Even when reviews went live and different issues, be it bugs or the lack of an in-game map, were discovered, the action RPG received extensive praise for everything else. The rest was history, as it sold a whopping 10 million copies in just four days of launching. Not only is it one of the fastest-selling video games of all time, but it’s also the second-most played title in Steam’s history with a peak concurrent player total of over 2.4 million.
There’s a lot to like about Wukong, like the story and how it provides for a compelling plot while implementing its various elements to fit the combat. Or the content and how it offers so much for its $60 price tag (that too in an age where other titles charge more for significantly less quality). There are so many Transformations, Spirit Skills, armor sets, weapon upgrades, and other upgrades to discover, and that doesn’t account for the Stances and how you can mix up different techniques.
Exploration is occasionally annoying due to invisible walls, and the environmental design only really opens up past the first chapter. However, the world as a whole is fun to explore. Secrets abound, including entirely new areas, optional boss fights, new items and Transformations, additional side quests, etc. In terms of a complete experience, Black Myth: Wukong is a stunning effort from a development team that’s relatively smaller than your average triple-A production.
However, there’s one thing about the game that stood out the most, especially as more players got their hands on it: Its accessibility.
For a long time, Wukong was assumed to be a Souls-like title, which automatically led to assumptions of difficulty. As more details were revealed in hands-on impressions, we learned about how players would respawn akin to Dark Souls. However, while it utilized other elements like stamina management and dodging, Black Myth: Wukong’s other gameplay systems helped to differentiate it further from the genre.
Game Science also smartly clarified the game’s nature – that it isn’t open world and instead highly linear, with a traditional narrative propelling it forward. Its success likely wouldn’t have been impacted by adopting a more Souls-like structure, but the current gameplay loop helps distinguish it from the pack. On top of catering to those who want more character-focused action titles, as opposed to Souls-likes, it provides a palate cleanser for those worn out from Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and its massive scope.
However, there’s more to that accessibility than meets the eye. Black Myth: Wukong is still a challenging game – make no mistake – but its gameplay loop eases you in from the outset. Think back to Dark Souls 3, Bloodborne, or even Elden Ring. You’re either locked in a duel to the death with Iudex Gundyr (which is required to progress), dying miserably to a werewolf, or getting stomped by a Grafted Scion. In two of those cases, death isn’t the end and if anything, they teach that their worlds are brutal and unrelenting, where survival of the fittest reigns supreme.
By comparison, Black Myth: Wukong’s opening establishes immediately that the protagonist is a badass who laughs in the face of armies and other threats. Sure, it’s a trait that often gets him in trouble (and rightfully so), but the opening gambit isn’t one where you feel like someone who is completely out of their element. It also helps familiarize you with the controls and basic mechanics while starting the game with a bang.
From then on, you’re introduced to the spells and Skills that make up the protagonist’s move set. You learn more about Stances and fight low-stakes enemies, and the beginning bosses aren’t all that overwhelming (but aren’t necessarily push-overs either). Progressing further opens up more systems and mechanics, from leveraging Transformations to imbuing your Gourd with different soaks for unique effects. You also discover Mortal Medicines, offering buffs from cleansing harmful statuses to increasing your damage, either moderately or by a massive amount, for a period.
Armor is also gradually introduced, with much of it unlocked naturally through the story instead of requiring you to go out of your way. Plenty of powerful rewards still await those who venture off the beaten path. However, if you want to, say, focus on a particular Stance, certain Transformations, and Spirit Skills, you can still find success. Even if its crafting won’t give Dark Souls a run for its money, Black Myth: Wukong provides numerous avenues for success.
This approach to the difficulty goes back to what Game Science told Eurogamer in its preview from June. “A lot of people find action games very frustrating due to the difficulty. It’s not because they don’t know how to play, it’s because they can’t keep up with the rhythm of the game. So, we are trying to ease that problem for the players who want to experience the story and who want to experience the battles by providing them with the different kinds of spells and Transformations and also to make the game less punishing, to help them enjoy the game,” said a spokesperson.
It sounds somewhat akin to how FromSoftware approached Elden Ring, where exploring the world and utilizing mechanics like Spirit Summons could make the game easier. The same applied to Shadow of the Erdtree, where Scadutree Fragments can feel mandatory in the early going. Comparatively, Black Myth: Wukong focuses more on its story. It still allows players to return to previous areas and take on optional challenges to become stronger. If you want to play through and experience the narrative, that’s perfectly acceptable, even encouraged. You can also pause at any time.
While this approach sounds pretty modest, it does help cater to a wider audience and captivate those who usually stay away from Souls-like titles. Someone who doesn’t enjoy the likes of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or Elden Ring may like Wukong and its approach to action.
None of this is to downplay the appeal of Souls-like titles – after all, millions of players can’t put them down, even those who don’t typically like “difficult games.” Black Myth: Wukong also offers its share of frustrating encounters as you delve deeper into it. However, this returns to why I feel it’s so successful.
Yes, it’s an action RPG, and the gameplay appeals to hack-and-slash fans, but everything is in service to the original vision and adapting to it as best as possible. Nothing feels extraneous or out of place, and at the end of the day, feeling powerful and handily disposing of threats is part of your character’s identity (though there’s more to it than that).
While this does open up concerns about difficulty options for the hardcore, the fact that Wukong has achieved this level of success shows that there’s some merit to making a challenging experience accessible to a wider audience.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
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