After four years of waiting, the highly anticipated action RPG Black Myth: Wukong is finally here! Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn’t do well, and if it’s worth buying.

Black Myth: Wukong Review Overview

What is Black Myth: Wukong?

Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG based on the popular Chinese novel Journey to the West, with the protagonist being inspired by the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. It features responsive combat, numerous boss fights, and breathtaking visuals. Additionally, the game features depictions of Chinese mythological characters and creatures.

Black Myth: Wukong features:
　⚫︎　 Chinese Mythological Characters
　⚫︎　 Responsive and Engaging Combat
　⚫︎　 Breathtaking Visuals
　⚫︎　 Boss Rush Gameplay
　⚫︎　 Simple Action RPG Progression

For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Black Myth: Wukong’s gameplay and story.

Black Myth: Wukong
Steam		Epic Games		PlayStation		Xbox

Black Myth: Wukong Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Fantastic Visuals Engaging Boss Rush Fights Rewards Exploration	Storytelling Isn’t The Best Level Designs Are Subpar

Black Myth: Wukong Overall - 88/100

In a year full of different action RPGs, Black Myth: Wukong lives up to the hype, as it plays to its strengths quite well. It’s able to differentiate itself from the countless games in the same genre with its unique setting, engaging gameplay, and breathtaking visuals. It’s not a perfect game, however, as it has a few flaws that become apparent with its narrative and not-so-interesting level design. Nevertheless, Black Myth: Wukong is an amazing entry to kick off a series, and if they’re going to make sequels, you can expect us to play them as well.

Black Myth: Wukong Story - 6/10

With the game based on the mythological story of Sun Wukong, it definitely set itself a high standard to meet before it even came out. One major flaw is that the storytelling is all over the place, where it may turn into a talking session where it goes off the deep end with lore without explaining context. While the story itself is an original tale of what comes after the novel it was based on, you’ll need a fair bit of context to understand what's in the game. Additionally, the characters they introduce don’t really have much staying power aside from just being there to advance the plot or give the Destined One some upgrades.

Even with these issues, the characters and setting are portrayed amazingly well, to the point where we could say that this may be the best rendition of Sun Wukong in video game form. We do wish that the Destined One spoke throughout the story, though, as he definitely could’ve added a lot more personality to the game’s narrative.

Black Myth: Wukong Gameplay - 10/10

It’s definitely reminiscent of classic action RPGs like Asura’s Wrath, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, and more. It puts such a huge spotlight on the boss fights that it even feels like you’re facing too many bosses in just a few hours. The combat feels snappy and responsive, to the point where you might get punished for not being deliberate enough with your inputs.

That being said, the game has pretty forgettable areas other than its scenic meditation spots, as the small fry are both uninteresting and scarce, and the areas themselves are a little too boxed in. However, even with these flaws, the boss fights and the actual combat mechanics like dodging, stamina management, abilities, etc. more than make up for these weak parts.

Black Myth: Wukong Visuals - 10/10

Visually, the game looks breathtaking. Even with Performance Mode turned on for the PS5, the game still looks amazing. The game has grand visuals for both in-game and cinematics, as we definitely needed to marvel at the cutscenes when they’re involved. The only problem with it is that it doesn’t run on a smooth 60 frames per second like it was initially advertised.

Black Myth: Wukong Audio - 9/10

The game’s audio design is also pretty good, as it does well with supporting the game’s climactic scenes. The sound effects in particular match the attacks done by the Destined One, which is very satisfying to hear. It should be mentioned that the game’s English voice actors were also noteworthy, as they were able to capture the feel of their respective characters without overdoing it. One flaw about it is definitely the game’s ambient music while exploring the areas, as they don’t play much music when it comes to it.

Black Myth: Wukong Value for Money - 9/10

For $69.99, the game is definitely of AAA quality, which is well worth the cost. Those who have an affinity for action RPGs will most likely be fans of the game as well. It has satisfying gameplay, an interesting setting, and amazing visuals to boot. We would fully recommend this game for those looking for boss-rush-type games and even for those who are new and interested in the genre. However, if you’re going in looking for a Souls-like experience, then you will be sorely disappointed, as the only commonality that it has with Souls-likes is the checkpoint system.

Black Myth: Wukong Review: No Monkey Business Here

Since its initial announcement in 2020, I’ve been looking forward to a fresh rendition of Sun Wukong. There are a lot of games that have tackled different mythologies in the world, and to my knowledge, there haven’t been many games that hit the mainstream with actual Chinese mythology aside from using the Wukong name.

As a fan of different action RPGs, I can confidently say Black Myth: Wukong is able to differentiate itself from the rest, especially when it’s been a crazy few years for the genre with games like Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, Stellar Blade, Lies of P, and most especially Elden Ring and its critically acclaimed DLC. With its satisfying combat mechanics, stunning visuals, and unique setting, Black Myth: Wukong solidifies itself as a strong game-of-the-year (GOTY) contender.

In terms of graphics and overall setting, the game complements each of these very well. It's obvious that the game’s production is top-notch, as clearly seen in the game’s cinematics and how the environments look when playing the game. The detailed character designs and locales look amazing; even in PS5’s Performance Mode, the game’s graphics still stand out. While it doesn’t exactly run at a perfectly smooth 60 frames per second, it’s still good enough to not cause too many issues during gameplay.

The game is based on the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West, and the Destined One (protagonist) is mainly inspired by the mythological Monkey King, Sun Wukong. To be frank, I had a hard time following the story, as there are a lot of characters that are introduced to you very early on and a lot of text and concepts for you to digest. Nevertheless, the depictions of the different creatures are very well done. I’m no expert on Chinese mythology, but their designs are distinct and memorable.

The game’s audio design is nothing to scoff at either. I played the game using the English voiceovers, and I could attest that the voice actors definitely did great to capture their respective characters. To add to this, the sound effects are satisfying and weighty; the latter even matches the Destined One’s staff as it changes shape and size from time to time. My only complaint would be that they could’ve added more voice lines for the Destined One, as it could’ve added more personality to the game’s not-so-easy-to-follow narrative.

Let’s get to the good part—the gameplay. It has everything that you look forward to in an action RPG: responsive controls, fast-paced and engaging combat, and progression systems to enhance your abilities. At first, I found it weird that the game stored inputs way too often that I would use up my Gourd twice unintentionally, but it clicked when it came to dodge multiple attacks from the boss.

The game has a perfect dodge mechanic that’s common in the genre, and the storage of inputs makes it so that making decisions is deliberate and purposeful. We’ll get to the boss specifics later, but one thing to keep in mind is that the boss attack patterns function similarly to Elden Ring’s in particular, where it mixes its pattern with individual attacks by stringing them together. This makes dodging all the more satisfying, as not only does the game show you that you dodged it perfectly, it even rewards you for doing so by giving you more resources to get bigger damage.

The combat itself is satisfying and spectacular. As a big fan of Final Fantasy XVI (FF16) and Lies of P’s combat, it strikes a balance between these two. One complaint I had with the former was that enemies were a little too spongy and that the game was a little too easy. For the latter, Lies of P had crazy difficulty spikes, even if it was to be expected from a Souls-like. Black Myth: Wukong is right in the middle of these two, as its difficulty isn’t too easy nor too hard and keeps the spectacle of its battles.

Boss fights are the game’s highlights, and they emphasize this by letting you find one after every few minutes or so. As explained earlier in my comparison, it makes use of the spectacle side of FF16, where you string combos with your different abilities in spongy bosses while having the engaging interactions of Lies of P’s punishing boss fights. The boss encounters are a sight to behold themselves, as they’re both fun to play and watch when they happen. And these moments happen a lot, thankfully.

Now, the gameplay’s biggest flaw is the simplistic level design. Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t expecting something like an open world or something like Nier’s massive areas, but the game has explorable areas that are mired by how they’re constructed. Being able to explore the game’s areas is great, as it rewards the player for doing so with more of its adrenaline-inducing boss fights. However, the game has no map function, and sometimes the different twists and turns will lead you in circles.

To sum it up, Black Myth: Wukong is a game that plays to its strengths, and these are so good that you could forgo the flaws that it has with its subpar level design and disjointed storytelling. There are a lot of action RPGs in the running for GOTY this year, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this game is included in the running. If Game Science can keep up this momentum, as it’s reported that this is one of many games that will explore Chinese mythology, then this could very well be the start of something special for the action RPG genre.

Pros of Black Myth: Wukong

Things Black Myth: Wukong Got Right
Fantastic Visuals Engaging Boss Rush Fights Rewards Exploration

Fantastic Visuals

Simply put, the game looks gorgeous. There have been a lot of good-looking games to come out this year (even in the same genre), but Black Myth: Wukong could very well stand with them when it comes to visuals. The character designs, scenery, and overall aesthetic are something to marvel at. Not to mention that the game’s special effects are also fitting, as they capture the Destined One’s abilities perfectly.

Engaging Boss Rush Fights

The boss fights in the game are the main draw of the game. The sheer spectacle of the fights is amazing, and that’s not even including how engaging they are when it comes to weaving in the combat. The encounters range from large mythical creatures to humanoid enemies that have unique attacks and patterns for you to learn.

One of the reasons this game is great is because of its perfect balance of difficulty and fun. It’s not a Soulslike where there’s something on the line every time you die. You can keep fighting the boss and learn its patterns until you get it. One thing to note is that the game gives you a ton of abilities and items to get around the bosses in the game, which definitely evens the playing field.

Rewards Exploration

The game rewards players for exploring the areas in the game with even more boss fights and more loot. The areas in the game aren’t the greatest, but they definitely have enough content to entice players to explore every inch of the game’s different areas. I would recommend players keep their eyes peeled for places off the beaten path, as the rewards are surely worth it.

Cons of Black Myth: Wukong

Things That Black Myth: Wukong Can Improve
Storytelling Isn’t The Best Level Designs Are Subpar

Storytelling Isn’t The Best

This may just be a personal issue, but I had a hard time following the game’s story. It throws you for a loop with a ton of different terminologies, characters, and even concepts for you to know. While the goal itself is clear, everything in between is murky and requires a bit more attention to get the full picture.

Level Designs Are Subpar

The level designs and areas of the game weren’t expected to be of the same level as something like Dark Souls and maybe even Nioh, to some degree. However, the game does have unclear boundaries with its invisible walls and other "shortcuts" that don’t seem to be intentional. To add to this, fighting the small fry enemies isn’t particularly exciting, as they’re practically pushovers for you to just hit and combo off of.

Is Black Myth: Wukong Worth It?

Yes. It Lives Up to the Four-Year Wait

Black Myth: Wukong is an amazing action RPG that plays to its strengths, which are its combat, visuals, and overall setting. Ever since it was announced, the game already had high expectations to meet, and we can confidently say that it met them and even far surpassed them by a long shot. It’s priced like a AAA game because it is one, and it delivers with its gameplay and presentation. Action RPG fans are eating well this year with the number of great games that were released for the genre, and this just adds another one to the list.

Digital Storefronts
Steam		Epic Games		PlayStation		Xbox
$59.99

Black Myth: Wukong FAQ

Will Black Myth: Wukong be coming to Xbox?

Yes. However, there still isn’t a finalized or official date for the game to release on Xbox. Additionally, there hasn’t been an announcement if the game will be going to Xbox Game Pass when it does release for the Xbox.

Does Black Myth: Wukong have difficulty settings?

No. The game only runs on one difficulty mode.

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Black Myth: Wukong Product Information

Title	BLACK MYTH: WUKONG
Release Date	August 20, 2024
Developer	Game Science
Publisher	Game Science
Supported Platforms	PC(Steam, Epic Games Store), PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre	Action RPG, Soulslike, Adventure
Number of Players	1
Rating	ESRB M 17+
Official Website	Black Myth Wukong Website

Michael Gerra-Clarin

Resident fighting game nerd, avid FFXIV fan, and enjoyer of mostly anything gaming. Currently, he is enjoying Dawntrail as a Viper, while dying to Messmer's flames in Shadow of the Erdtree.