, it’s genuinely shocking to come across one that surpasses them. This is a fantastic game that really needs to be played in order to get the full effect, and it feels really good to be able to say that.

Before going any further, I should clarify that I’m a big fan of the likes of Elden Ring, Bloodborne and Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty. That is, I enjoy the combination of exploration, indirect storytelling and, most importantly, tough-as-nails boss fights that they offer. If you don’t care for that stuff, especially the bosses, then Black Myth: Wukong is probably not going to be for you.

Okay, so where exactly does Black Myth: Wukong exceed expectations, yeah? There are a couple points, but I suppose I’ll start with the visuals. This is a very pretty game. Like maybe one of a select few that really look next-gen. Really, only this one, Returnal, Final Fantasy XVI and I suppose the Demon’s Souls remake have that “true” next generation (now current-gen) look to them in terms of sheer detail, I think.

The frequent use of particles, dynamic lighting, highly detailed dextures, beautiful environmental design and, most importantly a near-60fps framerate really make Black Myth: Wukong a stunning game to look at. Why haven’t we seen more of this yet?! We’re already four years into the current generation!

I’ll touch on story briefly because, like Elden Ring or Bloodborne, there really isn’t all that much explicit story. You’re a monkey on a journey to revive Sun Wukong (The Monkey King) or reclaim his legacy, and you face a world that’s been slowly deteriorating ever since his fall. All the details are found in dialog, item descriptions or brief narrations between chapters. So, yeah it’s not story-rich like say Dragon Age: Origins was, but there’s a great sense of atmosphere and a lot of lore to chew on for those who like that storytelling style.

The true star of Black Myth: Wukong, for me, is the combat. In the videos it looks like the basic soulsborne combat: all about timing and whittling enemies down slowly rather than tanking damage and oblitering them. And, yeah, that is the foundation of it. You’ve got to learn bosses, pick your moments and use your resources wisely in order to come out ahead fo rthe most part. This part is executed almost flawlessly; enemies hit hard and you must be fairly precise with how you time your dodges, and it feels just as natural as it does in a Fromsoft game!

Boss fights can be frustrating, but they have that jey quality of not feeling unfair once you understand them. You can almost always get right back into the fight and can keep building your knowledge and timing until you win. You also get all the tools you need to do it. Black Myth: Wukong lets you respec all aspects of your character and equipment for free as often as you want! If something isn’t working, you can change it right away with no penalty!

The bosses continue to get grander in scale too while advancing in difficulty. Crucially, that difficulty comes from confronting the player with new moves and tactics rather than simply being a beefier, harder-hitting version of something that came before. Each fight is a puzzle to solve, and the solution is the unique sequence of timed dodges and strategic use of magic, transformations and counters that’ll bring victory.

I’m not sure yet what I would rate Black Myth: Wukong out of 10 yet, but right now its score would be pretty high, and I’m confident I’ll be talking about it with my friends until at least the end of the year. Seriously, if you like these sorts of games, this one is probably a very safe purchase.

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Have you tried Black Myth: Wukong? What games have exceeded your expectations recently?

Image from the Steam page