Summary
Black Myth: Wukongis a stylish action game full of challenging boss fights, but challenging can mean different things in different games. While plenty of popular action titles focus mostly on keeping things moving, with bosses that pose appreciable threats but remain unlikely to stump players for long, others gear things around replaying each encounter to achieve perfection.Although either approach can be valid in the right circumstances, potentialBlack Myth: Wukongplayers that may be looking to get a particular experience out of it could be disappointed if it ends up feeling too easy or too hard.
Ahead of its launch,Black Myth: Wukonghasn’t escaped the ever-expanding genre tag of “soulslike,” which refers to anything that takes obvious inspiration from FromSoftware’sDark Soulsseries.Black Myth: Wukongisn’t particularly closeto that style, bearing more resemblance to FromSoft’sSekiroor a more approachable action game likeGod of War, but the comparison isn’t without merit. Whether it comes particularly close to that standard of difficulty is a slightly more complicated question, although drawing some lines of comparison clears up the essential similarities and differences.
Black Myth: Wukong Review: The Soulslike Action Hype Train Is A Little Off-Rails
Despite the exceptional qualities of Black Myth: Wukong, the souls-like RPG has some necessary improvements to make, for a truly immersive experience.
Boss Fights In Black Myth: Wukong Can Be Tough
Climactic Fights Aren’t That Easy
The main focus ofBlack Myth: Wukong’s difficulty is its boss fights, which occur frequently throughout the game. Bosses generally have a lot of health, varied movesets, and powerful attacks, intensifying and often adding new complexities when they reach low levels of health or a second phase. Most aren’t difficult to learn on a basic level, with clearly telegraphed moves that prevent strong opportunities for dodging, but making mistakes can still be costly.
Black Myth: Wukong’s harder bosses can feel comparable to encounters in games likeElden Ring, and later in the game, some match the difficulty ofElden Ring’s hardest foesand similar challenges. Although conquering bosses can require iteration and sometimes frustration,Black Myth: Wukong’s combination of straightforward mechanics and reasonably generous timing means that it usually only takes a try or two to start gaining confidence. Deaths often occur when bosses are bringing out their most vicious moves at the end of a fight, some of which can be difficult to consistently avoid.
When Black Myth: Wukong Goes Live In Your Region (Unlock Times)
Black Myth: Wukong launches soon, but exactly when depends on each player’s individual region and time zone. Find out when it unlocks where.
Outside of boss fights, the rest ofBlack Myth: Wukongisn’t notably difficult. Segments of its levels occasionally feature aggressive enemy lineups, but they feel closer in difficulty to a standard action game experience than the consistentpunishment found in many soulslikes. It’s possible to run past most enemies in a pinch, although it’s better to fight in most situations to gain rewards and experience. Certain mini-bosses can be a bit tricky, but the majority don’t provide too much of a threat.
There’s no punishment for death inBlack Myth: Wukongbesides resetting to the last checkpoint location, and no currency or resources are dropped.
Does Black Myth: Wukong Have Difficulty Settings?
A Straightforward Approach Focuses On One Experience
The biggest thing to know aboutBlack Myth: Wukong’s difficulty is that it doesn’t feature difficulty settings, presenting a universal level of challenge that can’t be adjusted with a toggle. Although some bosses can be harder than others, this singular difficulty level does feel mostly well-honed, with the most difficult obstacle coming from how little damage the Destined One tends to do with standard strikes against powerful bosses.
Black Myth: Wukong Release Date, Platforms, Price, Gameplay, & Story Details
Black Myth: Wukong, the action-packed reimagining of Journey to the West, is almost here, although there’s a lot players need to know before playing.
It’s never necessary to grind inBlack Myth: Wukong, but its approach to progression does reward thorough play with the potential to improve stats and abilities. Armor and weapons that offer mostly linear upgrades can be crafted, and experience earned can power up spells, weapon stances, and more. If a boss is proving particularly tricky, medicines with effects like increasing damage and resistance can be crafted with basic ingredients, and it’s possible to take multiple different medicines at once and receive all the effects.
Black Myth: Wukongultimately isn’t for the faint of heart, and the lack of difficulty settings means it could be a step-up in challenge for those used to playing typical action games on Easy or Normal. Soulslike veterans, on the other hand, shouldn’t be as surprised by the difficulty of the contents found within.Black Myth: Wukongis definitely harder than the average game, but most of its challenges don’t seem like they’re aiming to feel insurmountable.
The studio behind Black Myth: Wukong, GameScience, has previously been accused of fostering a toxic environment for its workers. The 2023 allegations include sexualized comments against women, misogyny, fatphobia, and more. More details can be foundhere.
Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG game from the developers at GameScience. Based on the original Chinese novelJourney to the West,players take on the role of Sun Wukong, a legendary monkey warrior who fights against mythical beasts and beings to save his world.
