User:June.C.V/Black Myth: Wukong

"Black Myth" redirects here. For the live album by Sun Ra, see Black Myth/Out in Space.

Black Myth: Wukong
Developer(s)	Game Science
Publisher(s)	Game Science
Producer(s)	Feng Ji
Designer(s)	Jiang Baicun
Programmer(s)	Zhao Wenyong
Artist(s)	Yang Qi
Composer(s)	8082 Audio
Engine	Unreal Engine 5
Platform(s)	PlayStation 5 Windows Xbox Series X/S
Release	PlayStation 5, Windows August 20, 2024 Xbox Series X/S TBA
Genre(s)	Action role-playing
Mode(s)	Single-player

Black Myth: Wukong is a 2024 action role-playing game developed and published by Game Science. The game is inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West and follows an anthropomorphic monkey based on Sun Wukong from the novel.

Black Myth: Wukong was released for PlayStation 5 and Windows on August 20, 2024, with an Xbox Series X/S version to be released at a later date. The game received generally favorable reviews from critics and won Game of the Year awards. It sold 20 million units in its first month, making it one of the fastest-selling games of all time. An expansion for the game is planned for release.

Gameplay

[edit]

Black Myth: Wukong is an action role-playing game. It has elements characteristic to the Soulslike subgenre. The game is played in single-player mode from a third-person perspective.

The player controls the Destined One, a monkey protagonist based on Sun Wukong from the Journey to the West. The protagonist's weapon is a staff, which is based on the Ruyi Jingu Bang from the novel. The staff can extend and shrink in size during combat. The three staff stances—the smash, pillar, and thrust stance—provide versatility in fights. The combat mechanics involve resource management. Focus can be accumulated by landing light attacks, executing well-timed dodges, and other means. A focus point is gained when the meter for focus is filled up. These points can be used to initiate heavy attacks. A heavy attack can be executed on its own or as a varied combo, which is triggered during light attacks. Stamina is depleted by sprinting, dodging, and attacking.

Spells have cooldowns and consume mana. They are categorized in mysticism, alteration, strand, and transformations. The protagonist uses transformations to shapeshift into a different creature or being. An example is the transformation Red Tides, which takes the form of Guangzhi, a wolfman who wields a flaming glaive. The transformations come with their own movesets and health. They are available on cooldown, but do not cost mana. They last until their might, which is depleted by attacking, or health runs out.

Spirits provide a skill and passive effect if they are equipped. Defeated yaoguai chiefs may leave behind their spirits, which are acquired if they are absorbed into a gourd. Spirit skills function as transformations to do a unique attack. Qi is used to activate spirit skills. An example of a spirit is the Wandering Wight, who does a headbutt attack. Vessels provide a passive effect and an activation effect, which consumes qi, if they are equipped. For example, the Plantain Fan can create a hurricane that staggers enemies.

The game follows a mostly linear progression interspersed with expansive areas. There are keeper's shrines, which act as checkpoints for the player, along the way. Players can reallocate their character's sparks, which are skill points, to change the character's playstyle without restrictions or costs. The game's difficulty cannot be changed by players and is variable throughout a playthrough. There is a New Game Plus after a playthrough is completed.

In Game Trophy Guide

There are 81 achievements in Black Myth: Wukong, which corresponds to the 81 ordeals that Wukong's company had to endure in the original Journey to the West.

Archivement	Archivement (orniginal name in Chinese)	Condition
Home is Behind	下降凡尘第一难	Unlocked after finishing the opening animation
Hammer and Hew	敲敲打打第二难	Unlocked after forging the first equipment
Warring with Wolves	山中斗狼第三难	Unlocked after defeating Ling
Absorb and Cultivate	吸存运用第四难	Use the upgraded gourd after defeating a boss to absorb their soul power
Brew and Bravery	真个壮怀第五难	Unlocked after saving the Shen Monkey NPC in Chapter 1 and using the Brew menu
Slithering Snake	长蛇隐迹第六难	Unlocked after defeating the Whiteclad Noble
Handy and Hardy	得心应手第七难	Unlocked after upgrading your weapon at a shrine after defeating Whiteclad Noble
Enduring Echoes	余韵悠远第八难	Rings three bells after each of the following boss fights: Guangzhi, Guangmou, and Whiteclad Noble
Temple and Taint	禅院逢友第九难	Unlocked after players complete the bell questline and defeat Elder Jinchi
Blazing Black Wind	黑熊烧山第十难
Creative Concoction	捘些泥丸十一难	Unlocked after creating a medicine at a shrine
Cursed Clan	老老小小十二难
Cage of Claws	尺木为牢十三难
Sound in Stone	石中有声十四难
Death in Despair	不济于谷十五难
The Stone's Secret	击石取钥十六难
Om mani padme hum	六字显真十七难
Buried in the Sand	沙尘无量十八难
Gleams of Gold	黄金引路十九难	Unlocked after entering the secret area: Kingdom of Sahili
The Tiger Family	父父子子二十难	Unlocked defeating the three tiger bosses.
Shifting Sands	沙海平浪二十一难	Unlocked after players complete the Drunken Pig questline and defeat Fuban
Precious Pills	金丹等闲二十二难
A Great Gust	好大风呵二十三难
Thousand-Mile Quest	千里报国二十四难
Voice Vanquished	静息妙音二十五难
Karma of Kang-Jin	亢宿应劫二十六难
Boundless Bitterness	苦海成冰二十七难
Shell and Scales	龟蛇盘结二十八难
Secret in the Scroll	画里乾坤二十九难
Pound and Perfect	捶打神功三十难	Unlocks after upgrading armor with the help of Yin Tiger NPC in Zodiac Village
The Soaring Slash	铁刀高架三十一难
Happy Harvest	新种新苗三十二难	Players can then give Chen Loong the seeds in Zodiac Village and come back at a later time to harvest them.
Marvelous Melon	别有洞天三十三难
Lust and Dust	有情众生三十四难
Corrupted Captains	魔将神归三十五难
Devoted Disciples	四大弟子三十六难
Matches with the Macaque	三打马猴三十七难
Nifty Nonsense	胡说胡说三十八难
Mud on His Face	脸上有泥三十九难
Gnashing Grudge	咬牙恨齿四十难
Passion Passes	情深不寿四十一难
The Loong Pattern	堕龙化纹四十二难
Secret in Purple Cloud	缫丝为线四十三难
The Wayward Ways	歪门邪道四十四难
A Family Finished	齐齐整整四十五难
The Cockerel Crowed	昂首绝唱四十六难	Unlocked after players defeat the Duskveil boss in Cloudnest Peak
Misfit with Merit	巧线死结四十七难
Behold the Betrayal	开眼闭情四十八难
Always Accompanied	云游有伴四十九难	Unlocked after players complete the Old Man questline and max out their gourd
The Furnace Boy	守炉道人五十难
Urge Unfulfilled	壮志未酬五十一难	Unlocked after players complete the Horse questline
Seeds to Sow	种子齐备五十二难	Unlocked after getting all seeds
Souls in the Stalks	草木有灵五十三难
A Willing Warrior	甘心救主五十四难
Scenic Seeker	入定蒲团五十五难	Unlocked after finding all meditation spots
Three Teams of Two	两双一对五十六难
With Full Spirit	大妖尽伏五十七难
Frost and Flame	冰来火往五十八难
Flaming Fury	无火无经五十九难
Treasure Trove	琳琅满目六十难
Mei of Memory	折梅见赠六十一难
Meet the Match	棋逢对手六十二难	Unlocked after players complete the true ending(fight aginst the real Wukong)
Full of Forms	十全十美六十三难	Unlocked after getting all spirit skills and transformation spells
Brews and Barrels	美䘵千钟六十四难
The Cloud Claimed	云中脱险六十五难	Unlocked after obtaining the Flying Nimbus
The Clamor of Frogs	蛙声一片六十六难	Unlocked after players kill all six frog-bosses in the game.
A Curious Collection	般般件件六十七难	Unlocked after players get all Curios
The Five Skandhas	五蕴结丹六十八难
Medicine Meal	当饭吃哩六十九难	Unlocked after players get 5 each of Celestial Jade Lotus Pill, Celestial Taiyi Pill, and Celestial Nonary Pill
Treaded Tracks	熟门熟路七十难
Guardian of Gear	物各有主七十一难
A Duel of Destiny	万相归真七十二难
Portraits Perfected	半个不少七十三难	Unlocked after players get all journal entries of all humans, beasts, yaoguais and Bodhisattvas.
Six Senses Secured	六根齐聚七十四难	Unlocked after players start New Game+ with all Wukong's parts secured
Master of Magic	法性颇通七十五难	Unlocked after players get all spells in the first playthrough and fight Erlang, the Sacred Divinity in New Game+
Gourds Gathered	收了葫芦七十六难
Page Preserver	心有秘方七十七难
Brewer's Bounty	饮食周全七十八难	Unlocked after getting all gourds, drinks, and soaks
Mantled with Might	衣冠隆盛七十九难	Unlocked after getting all armor pieces
Staffs and Spears	夹枪带棒八十难	Unlocked after getting all weapons
Final Fulfillment	全始全终八十一难	Unlocked after collecting all trophy

Synopsis

[edit]

Setting

[edit]

The game (left) features characters from the Journey to the West (right, first edition), such as Rakshasi who wields the Plantain Fan.

Black Myth: Wukong is inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. It has six chapters, each focusing on a specific location: Black Wind Mountain, Yellow Wind Ridge, The New West, The Webbed Hollow, Flaming Mountains, and Mount Huaguo. The game is set in a world with gods from the Chinese pantheon, including Buddhist, Daoist, and other deities. Many yaoguais, who are beings with preternatural abilities and strange appearances, inhabit this world.

The game introduces cultural and natural landmarks derived from the real world into its setting. It features, for example, several locations from Shanxi Province, such as the Yungang Grottoes, Little Western Paradise, Nanchan Temple, Iron Buddha Temple, Guangsheng Temple, and Stork Tower, as well as locations from other provinces, such as the Kaiyuan Temple in Fujian Province.

Each chapter concludes with an animated cutscene providing a reflection and exploration of the narrative and thematic elements of the game. For instance, the first three cutscenes resonate with Chinese philosophy, while the fourth cutscene relates to the theme of love.

Plot

[edit]

After escorting his master Tang Sanzang and retrieving the Buddhist scriptures in a perilous pilgrimage to the West, Sun Wukong ascends to Buddhahood. Yet, he rejects life in the Celestial Court and chooses the simple joys of life on Mount Huaguo instead. The Court grows mistrustful of his choice to forgo the life above and sends an army led by Erlang Shen to force him to submit. Sun Wukong duels Erlang Shen, but he is incapacitated by the circlet that binds him to the Court and is sealed in stone on the mountain. He is severed from his six senses, corresponding to six relics scattered across the mortal realm. Over the next few centuries, the monkeys of the mountain send out young warriors to recover the relics in order to revive Sun Wukong. The Destined One, one of the monkeys, sets out on this path.

In the game, the Black Bear Guai and the Destined One fight near a pagoda based on the Kaiyuan Temple's twin pagodas in Quanzhou.

The Destined One traverses through Black Wind Mountain. He meets the Keeper of Black Wind Mountain, who helps and guides him through this place. Along the way, he passes through Guanyin Temple, which was devastated by a fire and later rebuilt. The Destined One defeats the Black Bear Guai, who has the "Craving Eyes" relic enshrined atop a pagoda. He takes the relic, while the Black Bear Guai surrenders.

The Destined One proceeds to the desolate Yellow Wind Ridge. Occasionally, a mysterious Headless Monk, who sings and plays a sanxian, appears and provides help. The Destined One defeats the Yellow Wind Sage, who uses Bodhisattva Lingji's severed head to contain the "Fuming Ears" relic. The Headless Monk, who turns out to be Lingji, places his head back on his body and hands over the relic to the Destined One.

The game features statues of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, such as Kang-Jin Loong (left) and others, from the Yuhuang Temple in Jincheng. The character design of Kang-Jin Star in the game, shown in the image on the right, is based on the statue in the image on the left.

The Destined One continues to The New West, a cold mountainous place. Yellowbrow, who possesses the "Hubris Nose" relic and has taken the guise of Maitreya, sends Kang-Jin Star after the Destined One. During their last battle, the Destined One causes her to crash into and separate the Gold Cymbals imprisoning Zhu Bajie, an old friend of Sun Wukong. Zhu Bajie joins the quest to gather the relics. The Destined One defeats Yellowbrow at New Thunderclap Temple, but Yellowbrow flees toward the relic kept in a frozen lake and falls into the cold waters. Maitreya fishes the relic out of the lake for the Destined One.

The Destined One and Zhu Bajie arrive at The Webbed Hollow. The Fourth Sister of the spider guai family watches over and aids the Destined One. The Second Sister captures Zhu Bajie and brings him to the matriarch, the Violet Spider, but the Destined One goes to rescue him. The Violet Spider is defeated by the Destined One and flees to the Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master, who betrays her and violently takes the "Envious Tongue" relic back from her. The spider sisters and the Destined One attack and defeat the Hundred-Eyed. Zhu Bajie and the injured Violet Spider, who both fell in love a long time ago, share a last glance at each other before he sorrowfully walks away toward the relic.

The Destined One and Zhu Bajie fight their way to the Flaming Mountains. They meet someone who claims to be the Bull King and Princess Fair Fox's daughter Pingping, but the Bull King could tell his son Red Boy disguised himself as his daughter to deceive them. The Bull King attempts to give the "Grieved Body" relic to the Destined One, but Red Boy takes it by feigning defeat after a battle with the Destined One and consumes it for power. After Red Boy is defeated by the Destined One and Zhu Bajie, his mother Rakshasi pleas for mercy and offers her Plantain Fan, but Red Boy refuses to submit and kills himself. After his death, the relic reappears for them to take.

The ending is determined by the following optional storyline: In the Great Pagoda located in The New West, Maitreya guides both Erlang Shen and the Destined One to Mount Mei, where they confront each other. Here, the Destined One defeats Erlang Shen and the Four Heavenly Kings. Erlang Shen, who took Sun Wukong's mind relic after their battle many ages ago, unleashes Sun Wukong's memories from his third eye to the Destined One and shares his realization that their fight back then allowed Sun Wukong to set a path to break free through a mortal death.

The Destined One and Zhu Bajie return to Mount Huaguo, where they retrieve Sun Wukong's armor and Jingubang. They enter a realm shaped by Sun Wukong's lingering memories through the stone on the mountain's summit. The Old Monkey ferries them through its waters. However, they encounter versions of their current selves, representing the Destined One's last memory. The Old Monkey explains that Sun Wukong's mind is lost, as the mind is an essence unique to every life and is destined to fade away at life's end. Therefore, Sun Wukong can never return as he was before. The true purpose of the journey is for the Destined One to become Sun Wukong's successor, inheriting his name and nature. At the end of the journey, the Destined One defeats Sun Wukong's broken shell. The five relics, obtained during the journey, unite with the Destined One. As the shell dissipates, Sun Wukong's circlet appears on the shell's head and falls into the shallow water. In one of the two endings, the Old Monkey places the circlet on the Destined One and the Destined One remains trapped in the stone. In the other ending, the Destined One does not wear the circlet, as he has regained Sun Wukong's memories from Erlang Shen. The latter ending provides the "Freed Mind" relic in a New Game Plus playthrough.

Development

[edit]

Black Myth: Wukong is a game developed and published by Game Science. On February 25, 2018, the decision was made to create a single-player game. In December 2018, the development team moved from Shenzhen to Hangzhou. They wanted to create a single-player game in their own style with a focus on traditional cultural themes. They discussed themes such as xianxia and wuxia, but were most enthusiastic about the Journey to the West. Ultimately, they decided to do the Journey to the West and tell a story following the ending of that tale. The series' title Black Myth was adopted to reflect the dark themes explored through Chinese mythology. The game's title became Black Myth: Wukong, as the character Sun Wukong was the biggest common denominator between the novel and game.

The development team selected characters to feature in the game and, based on these ideas, came up with thirteen levels (such as Lion Camel Ridge, Kingdom of Women, Black Wind Mountain, Yellow Wind Ridge, and Flaming Mountains) for the game, but created six of them in the end due to schedule constraints. By the end of 2018, they realized basic game functions and had basically formed the level for Mount Huaguo. Hereafter, they started working on the level for Black Wind mountain.

Black Myth: Wukong was first announced with a trailer showcasing gameplay in its pre-alpha build on August 20, 2020. The trailer demonstrated the game built on Unreal Engine 4. It showed the protagonist exploring the environment and fighting various foes in the level for Black Wind Mountain. Game Science did not contact video game publications beforehand and simply released it online on social media. Within one day, the trailer had nearly 2 million views on YouTube and 10 million views on Bilibili. It was released to attract potential employees to help build the game. Therefore, the principle of the trailer was to show the level for Black Wind Mountain in its current state, rather than make adjustment for the sake of the demonstration. The development team started with seven people and had thirty people around the time of the announcement. In the past, they recruited within their own personal network, but they realized that this was not enough for the project. The popularity of the trailer far exceeded their expectations and had resulted in over 10 thousand applicants, but they maintained their plans to recruit between ten and fifteen people for the time being to not expand too quickly and lose their original vision. By the end of the development, as shown by the game's end credits, the team had expanded to 140 people.

Black Myth: Wukong was developed on Unreal Engine 5. It was initially developed on its previous iteration, Unreal Engine 4. The move to the newer version was revealed through a trailer on August 20, 2021. Game Science explained that, in 2021, they had switched to Unreal Engine 5 as this would help with their pursuit for realism in the style. In designing the environment, the team conducted on-site studies of various real-world locations in cooperation with local cultural institutions. They made scans of scenes, such as buildings and statues, at many locations to use them in the design. They spent four years and traveled across China to undertake this endeavor. It resulted in an asset library far exceeding the actual needs of the game.

Motion capture performed by several actors was used for the movement of different characters. The actor Yin Kai provided the motion capture for the Destined One and several other characters. He, a practitioner of martial arts, remarked that most of his performances were for actions done by the protagonist during combat.

The sound, including the music and voices, was co-produced by 8082 Audio. The music employs both Western orchestra and traditional Chinese instruments. The game features an adaptation of the theme song "Yungong Xunyin", originally composed by Xu Jingqing, from the 1986 television series Journey to the West. The artist Xiong Zhuying performed the Shanbei storytelling, using song and the instrument sanxian, for the character Headless Monk. For the English voiceovers, Game Science was keen and supportive for voice actors to explore different regional accents (such as Brummie for Yin Tiger). PitStop Productions, the studio for the English voiceovers, approached this on the basis of individual characters to keep the voices fairly broad rather than characteristic to an area in the game.

The animated cutscenes were done in distinct art styles by different animation studios. The sixth animated cutscene "Unfinished" adapted the style of lianhuanhua, with elements inspired from baimiao (an ink line drawing technique) and traditional murals (such as those in Dunhuang). Other styles included stop motion and anime.

Black Myth: Wukong had a budget of $70 million throughout its six years of development, as reported by Bloomberg. This was partly contributed by the investor Hero Games. Feng Ji stated that they could not undertake such a project at the beginning of their video game studio, so they made two mobile games before they cautiously began the project, as they previously worked at Tencent and thus knew the possible risks from experience. Yang Qi stated that they did not have high expectations for profitability initially, because they considered the costs for research and development to be high. Their initial expectation was that the game would sell between 3 and 5 million units, which would be enough to exceed product viability. The Zhejiang Provincial Tax Service quoted a statement by a Game Science financial manager, made in the context of a 2023 tax incentive for research and development expenses, that the costs was estimated to have exceeded 300 million yuan ($42 million); this does not represent the whole budget, but details research and development costs incurred by Game Science, not including other contributors such as Hero Games or Tencent, applicable to a tax policy to encourage technological innovation in various industries.

Future

[edit]

Feng Ji revealed that they planned Black Myth: Wukong to be the first installment in a Black Myth series, which would explore different stories in Chinese mythology. The game was internally referred to as B1, meaning Black Myth One, in reference to its status as the first work in the series. They have ideas for two other titles in the series, but have not publicly revealed them.

Hero Games' Daniel Wu, an investor, confirmed to Bloomberg that there will be an expansion for Black Myth: Wukong. During a 2024 interview on China Central Television, Feng Ji said that there were many people asking about an expansion and even rumors about a Chinese New Year release, but clarified that they do not regard an expansion to be completed soon and will need time, as they explore new technologies and themes, in order to achieve even higher quality standards.

Release

[edit]

Black Myth: Wukong was released for PlayStation 5 and PC (Windows) on August 20, 2024, at 10 AM (UTC+8). An Xbox Series X/S version is planned, although the release date has not been announced.

In January 2023, Game Science published a promotional short film celebrating the upcoming Year of the Rabbit which revealed that Black Myth: Wukong would be released in the summer of 2024. During The Game Awards 2023, they released a trailer announcing the release date as August 20, 2024. In June 2024, they disclosed that the Xbox Series X/S version of the game was delayed for optimization to meet their quality standards. Reports suggested that this may be due to the technical limitations of Xbox Series S; some sources suggested a memory leak on Xbox as the possible issue. IGN reported that the delay was, according to an unnamed source, because of an exclusivity deal with Sony and not technical issues. Microsoft responded that the delay was not due to Xbox limitations "that have been raised to us." Giant Bomb's Jeff Grubb stated, after speaking to his sources, that Sony had no marketing deal in place to keep the game as an exclusive.

Black Myth: Wukong received four editions: Digital Standard Edition, Digital Deluxe Edition, Deluxe Edition, and Collector's Edition. The Digital Standard Edition contains the base game. The Digital Deluxe Edition, additionally, provides in-game bonus content and a selected digital soundtrack. The content consists of the weapon Bronzecloud Staff; the equipment Folk Opera Mask, Folk Opera Almsgiving Armor, Folk Opera Leather Bracers, and Folk Opera Buskins; and the curio Wind Chimes. The two physical editions, the Deluxe Edition and the Collector's Edition, contain an activation code for the Digital Deluxe Edition on WeGame for JD.com purchases or Steam for overseas purchases. The Deluxe Edition comes with the physical collectibles: Steel Case, The Constricting Headband, Chaos at the Peach Banquet (color print on silk scroll), Wind Chime (necklace), Thunderstone (ring), Gold Sun Crow (pin), Stamps and Postcard, and Warranty Certificate. For the Collector's Edition, these are: Steel Case, Confront Destiny (protagonist figurine), Teaching of the Heart Sutra (color print on silk scroll), Wind Chime, Thunderstone, Gold Sun Crow, Stamps and Postcard, and Warranty Certificate. A physical disc is not included in any edition. Game Science stated that they are exploring options to offer physical discs, but that limitations in offline resources have made it difficult to offer physical discs simultaneously with the release.

Black Myth: Wukong was the most-wishlisted game on Steam from May 2024. Pre-orders for the game launched on June 8, 2024. This came with the in-game content Trailblazer's Scarlet Gourd, which is also obtainable through in-game progression. As reported in early August, ahead of the release, the game ranked first on Steam's global top sellers chart. When the game's preload went live shortly before release, the download bandwidth usage on Steam reached its highest peak ever at 70 terabytes per second, superseding the previous record held by Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020. Hero Games, a marketing partner, reportedly sent some content creators an email with an activation code for the game and guidelines to not discuss topics including politics, feminism, and other things in their coverage of the game at launch.

Queen Studios with its INART and MORFIG brands is the official producer of figures for Black Myth: Wukong. They made the Confront Destiny protagonist figurine of the Collector's Edition. During the Wonder Festival Shanghai 2024, they revealed several upcoming figures of in-game characters. In September and October 2024, the game's music was featured in a series of concerts produced by the Poly Culture Group and Game Science across China.

In October 2024, Game Science announced that, with the master disc ready, the physical edition for PlayStation 5 would be available "very soon". This comprise a physical disc containing the base game and the Deluxe Edition upgrade.

Reception

[edit]

Critical response

[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2024)

Reception

Aggregate scores

Aggregator	Score
Metacritic	PC: 81/100 PS5: 76/100
OpenCritic	81% recommend

Review scores

Publication	Score
4Players	8/10
Digital Trends	4/5
Eurogamer	3/5
GameSpot	8/10
GamesRadar+	4/5
GameStar	82/100
Hardcore Gamer	4.5/5
IGN	Adria: 8/10 Benelux: 9/10 BR: 8.5/10 CN: 10/10 FR: 9/10 US: 8/10
Jeuxvideo.com	16/20
NME	8/10
PC Gamer (US)	87/100
PCGamesN	8/10
PCMag	8/10
Push Square	8/10
RPGFan	92/100
Shacknews	6/10
TechRadar	3/5
The Guardian	5/5
3DM	10/10
Dexerto	4/5
Dot Esports	8/10
Game Rant	3/5
GamerSky	10/10
Multiplayer.it	8/10
Vandal	8.3/10

Black Myth: Wukong received "generally favorable" reviews on PC and PlayStation 5 from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.

Sales

[edit]

On the day of release, Black Myth: Wukong reached over 2.2 million concurrent players on Steam, which placed it as the second highest game of all time by this metric, surpassing other popular games such as Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077. Within hours, it had become the single-player game with the most concurrent players of all time on Steam. Bloomberg reported that this ascent could help the game "seal its place in industry lore." On August 22, the game reached its all-time peak of over 2.4 million concurrent players on Steam, only following PUBG: Battlegrounds.

Game Science announced that Black Myth: Wukong had sold 10 million units, derived from data as of August 23, 2024, at 9 PM (UTC+8), and had reached 3 million concurrent players across all platforms. The game is one of the fastest-selling of all time. The physical editions were in high demand, with 700 thousand people signed up to purchase a supply of only 30 thousand units on the retailer JD.com for example.

Hero Games' Daniel Wu, an investor, shared to Bloomberg that Black Myth: Wukong had sold 18 million units within two weeks. Bloomberg described this as "one of the fastest starts the global gaming industry has seen." Sony revealed that it was the most-downloaded PlayStation 5 game in North America (United States and Canada), Europe, and Japan during August 2024.

During the Tokyo Game Show 2024, Ken Kutaragi, former CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, noted that Black Myth: Wukong sold 20 million units in the first month. On October 1, 2024, during the Unreal Fest Seattle 2024, Epic Games' Bill Clifford revealed that the game surpassed 20 million units sold last week and showed a video message from Feng Ji, who conveyed that one of their best decisions may have been to develop the game on Unreal Engine and that they will continue to collaborate closely with Epic Games and create the next generation of immersive virtual experiences.

Accolades

[edit]

Year	Ceremony	Category	Result	Ref.
2023	Gamescom	Best Visuals	Won
		Most Epic	Nominated
2024	Thailand Game Awards	Game of the Year	Won
		Best Action Game	Won
		Best Game Direction	Won
		Best PC/Console Game	Won
	Golden Joystick Awards	Ultimate Game of the Year	Won
		Best Visual Design	Won
	The Streamer Awards	Stream Game of the Year	Pending
	The Game Awards	Game of the Year	Pending
		Best Game Direction	Pending
		Best Art Direction	Pending
		Best Action Game	Pending

Beth Park, for her role as a lead performance director on Black Myth: Wukong, was selected as a BAFTA Breakthrough in 2024.

Impact

[edit]

Black Myth: Wukong is widely characterized as the first AAA game from the Chinese video game industry. Nikkei Asia reports that it is regarded as a new standard bearer for games in the Chinese video game industry, which is dominated by mobile games and sees a gradual shift toward console games, and could inspire Chinese developers to undertake ambitious projects that draw international audiences. For instance, during the pre-release, Soulframe Liang, the director of Phantom Blade Zero, commented that, if Black Myth: Wukong succeeds in the domestic and international market, people would be confident about other games in their industry and that he thought that it would indeed be a large success. The Diplomat reports that the success of Black Myth: Wukong illustrates a trend of the Chinese video game industry, following the footsteps of their Japanese and Korean counterparts, to harness organic popularity to stimulate global appeal of creative and cultural exports. The South China Morning Post reports that analysts expect the success of the game to have a positive impact on the Chinese video game industry, as government administrations may become more inclined to encourage domestic studios to work on AAA projects. For example, as Reuters reports, the response of the Chinese state media to the game was highly positive and indicated a recognition of the industry's potential value for culture and export.

The popularity of the game managed to boost sales of PlayStation 5 in the Chinese market. For instance, sales reached the top for video game hardware and doubled from the same period last year on Alibaba's Tmall in the week before the game's launch. Sony said that third-party titles, specifically mentioning Black Myth: Wukong and another game as examples, largely contributed to the increased sales in their Game and Network Services division during the three-month period ended on September 30, 2024. The game led to a substantial increase of tourism to the real-world locations of scenes in the game.

Some of the in-game characters have become popular subjects for cosplay, such as the Fourth Sister and Pingping.

Reference

• 小黄(Sep 9, 2024), Gamesky, https://www.gamersky.com/handbook/202409/ on Dec 1, 2024.

• G, Steam Community, Black Myth: Wukong 100% Achievement Guide on Dec 1, 2024.

• Brendan Graeber, Echo Apsey, etc.(Oct 2, 2024) IGN, Black Myth: Wukong Guide on Dec 1, 2024.

• BiliGame, Wukong WiKi on Dec 1, 2024.