Summary
Black Myth: Wukongis one of the most anticipated games of the last few years. Ever since it was announced back in 2020, it hasgarnered a lot of attention for its beautiful graphics, unique concept, and strong reliance on Chinese mythology. It’s also the first AAA game with a multi-million budget made by a Chinese developer, so there’s a lot of hype for that, too.
Luckily, the wait is over, asBlack Myth: Wukonghas finally been released, and it immediately received all kinds of praise from both critics and gamers alike. That said, there are many misconceptions and issues that have arisen since the title’s release that should be addressed. As such, here are somethings to know before picking upBlack Myth: Wukong.
5Performance Issues
The Game Still Needs A Few Patches
Black Myth: Wukongis visually stunning, there’s no denying that. Even from the early showcases of the game, the graphics looked crisp, well-balanced, and offered an attractive color palette, complementing the game’s aesthetics very well. Before the game was released, many players already knew that, even with DLSS, they’d have toown pretty powerful PCs to get a smooth experiencewith the Max settings.
God-tier PCs, however, don’t seem to be enough to deal with some of the performance hiccups gamers have encountered while playingBlack Myth: Wukong. This, of course, is to be expected with almost any game during its first few days, and as long as the issues aren’t breaking the gaming experience, it shouldn’t be too serious. However, players who want the best experience possible might want to wait a few days or even weeks for developers to patch any bugs present.
4It’s Not An Open World
Elden Ring Players Beware
The various trailers that were released since 2020 gave players an in-depth look into whatBlack Myth: Wukongwould look like, but it was still hard to tell whether the game would offer open world features. Now that the title has been released, it’s safe to say that, sadly, it doesn’t.
Now, this is not to say the game is bad or that players shouldn’t pick it up based solely on this. Besides, while there’s no actual open world exploration as players would see in titles likeElden Ring, there are many areas that feel like they’re part of an open world,providing players with a considerable amount of spacefor them to roam freely.
3Playtime Is Decent
100% Completion Might Leave Some Players Wanting More
Trailers and early showcases often create a certain set of expectations in players' minds when it comes to games. When it was first announced,Black Myth: Wukongappeared to feature a vast, complex world full of life, enemies, and areas to explore. And while the game keeps and exceeds most of the promises it made, players looking for an extremely long gaming experience might be a little underwhelmed.
Now, before causing the wrong impression, it’s important to clarify thatBlack Myth: Wukong’s main game lasts about 15 hours, which is great compared to other titles that don’t even reach the 10-hour mark. At the same time, 100% completion is expected to take about 32 hours, which, again, is amazing. However, because of the length of similar games, players might be expecting a completion time of over 60 hours, and unfortunately, this isn’t the case. In many instances, though, it’s quality over quantity, and thus far, the 32 hours it takes to complete theBlack Myth: Wukongto the fullest extent do not disappoint in any regard.
2The Cutscenes Are Beautiful, But They Are Long
There Are Multiple Hours Worth Of Them
The topic of cutscenes within video gameshas long been a subject of debate. Some players love them, while others complain constantly about feeling like they’re watching a movie more than they’re playing a video game. Both points are valid, as there are different strokes for different folks. That said, how much is objectively too much?
As mentioned earlier,Black Myth: Wukong’s main game takes around 15 hours of playtime to complete, whereas 100% completion takes roughly 32. All in all, the game has a little over 3 hours-worth of cutscenes, and while they’re visually beautiful, they do represent 20% of the main game’s duration and nearly 10% of the overall content. Gamers who enjoy games like the newGod of WarorSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2will likely not have a problem with this, but for those who prefer minimal non-playable time, the amount of cutscenes featured inBlack Myth: Wukongmight be irritating.
1The Game Is Not A Soulslike
Black Myth: Wukong Is Far More Lenient
Last but not least, it’s important to discuss what has probably been one of the biggest questions regarding this game for years. Is it a true Soulslike? Well, the answer is yes and no.Black Myth: Wukongcan somewhat be considered a Soulslike due tothe many bosses spread around the world, the combat mechanics being heavily based on dodging, the lack of an option to adjust the difficulty, and the overall concept of the game.
However, this title is considerably more lenient with mistakes and dying than any of FromSoftware’s games. For one, dying doesn’t result in players losing their entire skill point pool. Also, upgrading and leveling up is possible from anywhere in the world, not just at rest spots. On top of that, bosses, while challenging, aren’t as frustrating or hard to master as those in theSoulsseries. Weapon variety also matters when determining whether a game is a Soulslike or not. The Destined One’s staff is fun to use, and it’s a great weapon once mastered, but unlike theSoulsseries' games,Black Myth: Wukonghas no other weapons to choose from.
