Lovely visuals and lively boss fights earn praise for the Monkey King.
Black Myth: Wukong earned plenty of buzz with its reveal in 2020, seemingly emerging from nowhere with impressive art and cinematic action sequences. Now, after four years of glimpses, teasers, and studio controversies, Black Myth reviews are in the wild, and it looks like developer Game Science has delivered a hit.
In our Black Myth: Wukong review, Tyler Colp called Wukong “one of the most joyful action RPGs I’ve played,” which overcomes its technical stumbles by virtue of its acrobatic, sorcerous combat and the charismatic cast of creatures that populate its vibrant retelling of Journey to the West. Critics elsewhere seem to agree, with reviews praising Wukong’s journey through cinematic boss fights and gorgeous scenery, even if there was some fumbling along the way.
Here’s what other reviewers are saying about Black Myth: Wukong.
“Incredibly frustrating on occasion, but it’s an overall rock-solid RPG”
GamesRadar+: 4/5
Where Wukong’s been commonly compared with the Souls games, GamesRadar’s Austin Wood found the modern God of War games a better point of comparison for the Chinese ARPG’s progression and structure. After praising the game’s world—with a few asterisks for occasional level design friction—Wood said that, while the combat suffers somewhat from a standard light attack combo that never gets more elaborate, Wukong “is at its best in boss fights,” most of which are “real spectacles.”
“A sense of balletic elegance to its best boss fights”
GameSpot: 8/10
Like Wood at GamesRadar, Richard Wakeling at GameSpot called Wukong’s bosses the clear highlight of the experience, writing that “triumphant boss battles and fast-paced combat make up for the stale moments in between.” Outside of fights, however, Wakeling said it suffers from “bland level design and a scarcity of enemies,” but those lows pale in comparison to the cinematic highs of its best battles.
“An interesting and exciting reimagining of one of East Asia’s most popular myths”
Siliconera: 8/10
At Siliconera, Kazuma Hashimoto celebrated the clear effort that went into realizing Wukong as a rich retelling of Journey to the West, from its incorporation of traditional Chinese aesthetics to the unlockable calligraphic illustrations. Despite some frame drops and stutters, Hashimoto said he felt rewarded by Wukong’s demanding combat, which “expects you to make use of all of the tools at your disposal.”
“Game Science has managed to pull off the impossible”
Polygon: Unscored
For Jason Rodriguez at Polygon, Black Myth: Wukong is an achievement: a compelling, thoughtful, and evocative reimagining of the “timeless classic” of Journey to the West. Its story, Rodrigeuz said, “is woven like fine tapestry” from cultural tradition: a work of beautiful imagery, “gratifying” side activities, and excellent enemy designs.
“I can’t quite believe it’s as good as its drip feed of screens and trailers looked”
Rock Paper Shotgun: Unscored
Wukong’s crowning achievement, according to Rock Paper Shotgun’s Ed Thorn, is that it manages to back up all the pre-release trailers that first grabbed our attention. “It’s been a while since I’ve played anything quite as impressive as this,” Thorn said, delighted by the surprise of its gorgeous presentation and nimble combat acrobatics.
“One of the most gorgeous games I’ve ever played”
IGN: 8/10
Mitchell Saltzman at IGN, like other reviewers, noted some substantial technical issues, citing crashes, audio issues, and a boss fight that reliably sent him plummeting through the geometry. Still, Saltzman said the game’s “strengths more than carry it through,” thanks to the tension of its “lightning-fast, twitch-reaction gameplay” and a setting that’s a feast for the senses.
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