Berlin – “Journey to the West” is a well-known folk myth in Chinese literature. The story, which dates back to the 16th century, tells of the adventurous pilgrimage of a monk and his three companions, who set off to India to bring holy Buddhist scriptures to China. The action role-playing game “Black Myth: Wukong” is based on the work from the 16th century.
The traveler and his companions encounter numerous demons and trials that they must overcome with courage, cunning and supernatural powers. Even today, the novel still offers plenty of material for an action-packed video game adaptation that brings the travelers’ mythical adventures and supernatural battles to screens around the world.
The Monkey King in the spotlight
The main character of the game is the Chosen One, an ape-like warrior and the image of the Monkey King Sun Wukong. While in the novel he plays a key role in the success of the mission as one of the companions of the monk Tang Seng, in “Black Myth: Wukong” everything revolves around him. From the third-person perspective (looking over the shoulder), we see how he faces powerful opponents on his journey and experiences the various stories of the imaginative game world.
The Chosen One only uses one main weapon throughout the game, but it’s a great one: His staff isn’t just good for attacking or parrying. It can also be hidden in the ear in the form of a needle or serves as a practical ladder when enemies turn the ground into a death zone for a short time with their magical attacks.
In addition, Wukong also has a number of spells and abilities up his sleeve that help him successfully master even the most difficult situations. For example, you can freeze enemies, create clones, or simply transform into one of the 72 animals available in the game and use their respective advantages.
Boss fights and impressive graphics
Between flashing dragons, giant wolf creatures and bird-like fighters, there are numerous boss battles in which you have to prove your skills. If you stroll through the different game regions, there are also various smaller enemies waiting there, which, however, are not particularly challenging compared to the bosses.
If Wukong does get caught, shrines scattered across the map serve as checkpoints for getting back into the game. And this is where frustration tolerance comes into play: if you find “Black Myth: Wukong” too difficult, you’ll have to practice. The difficulty level cannot be adjusted.
Thanks to the modern Unreal Engine 5, the game from the Chinese developer studio Game Science is a visual delight. The colorful game world with its detailed textures is reminiscent of the samurai adventure “Ghost of Tsushima”. Sometimes you walk through a snowy mountain region, sometimes through green forests, or you explore a desert-like stone landscape in search of new adventures.
“Black Myth: Wukong” costs just under 70 euros and is available for the Playstation 5 and PC (Windows). Xbox Series users will have to wait a little longer.
