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

[Spork3245]

17 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

I just googled it and the game is apparently told over 6 chapters, yet she only played 2 of them and is making assertions on what is and is not included in the whole game? 
 

yeah that really does read like rage bait. Lazy, Anita Sarkeesian, levels of rage baiting. lol

I didn’t read the review, but did she only play two or did she only talk about two? The embargo limits reviewers to only discussing the first two chapters according to the IGN review.

[Bacon]

I didn't even read the review or know that there was a "campaign" against anyone. I just saw a comment on reddit about the screen rant review. I just thought it was funny that in the mystical Chinese furry game, one of the top 3 cons was literally lack of diversity. And it is funny. I still haven't read the review. I just posted it cuz Wade was dumb and wrong.

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

21 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

On the other hand the brigade against her, posting her picture and saying, "praise china screw LGBTQ" is also not a great look. I wonder which one is worse. 🤔

 

one can be worse without either being good. 
 

16 minutes ago, Spork3245 said:

I didn’t read the review, but did she only play two or did she only talk about two? The embargo limits reviewers to only discussing the first two chapters according to the IGN review.

I don’t know, but she claims there isn’t any diversity or female characters because there weren’t any in chapters 1 and 2. And if you can only review chapters 1 and 2, and there is more available then it’s not a review. At best it is a first impressions. 
 

It’s a whole other thing if she could say that the developers removed all the female characters from the source material. But she can’t seem to say that. So I guess she’s just upset that in the first two chapters the developer didn’t gender swap any of them just because it is 2024. So? 

[Spork3245]

18 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

And if you can only review chapters 1 and 2, and there is more available then it’s not a review.

To clarify my previous reply: reviewers have the entire game and (unless they’re a shitty reviewer) are reviewing the entire game, they just cannot discuss anything past chapter 2. IGN noted this as the reviewer said that most of the bugs and issues he experienced were in later chapters and because of the embargo it’s difficult to express those issues.

It’s very possible that the reviewer you’re talking about is just lazy and literally just stopped at the end of the second chapter, though.

[Spork3245]

43 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

On the other hand the brigade against her, posting her picture and saying, "praise china screw LGBTQ" is also not a great look. I wonder which one is worse. 🤔

Just because one thing is worse doesn’t mean the other is good. This mentality has become common and really needs to stop.

[Bacon]

[Xbob42]

 

 

lol "feminist propaganda" guess we know who made this game.

[skillzdadirecta]

What the fuck is feminist propaganda?

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

No “feminist propaganda” lol what does that even fucking mean? Employed women who can beat the game need not stream? 
 

that entire bullet point and the next 2 others just screams “China gonna China”

[Bacon]

1 minute ago, skillzdadirecta said:

What the fuck is feminist propaganda?

Do you view women as fuckable meat or human beings?

 

If you think women are human beings, then you are part of the feminist propaganda machine.

[nublood]

I’m just sticking my head in here ignoring the rest of the thread and reviews. Preordered and going in blind. 

[TwinIon]

It seems like the feminist propaganda stuff is pretty much, “don’t mention any of this”

 

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

WWW.IGN.COM

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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.

 

I came across this podcast via Reddit, where some game reviewers are discussing the embargo and release situation around this game. (~1:47 mark)

 

Even if you set aside all the weirdness around what they’re asking for in reviews, it definitely sounds like this game could have some Cyberpunk levels of tech issues at launch. Game looks interesting, but I don’t see any need for a pre-order (as ever).

[skillzdadirecta]

This game went from day one buy for me to "pick up when cheap... if ever" 

[Keyser_Soze]

It's interesting that a game like Stellar Blade came out earlier this year and these "people" got angry that a reviewer said the girl is too hot. Now those people are mad that someone said there are no girls. So make up your mind. Is

 

As I said it's a valid criticism as someone who saw The Forbidden Kingdom somewhat recently, which deals with the monkey king. It did have people in prominent female roles (and they weren't just rocks). Li Bingbing was in it, one of the reasons I wanted to see it. So the disappointment would be understandable and I don't think an unrealistic expectation. Yes women can be in Monke game.

 

Are the Ponies looking for a W that hard? You guys got Astro Bot coming out later, you don't need to defend what seems like a nice looking above average game.

 

4 hours ago, skillzdadirecta said:

This game went from day one buy for me to "pick up when cheap... if ever" 

 

I mean you posted that exact same article yourself and was on board till now?

[skillzdadirecta]

27 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

I mean you posted that exact same article yourself and was on board till now

Well maybe the fact that the game seems to have a bunch of technical issues AND the fact that no one has seen the PS5 version (the version I would be playing) ON TOP of the fact that these dudes seem to be adolescent chuds influenced my decision a teeny little bit... I can wait to play this. Woke Star Wars comes out a week later and that's more my speed being a liberal snowflake and all 

[Dexterryu]

I haven't played or purchased the game yet and have read just enough reviews to know that I will be waiting until some tech issues get patched before I do.

That said, regarding the message to reviewers... China is a very different country, both culturally, politically, and definitely from a diversity/feminist perspective. Games that are developed there  are going to reflect cultural difference.

If those cultural issues bother you, then you should opt to not buy the game. Journalists and individuals complaining about it are not really going to accomplish anything beyond stirring up controversy because the developer probably won't care because they are from a culture that views those topics differently.

[Dodger]

I was all about to pre order but I need to see the PS5 version isn't a broken mess first. I give two shits about gaming "controversies" anymore  I just want to make sure the game isn't broken jank on the platform I'll be playing it on. 

[skillzdadirecta]

25 minutes ago, Dexterryu said:

I haven't played or purchased the game yet and have read just enough reviews to know that I will be waiting until some tech issues get patched before I do.

That said, regarding the message to reviewers... China is a very different country, both culturally, politically, and definitely from a diversity/feminist perspective. Games that are developed there  are going to reflect cultural difference.

If those cultural issues bother you, then you should opt to not buy the game. Journalists and individuals complaining about it are not really going to accomplish anything beyond stirring up controversy because the developer probably won't care because they are from a culture that views those topics differently.

This is a lame argument that I've been hearing from apologists of bad behaivior in other countries for decades. Japan got a pass for all of its racist bullshit until they woke up and realized that their products are consumed by more than JUST Japanese people. I wonder if you would be making this same argument if the game was developed in say... the Middle East and the same issues came up? The fact that China may behind the Western World when it comes to certain issues regarding equality and social justice is no excuse to give it a pass especially  from people who purport to be "journalists". The article explains that there ARE Chinese female developers in the country and that this company has a bad reputation even amongst THEM. Chinese feminists are the ones bringing this up and just like feminists in other countries they deserve to be heard and not disregarded because "China is a culturally different county". We can use that excuse to justify any injustice we see in other countries if that's the case.

 

That said, I'm delaying on buying the game largely because of the technical issues and the fact that I haven't heard anything regarding the platform I would be playing on. The fact that these guys come across as weird, Eastern incels makes the decision a bit easier for me to be honest. I have plenty of games to play right now and as much as I was looking forward to this and as big a fan I am of Chinese folk lore and culture, I'll live.

[Bacon]

So many companies and brands do so much awful shit that I really don't care other than if the product is good. I've read many Chinese web novels where the authors have publically stated they hate Americans lol. The anti-women shit is bad but I'm a gamer so I would ignore that and get the game because I want to play it. I mean, if I didn't get it for free I prolly never would have even tried it since there wasn't a demo. I've yet to be impressed. Lies of P had me the same way until the demo. I had zero real interest. I almost didn't DL the demo, but I'm glad I did.

 

Anyway, despite the devs being Gamers™, the lack of PS5 reviews is a great reason to avoid it. Shit is sketchy.

[Xbob42]

"Culture" is never a shield for shitty behavior, just a lame excuse.

Americans should already know this, because we receive no quarter from Europeans and other regions about our own behavior, as it should be.

[unogueen]

. A lot took place huh.

Criticism is fine. Criticism is a firm function that is very useful. A lot of cultural problems with the maga movement was the death of shame (which is why calling them weird is so effective). Yes, women's rights are often in an awful state across. And if the problem is culture, it should be fought with culture.

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

lol this makes me want to set up a streaming account just to break every one if their rules. 

[unogueen]

Just now, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

lol this makes me want to set up a streaming account just to break every one if their rules. 

Aren't those free?

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

14 minutes ago, unogueen said:

Aren't those free?

Not really about the price. More about the time setting it all up and having to talk shit while playing the game. 

[unogueen]

20 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

Not really about the price. More about the time setting it all up and having to talk shit while playing the game. 

No worries.

[Bacon]

39 minutes ago, Spawn_of_Apathy said:

lol this makes me want to set up a streaming account just to break every one if their rules. 

normal streamers who bought the game on their own and aren't sponsored don't have to follow those rules

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Black Myth: Wukong truly delivers a stunning high-end PC experience

WWW.EUROGAMER.NET

---

Digital Foundry delivers optimised settings for the PC version of Black Myth: Wukong. How does the game hold up on PC with RT features and how's performance?

 

Quote

 

From the moment the game starts up, it's clear that Game Science has delivered a level of graphical fidelity that surpasses that of the initial trailer. The dazzling intro to the game dazzles, with titanic mythical beings looming over you and an entire area replete with unique volumetric rendering that's unfortunately rare in the modern age.

 

With each and every dash, staff swipe and bit of movement, the main character and his nemesis distort and move the physical volume of fog that they find themselves in. Beyond Housemarque's Returnal and some legacy PhysX titles, real physicalised particles like this are rare, and Game Science made sure to use this GPU-intensive effect effectively to add a mystical flourish to game moments and character entrances.

 

 

Quote

 

The areas you move through in Black Myth: Wukong are also a real highlight of the game's presentation - and there are a number of technical components which really bring them all together. The first is an Unreal Engine 5 hallmark, Nanite, which allows surfaces and architecture to display a very high level of geometric detail. At an average camera height and distance in the game, you would find it tricky to to discover any geometric edges on almost any surface due to Nanite's automatic and ever-changing level of detail (LOD). This also prevents intrusive pop-in from LOD changes on almost all of the geometry in the game, providing a more stable presentation than prior-gen titles.

 

Unfortunately, Nanite isn't used for foliage - likely a consequence of development on UE 5.0 rather than 5.1 that added this feature - so bushes, shrubbery and leaves showcase more traditional LOD changes as you approach them.

 

This also has a knock-on effect, namely that the game forgoes using Virtual Shadow Maps (VSMs) unless you're using the full RT option. VSMs are much more expensive when used on non-Nanite geometry and there's plenty of foliage in most areas, so the excision of VSMs is logical. As a result, without Full RT on, there are more shadow issues than in other UE5 titles. There's a very distinct shadow cascade line you can see on shadows near the main character, and any shadows after a certain distance tend to heavily blob out or show other instabilities. I presume this will affect the PS5 version as well, but thankfully if you have an ultra-high-end PC you can use the Full RT option to solve this particular issue at the expense of some degree of performance.

 

In spite of these minor negative aspects of the presentation, Nanite allows the game's assets to be seen at their best; it's the foundation upon which the game's extremely dense environments are built upon. The glue holding the environment together though is the ray tracing: without using full RT, the game utilises software Lumen on PC for diffuse global illumination and specular reflections. With Full RT on, ReSTIR-based path tracing adds in extra lighting detail.

 

A huge portion of the game takes place out of direct sunlight, and thanks to Lumen or path tracing, all of the craggy overhangs, shadowy corners and sun-lit entrances look incredible. The indirect lighting detail is generally superb, and I feel a number of areas wouldn't work without the use of RT to complete the lighting. This is another solid Lumen showcase, that's for sure.

 

 

Quote

 

The full RT setting enhances the lighting further, with improvements to the diffuse lighting seen on rougher surfaces. As the full RT path utilises very high-quality geometry instead of signed distance fields (SDFs), it can show off more fine detail like smaller plants or leaves that are otherwise only captured in screen-space and therefore can look monotone in shading or somewhat undershaded. With full RT, nearly all of the fine detail geometry is there and being ray traced against, so you will see fine detail shadowing or bounce lighting within such plants, making them better situated in their surroundings for a higher-fidelity final look. If you take the time to breathe in the environments, this is a great addition.

 

Another visual upgrade from full RT comes in the form of less overdarkening, as SDFs are so blobby that bigger sparse things like trees tend to over-obscure light, giving some areas an overly dark look. With full RT, the greater accuracy means less over-darkening and more sky lighting coming through, often brightening up those areas with per-pixel precision. This difference is subtle though, and without side-by-side comparisons software Lumen is able to pass for full RT in this respect.

 

The bigger difference with full RT regards reflections. Rougher materials like stone are more accuractely represented as the tracing is done with fewer simplifications, often allowing you to see more surface detail in any given scene. The biggest difference though is found on water. With software Lumen, the majority of reflection detail is captured with SSR, so characters and particles are missing from reflections, while objects reflected outside of screen space are blobby and update slowly. You also get disocclusion artefacts when objects on-screen are obscured.

 

Full RT solves the majority of these screen-space limitations, removing disocclusion artefacts and ensuring reflections are fully populated with characters and effects and update at full rate. With the character jumping, absolute zero issues there with him obscuring the background - no disappearing reflections. I only found one instance where the geometry being traced against was misaligned with what was being reflected, with a tree appearing with missing branches in reflection, but this didn't affect the same tree model in later areas. This is great, as it means the full RT option in this game nearly always looks superior to software Lumen without any glaring areas of oversight or trade-offs.

 

The final addition in the full RT mode is real-time ray-guided caustics. Any water body in the game essentially shows off a dynamic caustic effect, where light is redirected by the water surface. That means you can see water relighting the area around it, or undulating patterns on riverbeds that align with the water's surface deformation. Your character's movements in water change the caustic presentation too, making it morph and ripple just like the water above. It absolutely elevates the water's presentation in my eyes and makes a number of the boss fights look extra special as all of the animations cause these secondary animation effects in the environment due to the caustics moving around.

The difference versus software lumen depends on how depth of the water and how much it's in shadow; a well-lit shallow pool's caustics contribute a lot more lighting to the scene, dramatically changing the water's appearance. Real-time caustic lighting is very rare in games, and I applaud the developers for adding it in a way which enhances the presentation in such a meaningful way.

 

 

[Bacon]

[Bacon]

I'm unpacking, but I'm sleepy. I'll play tomorrow.

[Best]

8 minutes ago, Bacon said:

I'm unpacking, but I'm sleepy. I'll play tomorrow.

 

It's gunna be a visual treat my friend. 

[Bacon]

I am going to do a bit of setup and shader thing or whatever so I don't have to do it tomorrow

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

1.2 million concurrent players on Steam and rising.

 

Just a moment...

STEAMDB.INFO

[thedarkstark]

Everyone is obviously free to not play it for personal/political/whatever reason but being up in arms about it always has the opposite of the intended outcome (Streisand effect). Look at Hogwarts, it sold a billion copies.

 

Seee Wades comment above^ over 1.2 mill day 1.

[Keyser_Soze]

Hogwarts was always going to sell a billion copies. It's a Harry Potter ip.

[thedarkstark]

13 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

Hogwarts was always going to sell a billion copies. It's a Harry Potter ip.

I think for a boycott to be effective the intended audience has to already care about the issue at hand a great deal.  And let's face it on the whole gamers aren't exactly known to be bastions of morality on issues pertaining to womens and trans rights.

 

That's obviously painting with broad strokes and not to say there aren't plenty of good people among us, but gamergate wasn't all that long ago. Asmongold has already made like 4 videos trashing ign and threatening to ruin their lives if given the opportunity (his words) for their wukong article.