General Gaming Black Myth: Wukong (PC/PS5/Xbox Series) - update (09/02): Xbox version delay reportedly due to "prioritization" of PS5 version

[skillzdadirecta]

Based on what I've seen so far, the combat could INDEED surpass the Souls games if it feels as good to play as it looks. Also, if the game is relatively short for this type of game, it allows them to focus more on a tighter more refined experience than trying to fill up an open world game that's gonna last 70+ hours. I'm beyond hyped for this.

[stepee]

I almost want this to be good for skillz more so than for myself :P

[skillzdadirecta]

2 hours ago, stepee said:

I almost want this to be good for skillz more so than for myself :P

I've always favored Chinese Wuxia and Mythology over Feudal Japan (even though I love that setting too) so all of these Chinese based games coming out is a dream come true for me. They seem to have gotten a lot right for this game but I'm still cautiously optimistic. I can see room for improvement in some areas particuarly the camera and some of the animations... Monkey looks like he's skating as opposed to running sometimes particularly when he changes direction while running forward... Also I'm a little concerned about the length. These are minor nitpicks though and I'm definitely there day one whenever this releases. I love action games, Souls games AND Chinese Mythology sooo 

[Keyser_Soze]

A lot of games combat surpasses the Souls game, that's not really a sign of anything. The appeal of souls games isnt' the combat either it's the world building.

Nioh has amazing combat but the rest of the game not as good as an actual Souls game.

 

 

12 hours ago, stepee said:

I almost want this to be good for skillz more so than for myself :P

 

I'm not too concerned about him liking it. He's a lot like you or Phaseknox. If you put a game in his hands he will love it as if it's a gift from Jesus.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

[skillzdadirecta]

Black Myth: Wukong’s Combat Feels As Good as It Looks | gamescom 2023 - IGN

WWW.IGN.COM

---

Black Myth: Wukong feels just as good as it looks, with fast and responsive combat fuelling its dramatic boss encounters.

 

It does indeed feel as good as it looks apparently. I was really encouraged by this bit from the article

 

Quote

First, let’s address where Black Myth: Wukong sits along the action RPG spectrum. While it definitely falls under the soulslike umbrella thanks to its punishing centre-piece boss fights and bonfire-like checkpointing, Black Myth isn’t directly comparable to any FromSoft game. It sits somewhere between Sekiro and Bloodborne; it has the relentless speed of the former and emphasises evasive dodging much like the latter. But while the combat encounters pull on some of the same strings as the genre’s established titans, the actual act of fighting feels like its own slick beast.

 

That sounds great to me because from a gameplay Standpoint, those are my two favorite Souls games.

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

[EternallDarkness]

they need to start making some of these games with an ultra easy I'm old and my gaming reflexes are gone mode  

[Phaseknox]

On 8/26/2023 at 1:29 AM, Keyser_Soze said:

I'm not too concerned about him liking it. He's a lot like you or Phaseknox. If you put a game in his hands he will love it as if it's a gift from Jesus.

That only applies to me if it has a female protagonist. 

[skillzdadirecta]

How Black Myth: Wukong Developer’s History of Sexism Is Complicating its Journey to the West - IGN

WWW.IGN.COM

---

For an indie studio that has only released mobile titles within China, this widespread acclaim over Black Myth: Wukong is a largely unprecedented feat, particularly for a game that has not been released yet. But beneath the luster of this souls-like, Game Science is plagued by claims of sexism.

 

[Keyser_Soze]

Those texts are pretty yikes. Glad I was never hyped for this

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

[stepee]

It looks like @skillzdadirecta may be redeemed with this one - looking wild.

[skillzdadirecta]

8 minutes ago, stepee said:

It looks like @skillzdadirecta may be redeemed with this one - looking wild.

I didn't realize I needed to be redeemed... the only people talking this game down were folks on this board. Everyone else who had actually played it thought quite highly of it 

[stepee]

18 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

I didn't realize I needed to be redeemed... the only people talking this game down were folks on this board. Everyone else who had actually played it thought quite highly of it 

 

Just meant it looks like you were right vs us in the thread who were skeptical!

[skillzdadirecta]

One thing I did hear was that the game isn't open world, it's broken up into levels which are somewhat short and that the highlight of each level are the boss fights. The game sounds pretty linear and short. Gameplay is solid though with some saying it's arguably one of the best playing action games of its type. That's based on the impressions I saw from a couple of youtubers who got to play it so take it with a grain of salt.

[Keyser_Soze]

 

[eventide11]

3 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Those animations are the epitome of uncanny valley. For me anyway. It's pretty amazing how far we've come since Tennis for Two

[Xbob42]

Everything about this game has always been really off-putting to me. For instance, the animations, instead of feeling natural at a higher framerate, feel like if they designed the game to replicate the look of a TV with frame interpolation turned on. In general the whole thing has a really... "fake game" feeling? I don't know how to describe it, but every time I watch footage I am less and less impressed and more confused.

[skillzdadirecta]

Day One.

[Bacon]

5 hours ago, Xbob42 said:

Everything about this game has always been really off-putting to me. For instance, the animations, instead of feeling natural at a higher framerate, feel like if they designed the game to replicate the look of a TV with frame interpolation turned on. In general the whole thing has a really... "fake game" feeling? I don't know how to describe it, but every time I watch footage I am less and less impressed and more confused.

Yeah. To me, it still looks like some kind of Unreal Engine tech demo rather than a real game.

[stepee]

20 minutes ago, skillzdadirecta said:

Day One.

 

Yeppp, I’m fully on the hype train now. I agree with what some people are saying it looks very..strange but to me in a way that is exciting, it doesn’t look quite like anything else to me.

[SuperSpreader]

The animations just look like eastern animation styles 🤷‍♂️ metal gear and other games from the region have similar animation styles

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Black Myth Wukong won't be on Xbox at launch

WWW.EUROGAMER.NET

---

Black Myth Wukong won't be available on Xbox at launch. The Soulslike game from Chinese developer Game Science is now a…

 

Quote

 

Black Myth Wukong won't be available on Xbox at launch.

 

The Soulslike game from Chinese developer Game Science is now available to pre-order ahead of its release on 20th August this year, as announced at tonight's Summer Game Fest with a fresh trailer (see below).

 

However, an FAQ for pre-orders states this release date is only for PS5 and PC as the Xbox version needs more time for optimisation.

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

PC system requirements:

 

[stepee]

130gb for a most likely kinda short linear game huh. Gonna have some killer texture work! Looks a little woke tho.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

My first 2 hours with Black Myth: Wukong were a flurry of demanding boss fights, unbelievably pretty characters, and a surprisingly sparse world | PC Gamer

WWW.PCGAMER.COM

---

Hands-on with the most anticipated soulslike not developed by FromSoftware.

 

Quote

 

My two hour demo at Summer Game Fest, which was the first time Black Myth: Wukong has been playable, centered around the Black Wind Mountain, an early area in the game adapted from a chapter of the same name. I'm not familiar with author Wu Chen'en's original vision of Black Wind Mountain, but Game Science's rendering is stuffed with wolflike henchmen, big-headed golem babies, and a gauntlet of challenging bosses.

 

Even as I steered Wukong toward a dozen early deaths, none of the handful of boss fights I found made me want to chuck the controller across Los Angeles—maybe because it was easy to dust myself off and try again when I never woke up more than 15 or 20 seconds away from where I died. Wukong's streamlined moveset reinforced my patience, too. Combat is narrowly focused on a single weapon, the monkey king's magical staff, a dodge button, and quick-use spells with cooldowns. It's closest to Sekiro and Bloodborne in this way, and yet there's no block or parry (at least not early on).

 

Two hours isn't enough time to get a full read on what seems like a pretty big game, but some key facts souls likers will want to know:

• Wukong's staff is his sole weapon
• Boss fights are most of the game (at least so far)
• The spaces between bosses are small, and not particularly exciting
• Wukong heals with a single flask limited by uses
• Black Myth has a traditional combo system, with later moves executed by linking heavy attacks into light combos

That combo system may prove to be the standout feature of Wukong's combat. It's not as simple as mixing light and heavy attacks. Landing light attacks builds up Focus points (name subject to change, according to Game Science)—I could bank up to two at a time in the demo, but I imagine it's upgradeable. Using heavy attacks consumes Focus, but if you're out of points, heavy attacks can still be triggered in a pinch by charging them up first.

 

 

 

 

 

Black Myth: Wukong – Hands-On With an Impressive First 2 Hours - IGN

WWW.IGN.COM

---

Black Myth Wukong is shaping up to be yet another promising soulslike. Our hands-on impressions after playing through the first two hours.

 

Quote

 

Even at just an early stage, combat was a fun dance of actively looking for opportunities to avoid enemy attacks and find openings to attack, keeping an eye on my focus meter so I could use a damaging heavy attack whenever I had a chance, while also managing my mana and cooldown for my immobilize spell. Eventually I got my first transformation, which turns Wukong into an absolute beast, with much stronger attacks, and a hugely damaging super attack that he can use out of a dodge if he manages to build up a focus point. One of his moves in this transformation is a lightning fast dash attack that made me feel like I had basically turned into the boss that I got the transformation from.

 

Later on I added another tool to my repertoire: the tower stance, which swapped out my chargeable overhead strong attack for the ability to stand on my staff and avoid damage on the ground as long as my stamina held out. If I managed to stay on the staff long enough for a focus point to charge, I could spend it to leap off the staff, flip it around, and come crashing down with a powerful strike that felt incredibly cool to pull off.

 

 

 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Black Myth: Wukong hands-on preview: Easily among the best and best-looking action RPGs I've played in years | GamesRadar+

WWW.GAMESRADAR.COM

---

Hands-on preview | Black Myth: Wukong impresses with sharp combat and a wondrous world

 

Quote

 

Black Myth: Wukong developer Game Science just calls this game an action RPG. It specifically doesn't call it a Soulslike, and I kind of see what it means. This is a game where you fight plentiful bosses, dodge a lot while budgeting stamina, and rest at bonfire-esque checkpoints to refill your upgradeable healing flask. But is that all that defines a Soulslike? I would say no, partly because a lot of game developers have told me as much. And this is also a game with skill trees, color-coded gear rarities, one main weapon, and more linear level design, which all clash with the Souls bible (FromSoftware's black sheep Sekiro notwithstanding). 

 

That's based on two hours with a slightly condensed Summer Game Fest demo that's highly subject to change, but Black Myth: Wukong feels more like the modern God of War games and less like Dark Souls so far. It also feels great to play, looks stupidly good in motion, and might be the best action RPG I've experienced since Lies of P. 

 

 

 

Black Myth: Wukong Preview - A Journey To The Unknown

WWW.CGMAGONLINE.COM

---

Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong offers a faithful adaptation of Journey to the West with challenging combat and stunning visuals.

 

Quote

 

To put it bluntly, Black Myth: Wukong is one of the best-looking games I’ve ever played. Built on Unreal Engine 5, the environments are lush and detailed, from misty forests to snow-capped mountains to ancient temples. The character models, especially the various beasts and demons that Wukong battles, are intricately designed and beautifully animated, bringing the many creatures to life in a way I have never seen before. Running the game on a high-rez display with ray tracing is a visual feast, one that, from the first scene involving a peace, I could not believe I was playing a game and not just watching the latest big-budget CGI movie.

 

It is clear that the creators love the source material and are making the game with care in every aspect they bring to the game. From the way you experience the world to the many bosses and creatures you encounter, Black Myth: Wukong wears its inspiration on its sleeve, helping to bring the mythical and wondrous world to life in amazing ways. 

 

 

 

Don't call Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike | Digital Trends

WWW.DIGITALTRENDS.COM

---

Black Myth: Wukong's developers don't exactly see it as a Soulslike. After playing an impressive demo at Summer Game Fest, we can see why.

 

Quote

 

As for whether or not it’s fair to call it a Soulslike, that’s going to be a bit of a Rorschach test for players. There’s no corpse run system, though players do lose half their currency when dying. There are shrines, which act as bonfire checkpoints, but they aren’t used to level up characters with collected resources. Instead, the character levels up with experience points like in a normal RPG and earns skill points that can be spent on abilities. It’s a bit in-between genres, which puts it in the same spot as this year’s Stellar Blade.

 

For those who do want a proper Souslike, though, don’t worry. My demo was filled with incredibly difficult bosses that wiped the floor with me. One battle against a human in a lake had me dodging watery explosions and attack strings that went on and on. That battle even had a fake-out second phase. I got ambushed by a frog boss when casually walking through a pond, while a giant creature with a baby-like head punished me for daring to attack it. Fights like that are still tough as nails, though tools like my time-freezing magic alleviate the difficulty a bit. There’s always a way to gain an advantage in battle if you time your skills as a means of avoiding a big hit.

 

As someone who has a love-hate relationship with the Souls trend, Black Myth: Wukong feels more my speed. It still offers all the challenges of the genre, but with less frustration and more creative action. Combine that with a visually inviting world steeped in Chinese mythology, and you’ve got a promising action RPG on the horizon.

 

 

 

Hands On: Black Myth: Wukong Is A Transformative Action RPG

WWW.PUREXBOX.COM

---

It's a peach. - Pure Xbox's Craig Reid has spent the past few days at Summer Game Fest in Los Angeles, where he's had a chance to preview a series of upcomin...

 

Quote

 

At first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking Black Myth: Wukong was a soulslike game. There are a lot of similarities to Dark Souls. Vanquish an enemy? Gain willpower (souls). Need to replenish health? Drink from your gourd (flasks)... you get the idea. Black Myth: Wukong draws a lot from the genre, but in actuality is more comparable to an action RPG. Game Science opted for a more traditional skill tree instead of tying character abilities to weapons and armour. Stances are unlocked by reaching levels and enhanced by spending earnable sparks on foundation skills or stance upgrades. Also, rather than punish the player for dying, it encourages strength and power with an awesome amount of named boss fights. Black Myth definitely feels easier than your traditional soulslike, but strikes a solid balance between that and an action RPG.

 

Now, there’s plenty more we’d love to say about Black Myth: Wukong, but considering the game is still in active development and subject to change, we’d prefer to wait until its full release before definitively expressing how we feel. And before you ask, whilst we shared a room with a handful of developers and PR for Game Science, we were advised that they wouldn't be discussing the recent delay to Black Myth: Wukong for Xbox Series X|S. We hope we won't be waiting too long, because if our two-hour session is indicative of the whole experience, this could potentially be in the running for GOTY - it’s that good.

 

 

 

 

Preview: Black Myth: Wukong Could Finally Be the Game Journey to the West Deserves

WWW.PUSHSQUARE.COM

---

Monkeying around - Developed by Chinese studio Game Science, Black Myth: Wukong has garnered a lot of attention since its unveiling back in 2020. After years...

 

Quote

 

We'd hesitate to call this a Soulslike — it's more Souls-adjacent, with some elements of that action game subgenre, but a touch more forgiving. Enemies, aside from bosses and mini-bosses, respawn when you die, and you can rest up at specific points within each location. However, you don't lose all your earned XP when defeated, instead simply losing a small percentage. You can pause whenever you like, too, and can upgrade yourself in the skill tree from the menu. The environment design feels more linear here, with some fairly wide spaces to explore but no sign of locations wrapping back onto themselves. In terms of difficulty, we'd say it still provides a very stern challenge, but Wukong's abilities give you a significant leg-up.

 

Hitting enemies with your basic combo builds up Will, which can then be spent using a heavy attack. If you land the hit, you'll gain back a small bit of health. Dodging is your main source of defence, with no block or parry in the demo. We had access to two of Wukong's three stances. Smash feels like the balanced, all-rounder type stance that'll serve you well with its simple combo and basic heavy slam attack. The other stance, Pillar, changes your main combo a little, but its big difference is the heavy; Wukong will climb to the top of his staff and it'll grow in size over time, getting you out of harm's way before you release it with a powerful smash. Both feel good to use, with the Pillar stance's heavy being particularly satisfying to land.

 

 

 

Hands-On Preview: Black Myth: Wukong Feels Like The Next Killer Soulslike

WWW.DUALSHOCKERS.COM

---

The game has all of the ingredients to become the next big thing.

 

Quote

 

Black Myth: Wukong is more Sekiro than it is Dark Souls or Elden Ring.

 

Rather than having the ability to level up certain aspects of my character, the game has a Talent Tree, which allowed me to increase my health and stamina and unlock different skills and abilities. Delightfully, these could be respec'd at any point when resting at one of the game's shrines, which are akin to bonfires, meaning if I was stuck on a boss, I could reallocate my skill points to better suit the challenge.

 

I mentioned earlier that the game's atmosphere closely resembled that of Sekiro, and the exploration felt the same. The game, at least from what I got to play, is pretty linear. There's a clear order of operations, and your next destination is well-telegraphed. However, exploration was definitely encouraged. Through heading off the beaten path, I discovered a bunch of different items, and an optional boss, the Wandering Wight, which kicked my ass time and time again. Thankfully, I was assured that I could fast travel from shrine to shrine, so coming back to this boss at a later date wouldn't be an issue.

 

 

 

Humbled By Black Myth: Wukong For 2 Excruciating Hours

WWW.THEGAMER.COM

---

Black Myth: Wukong is much more than yet another Dark Souls clone.

 

Quote

 

Combat has a very different flow from what you might be used to in this genre. Activating your light attack unleashes a flurry of quick, acrobatic hits that combo together several times before ending in a heavy finisher. The heavy attack (the default is a long-range, overhead slam) needs to be charged up before it can be used, either by holding the heavy attack button for a few seconds, or landing consecutive light attacks until you store a charge that you can unleash later on. The stamina gauge limits how much you can attack and dodge, though, so you can't just spam light attacks over and over. Even against weak enemies, fights require a lot of patience. It's all about building up your power and waiting for the right moment to unleash a string of devastating attacks on your opponent.

 

Wukong’s combat is all about resource management. On top of your health, stamina, and charge meter, you also have a magic resource used for spells. The first one I learned was a time stop that could freeze enemies in place. The spell itself has a cooldown after use, but you also spend some mana every time you use it, which can only be refilled by visiting a campsite.

 

 

[SuperSpreader]

These articles:

 

Don't call it Soulslike.

Soulslike.

Don't call it Soulslike. 

Soulslike.

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

3 minutes ago, SuperSpreader said:

These articles:

 

Don't call it Soulslike.

Soulslike.

Don't call it Soulslike. 

Soulslike.

 

I absolutely noticed that as well 

[SuperSpreader]

They're games writers not academics

[skillzdadirecta]

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

On 6/9/2024 at 1:26 PM, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

PC system requirements:

 

woah, 4K full ray tracing needs a 4080 Super? Wow! 
 

So what is it about the Xbox architecture that it needs more time or is harder to optimize for. Is just the Series S, because some games even struggle to run as good or better on the Series X as they do on PS5. So I am just wonder where MS went wrong with the series X  

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

2 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

So what is it about the Xbox architecture that it needs more time or is harder to optimize for. Is just the Series S, because some games even struggle to run as good or better on the Series X as they do on PS5. So I am just wonder where MS went wrong with the series X  

 

It's absolutely due to the Series S.