The Game Awardsrecently announced its picks for Game of the Year, including some controversial choices. The nominees include some heavy-hitters:Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth,Astro Bot,Balatro,Metaphor: Refantazio, theElden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC(a hot topic of debate), andBlack Myth: Wukong,a choice that defies itsgood but unexceptional critical reception. While the overall response to the game was strong,Black Myth: Wukongfalls short of where nominees both present and past rate.
As detailed on the officialThe Game Awardswebsite, 10 percent of the vote comes from fans, while 90 percent of the decision goes to the jury (mostly composed of press and journalists). Based on past years, these judges often favor action-based RPGs with strong narratives —Black Myth: Wukongchecks these boxes in a major way, plus some. Although it might not be the most obvious choice, there are plenty of reasons whyBlack Myth: Wukongdeserves GOTY at TGA 2024.
10GameScience’s First AAA
Regardless of the opinions aboutBlack Myth: Wukong’snomination, there is no denying what the developers at GameScience have accomplished. This being the first AAA installment from the small company sets a precedent for things to come, and the factthe studio scored a GOTY nomination on its first AAA releaseis an impressive feat. GameScience managed to create something both familiar and novel, combining some of the best elements/features from similarly styled games and improving upon them or reimagining them entirely.
To be fair, the founders of GameScience are former Tencent employees, and the fact that the studio hasn’t previously published titles of this scale isn’t going to be a major consideration for judges at TGA. But it’s worth noting that whenBlack Myth: Wukongstarted development,Game Science had fewer than 30 employees working on the game, as reported byIGN.
9Replayability
Replay value comes built-in withBlack Myth: Wukong, as seen withthe New Game+mode featured after finishing the game the first time and in the alternate, “True Ending” found after completing a secret area that most won’t find until a second replay.Black Myth: Wukongseems to be designed with the expectation that players will miss things on their first run, andNG+ provides powerful upgrades and better weapons/armor, so accomplishments from NG feel like they really matter in NG+.
All Black Myth: Wukong New Game Plus Weapons, Ranked
There are five weapons worth a close look in Black Myth: Wukong’s New Game Plus, including the Stormflash Loong and Adept Spine-Shooting Fuban.
Further, the strongest weapons in the game are onlyavailable in NG+, and the narrative elements are interesting enough thata second or third playthrough of the game does not feel staleor cumbersome. If replayability counts for anything, Wukong is a prime example of using NG+ to enhance the player’s overall experience of the game.
8Simplified Soulslike Mechanics
Black Myth: Wukonguses or improves upon popular soulslike mechanics, such asre-spawning at shrines upon death without the punitive loss of experience.Thecombat mechanics feel oddly familiar, with aspects reminiscent of previous GOTY-winnersSekiroandElden Ring, yet distinctly different —Black Myth: Wukongisn’t technically a soulslike after all, even if elements such as the Perfect Dodge mechanism feel very soulslike.
This is all to say thatBlack Myth: Wukonghas created trulyinnovative and original combatthat builds upon and pays homage to contemporaries and predecessors from a range of RPG styles and is accessible in ways other soulslikes aren’t. The leveling mechanic and narrative linearity equate toplayers not being overwhelmed by any single boss, getting lost in a labyrinthine world, or becoming frustrated piecing together fragmented storylines.
7Visual Design & Art
Despite the potential for performance issues,Black Myth: Wukongoffers an unparalleled, visually dynamic experience.Each chapter includes a variety of beautiful architecture and detailed background settings, from deserts to snowy mountains and beyond. Not to mention the character, NPC, and enemy designs, all of which feel original and carefully planned, as well as the beautiful artistry seen in cutscene content.
While there are separate award categories for these aspects, the art and design in the game add to the overall immersion and will certainly play at least a passive role in judges' decisions for GOTY.Black Myth: Wukong’s visualadaptation of the iconicJourney to the Weststory and legendary characterslike the titular Sun Wukong results in a complete artistic vision that pulls players into the myth.
6Boss Design
Though there are over 100 bosses scattered across the game, each has a completely individualized combat style and personality. They are also woven into the narrative with intention,each serving a unique purpose and leaving players feeling accomplishedafter defeating them. Somebosses will feel insurmountableat first, but these foes quickly force players to adjust their strategies, experiment with different spark investment and gear, and learn to utilize the correct stances.
The move set foreach boss is deliberate and well-thought-out, teaching players how to use each stance as they advance through the game. This translates to a truly fulfilling sense of accomplishment when a particular build or technique finally pans out. Even the most challenging bosses, such as Erlang, the Sacred Divinity, can be overcome reasonably with a solid strategy.
5Hidden In Plain View
While the lack of an open world or running into invisible walls can break immersion to some extent, nothing inBlack Myth: Wukongfeels unintentional.The barriers to exploration are balanced out by the hidden aspects of the gamethat players are free to discover on their own, particularly thedozens of hidden bossesthat cannot be accessed without taking deliberate steps. Despite having a pretty linear path,Wukongcan be surprisingly difficult to navigate.
10 Hidden Features In Black Myth: Wukong You (Probably) Completely Missed
Black Myth: Wukong was a sensation when it first released, but there are a number of features that players may have completely missed when playing.
Where an open world offers players a sense of discovery and purpose,Black Myth: Wukongpresents a linear path with hidden forks, such as side quests that lead to powerful bosses that can only be discovered with thorough exploration.Each chapter is ripe for discovery, and the game deserves consideration for striking a delicate balance between the open world and linear styles of level design.
4Reignite The Sparks
The leveling system inBlack Myth: Wukong, called Self-Advancing, can be done anytime, andrespeccing Spark pointsis possible at any Keeper’s Shrinefrom the very beginning of the game. This may seem like a simple detail, but the ability to respec at will gives the player an incredible degree of freedom to experiment with different builds, which in turn leads to players developing strategies catered to their preferences and each individual boss.
Where many action RPGs have locked players into their decisions and forced them to commit to a particular build,Black Myth: Wukongremoves all barriers to advancement and encourages players to rethink strategy.This is especially useful in the early chapters as players learn various combat mechanics and build an arsenal for the more difficult late-game bosses.
3Smash, Pillar, Thrust
On that note, the combat mechanics are perhaps one of the most compelling reasonsBlack Myth: Wukongis deserving of GOTY. As mentioned above, the game utilizes features from popular soulslikes, most apparently with the Perfect Dodge mechanic. However, these fundamentals are enhanced dramaticallywhen players start understanding how to use each Staff Stance- Smash, Pillar, and Thrust - and when they start discovering new spells.
Defeating each boss requires a catered understanding of their move-set, and which stances or spells the player uses will change depending on which boss they’re fighting. By the final boss, players will have practiced enough thatthey’ll understand the nuances, benefits, and use-cases for each stance, spell, and piece of gear they collect throughout the game.
2Journey To The West
There’s little doubt thatBlack Myth: Wukongis a stunning adaptation of the epic 16th-century Chinese novel,Journey to the West,or that this will be a major consideration for judges in this year’s GOTY decision. Traditionally, the winning games have been narrative-focused, containing strong cinematic elements andincluding well-written dialogue and carefully planned narrative design. The writing inBlack Myth: Wukongparticularly stands out, even from the initial battle sequence against the Gods.
One Black Myth: Wukong Character Is A Mystery Even GameScience Can’t Solve
Black Myth: Wukong has plenty of secrets for players to discover, but even developer GameScience may not have all the answers in one case.
The overall story arc, character development, dialogue, and narrative design inBlack Myth: Wukongare what will set it apart from the other nominees.There may not be a better video game adaptation of a classic tale than this one, and based on judges' preferences in past GOTY awards, an engaging story and intentional narrative design are crucial for a winning title.
1A Complete Experience
When all is said and done, no single element of any GOTY nominee will ensure a win, and the overall gameplay experience will be the final say.Black Myth: Wukongis a complete, self-contained package,unlike other nominees such asShadow of the ErdtreeorFF7 Rebirththat require knowledge of the franchise to fully appreciate. While it isbased onJourney to the West, players don’t need to have read the novel to appreciate the story or characters - if anything, the game will interest players in reading the novel.
Further,Black Myth: Wukongexcludes the frustrating aspects of popular soulslikes while incorporating more universally enjoyable elements, striking a delicate balance between fans of the soulslike genre and those that prefer a more straightforward action RPG. The level, combat, and boss design are standouts among the nominees, as well as the advancement system and art/cinematography. For all of these reasons and more,Black Myth: Wukonghas a real shot at winning Game of the Year atThe Game Awards2024.
