BLACK MYTH: WUKONG entered the Steam charts and shattered a lot of all-times given the number of sales it accumulated on its first day.
Reaching nearly a million concurrent players on Steam, and amassing around 2 million playing hours spent, surpassing the likes of Elden Ring and Cyberpunk 2077, Wukong became an instant hit on its first day.
As of now, 4.5 million copies have been sold, and this could further rise given the game's groundbreaking features.
Just what makes Wukong a gaming masterpiece?
Wukong isn't a complex Souls-like experience
Just by looking at the gameplay vid, one may have the impression that Black Myth: Wukong is all about the strategic and insane combat that might force players to rage quit due to its sheer difficulty.
Surprisingly that isn't the case as Game Science's recent action game has simplified the overall approach.
Combat doesn't require players to constantly memorize and adjust from the patterns of opponents, nor does it offer severe punishments to players for dying. Even the execution of moves are simple as players are given light and heavy attacks.
Plus the RPG elements of the game doesn't require a lot of theorycrafting or insane levels of thinking.
So does this mean that the game is welcoming even to casual gamers? Not really, as the game still has challenges for players to deal with (such as resource management of spells), however they aren't at the level that would offer a frustratingly unplayable experience, making Wukong a very balanced difficulty spike.
The game showcases the very best of Chinese culture
Black Myth: Wukong is based on the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West, and given its background, it makes sense for the developers to incorporate the beauty of Chinese culture into the game.
The titular character, Sun Wukong, carries a staff with moves that incorporate Chinese martial arts and when he starts slamming his foes with his signature weapon, one can hear the tunes of the classical Chinese musical instruments.
From the pounding drum sounds, the hymn of Chinese flutes, and even the singing from the headless monk, the game feels like a real life adaptation that would enter and leave a lasting impression into our souls.
And given that the game has plot points and characterizations, Black Myth offers a unique twist when it comes to Wukong's appearance in video games.
Instead of introducing Wukong as a one dimensional combat machine as seen from MOBA titles, there's more depth to the titular character in this game, paying tribute to one of the most renowned classical Chinese novels.
Despite its strengths, the game still has its flaws
While there is a backstory and narrative in the game, it certainly isn't the main focus of the game as it can be argued that players wouldn't feel the emotional connection to the characters.
Instead the game heavily leans towards its combat mechanics given that Black Myth: Wukong feels more like a boss rush galore.
And there are other problems that players could potentially encounter as they carry on with their journey. Given that the game is relatively new to the scene, players could encounter bugs that could bring out the memes within.
Yet these flaws wouldn't ultimately pull the game down as Wukong is still an action RPG combat experience that is still worth playing. Game Science did a great job in placing more emphasis on its overall strengths and features that would mask the weaknesses of the game.
Plus the developers could still look for ways to address the game's bugs as the months go by.
CONCLUSION
For a developer who only has a history in mobile gaming, Game Science really did a good job in immersing themselves into other gaming platforms and given the impressive sales of their game, there could be more opportunities to further showcase the immense potential of Chinese game developers.
From HoYoVerse's titles such as Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and recently Zenless Zone Zero, and now with Wukong making headlines on the opening day, expect that more triple A titles will emerge from the region.
Black Myth: Wukong showcased a lot of key strengths that would make Chinese game developers standout, ranging from its innovative and challenging, yet less punishing action-oriented gameplay, to the incorporation of the beauty of Chinese culture.
And if you want to try your hands on the game, Black Myth: Wukong, the game is available to play on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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