Summary
True Soulslike or not,Black Myth: Wukongis highly anticipated by fans of the genre, as well as classic action-adventure fans. Developed by Game Science,Black Myth: Wukongputs players in control of the Destined One, who is based on the “Monkey King” Sun Wukong from the 16th-century Chinese novelJourney to the West. Sun Wukong is known for his supernatural powers, including the ability to shapeshift into other animals and objects.Black Myth: Wukong’s Destined One can shapeshift just like The Monkey King, ultimately granting him a fighting chance in each of the game’s boss fights.
Anyone who has seen trailers andpreview footage forBlack Myth: Wukongis likely to pick up on one key characteristic: boss fights are a defining part of the experience. This comes as no surprise, asBlack Myth: Wukong’s combat and boss fights are indeed similar to those found in the Soulslike genre. However, they still strive to be different in ways that enable the game to stand out in the vast sea of titles it is often compared to.
Black Myth: Wukong Puts Movement at the Fore of Its Combat
Black Myth: Wukong’s Boss Fights Are Gorgeous, and Demand Movement
Despite often being referred to as a Soulslike game,Black Myth: Wukongmanages to strike a balance between classics in the genre and modern action RPGs in its boss fights. Each boss encounter inWukongis thoroughly challenging and chock-full of unique mechanics — as anyone might expect from a typicalSoulsgame — but it quite literally dodges Soulslike comparisons by emphasizing movement heavily. The Destined One’s quick zips across the battlefield, allowingBlack Myth: Wukong’s boss fights to make a name for themselves in a saturated genre of pattern-heavy, yet memorable boss encounters.
As players come face to face with one ofBlack Myth: Wukong’s many bosses, they may quickly find the virtue of patience to be their strongest ally still. A significant portion of each boss encounter inBlack Myth: Wukonginvolves evading attacks until the opportune, albeit brief moment presents itself for a counterattack. This is common knowledge when it comes to aclassic Soulslike game, but where those games rely more on timing,Wukongheavily relies on speed. This is not to say thatWukong’s boss fights lack those moments of reprieve that are often so desperately needed in a demanding encounter, but they come and go almost as quickly as players are encouraged to move. Combined with this is the grandiose beauty of each boss fight, as well as the reliance on more direct offense (in conjunction with speed).
Despite often being referred to as a Soulslike game,Black Myth: Wukongmanages to strike a balance between classics in the genre and modern action RPGs in its boss fights
While each boss inBlack Myth: Wukonghas a unique strength, their greatest weapon is often unpredictability.Classic Soulslike bossesgenerally feature consistent attack patterns that can be learned with enough practice.Black Myth: Wukong’s bosses, on the other hand, often use unpredictability to their advantage by changing their timing at the last minute, requiring players to remain eagle-eyed and aware of telegraphs. The only issue there, however, is thatWukong’s bosses don’t always noticeably telegraph their attacks, so players may have to push their skills to the limits. While there’s still time to smell the roses and take in the majesty of each boss fight, players are going to have to be more aggressive and more offense-oriented than other genre contemporaries.
How Players Can Still Gain the Upper Hand in Black Myth: Wukong’s Boss Fights
Fortunately,Black Myth: Wukongis slightly easier than classic Soulslike titles, so any initial foreboding shadow players might feel cast over them by the game’s bosses shouldn’t last too long. Players will have plenty of opportunities duringWukong’s boss encounters to get the upper hand. It is often those moments that can make or break a boss fight for players unless they manage to survive rather than thrive throughout the encounte. Players must remain keen-eyed and quick to catch these lightning-in-a-bottle moments, however, and that’s the exciting part.
InBlack Myth: Wukong, players can stagger bosses, potentially even knocking them down. At that point, serious damage can be dealt to the boss, all while it flails around in pain on the ground. One already-popular player skill is Immobilize, which allows players to briefly freeze their opponent, leaving them open to a potential barrage of attacks. However, it has been confirmed that Immobilize doesn’t work on all ofWukong’s bosses, so experimentation will be key.
Black Myth: Wukong’s Boss Fights Can Reward Players With New Transformations
Challenging boss fightsare rewarding enough once players overcome them, but walking away with a tangible reward of some kind makes those fights all the more worth confronting. This is generally the case in any action RPG, as players often acquire gear or abilities associated with the boss they’ve defeated, andBlack Myth: Wukongis no different.
Players will have plenty of opportunities duringWukong’s boss encounters to get the upper hand…
WhereWukongdiffers is that, rather than being rewarded with a simple skill associated with the boss they’ve defeated, players may be able to take on the form of that boss in one way or another. For example, Guangzhi is a wolf-like boss with a double-headed flaming spear, and upon defeating him, players can then transform into a version of Guangzhi, spear and all. AsBlack Myth: Wukong’s transformationshave proven to be one of its most anticipated features, this challenge-reward system is designed to match the boss fight’s intensity.
It is abundantly clear thatBlack Myth: Wukonghas been built around its boss fights. While some fans and previews have questioned if the entire game is essentially a boss rush, Game Science has assured fans thatWukong’s full release includes side quests, interesting NPCs, and plenty of secrets to uncover. Nevertheless, onceBlack Myth: Wukongreleases on August 20, players can expect a multitude of challenging yet rewarding boss encounters, each requiring speed and dedication to master.
Black Myth: Wukong
WHERE TO PLAY
Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology and based on Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.You shall set out as the Destined One to venture into the challenges and marvels ahead, to uncover the obscured truth beneath the veil of a glorious legend from the past.As the Destined One, you shall encounter powerful foes and worthy rivals throughout your journey. Fearlessly engage them in epic battles where surrender is not an option.Aside from mastering various staff techniques, you can also freely combine different spells, abilities, weapons, and equipment to find the winning strategy that best suits your combat style.
