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Wukong’s Legacy: The Enduring Appeal of the Monkey King

Black Myth: Wukong is straight-up lit – but it takes major confidence to flex like this. In the world of big-budget games, most devs play it safe to appeal to the masses, but this game goes hard. With its insane graphics, you’d think it was made by a major studio, but it’s actually from a Chinese indie crew, Game Science. It’s the kind of bold creativity that makes you want to buy cheap Xbox games and support more innovative, boundary-pushing titles like this one. The whole vibe feels so polished that it’s wild to think this is their first “premium” drop. The game is based on the classic 16th-century novel, Journey to the West, which has influenced a ton of modern stuff, like Dragon Ball and that 2010 game, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. You step into the shoes of a stone monkey, Sun Wukong – or a character inspired by him; the deets are kinda up to you. Wukong’s always seemed like the perfect video game hero. In the OG tale, he’s got crazy strength and speed, but that’s just the start. He can shapeshift into all sorts of animals and objects, control the weather, and even clone himself! Because one overpowered monkey is just never enough to handle the chaos.

Comedy vs. Epic Vibes in Direction

Why’s everyone hyped about this? First off, the game dives deep into unique Chinese mythology, drawing from Journey to the West , one of the four classic Chinese novels. It’s super well-crafted and gives us an awesome glimpse into the local universe. Sure, it might not match the source material's depth, but it’s still super detailed. Then there’s the setting. How many games let you play as the king of the apes with a divine backstory? If you’re loving the mythological vibes and want to explore more games inspired by rich cultural stories, now’s the perfect time to buy cheap PS5 games that bring legends to life in equally epic ways. Not many, which makes it a standout for players. You could roll your eyes at the whole “you’re the chosen one and the fate of the world is on you” trope, but honestly, this game flips that script in a fresh way. In China, people often say no one’s nailed a solid movie or show based on Journey to the West. Directors usually go for either lowbrow comedy or over-the-top epic vibes. But on the gaming side, there haven’t been many bad takes on the monkey king Sun Wukong, despite how perfect it is for interactive storytelling. Guess what? This game seems to have cracked that code!

Balancing Epic Encounters with Mobs

The art design in the game is a bit of a mixed bag. The forest in the first chapter is super charming, but the desert in the second chapter is just kind of bland and unappealing. Not everyone has Denis Villeneuve's magic touch to make even sand look cool! The third chapter brings you to stunning mountains where you can fly around as a bat, which is a blast. But just when you think it’s all great, you hit a short snowy area and then it’s back to a dull gray prison. It’s like every amazing location is followed by a letdown. The devs also dropped a lot of references to the original characters from the novel when designing the bosses. In the first chapter, I encountered the spirit of a wolf and a black bear chilling on a mountain. The combat system in Black Myth: Wukong feels pretty standard for spellcasting, but it leans into that souls-like vibe. You play as the young king with just a staff, which you can upgrade to focus on things like critical hits or defense. As for the enemies, they’re mostly weak and there aren’t many of them. At the start, it feels like a boss rush. In the first five hours, I took down 15 enemies with long health bars, and four of them were just separated by a few mobs. You smack one epic creature, run a bit, and then another one drops in from the sky.

Motivation to Explore New Areas

Black Myth: Wukong has totally reignited my love for this type of game. It feels like a throwback to classic action games but with stunning graphics. This mix is what it nails so well. You can definitely sense an adventure vibe here, with XP and skill trees adding some RPG depth. But at its core, it feels like a classic action game just dressed up a bit. There are some environmental limits that can be a bit frustrating. Sometimes, it’s unclear where you can actually go, which feels weird when you can’t climb a staircase or a low ledge. A few areas are designed poorly, but overall, the blend of linear and 3D gameplay is solid. Each chapter feels like its own adventure, and I’m always driven to push forward. I wish the story were clearer, but the motivation to reach the next area keeps me going. The resting spots are super convenient too; I can fast-travel back to previous areas easily, which is great for exploring or grinding XP since enemies respawn. Bosses, though? Once they’re down, they’re gone for good, so no repetitive fights there. At the end of the day, what really matters is if a game is fun to play. If it touches you, engages you, and delivers that thrilling experience you’re after, then it’s a win. When the credits rolled on Stellar Blade earlier this year, I felt pretty satisfied with the action. But Black Myth: Wukong takes it up a notch, so it deserves an even higher rating. It’s a challenging and amazing action game that’s a must-play for anyone ready to take on a real challenge. Sure, it can be super frustrating, and some encounters might feel impossible, but I came across a great reminder online: you only have to win once. That’s key to remember when a massive beast seems unbeatable. Because once you finally do take it down, it’s all worth it.

About Wukong

Reflexes vs. Strategy: Black Myth: Wukong

Dark Souls never let me stick my tongue out like a giant frog and smack my enemies with it. And it definitely didn’t let me create a squad of clones to beat down an evil rock monster. If Dark Souls is all about trials, Wukong is pure adventure. And honestly, if you’re into this kind of wild, creative gameplay, now’s the perfect time to buy cheap Xbox games that bring that same sense of fun and unpredictability to your collection. It’s basically a Journey to the West where the animals have health bars. Imagine a version of that classic Chinese story where a fox hooks you up with better healing potions. If there’s anything reminiscent of FromSoftware’s games, it’s how Wukong lets its rich world tell its own story. Wukong doesn’t waste time explaining why there’s a forest full of wolf dudes or why a headless guy is serenading you. It kicks off with Sun Wukong laughing at a council of gods, who hit him with a punishment so hard it takes centuries for him to come back as a level 1 monkey. You don’t need to know Journey to the West to get into Wukong, but reading it might clear up some of the mysteries. Even without that, I totally enjoyed the quirky cast of talking animals—they're either hilariously pathetic or way too serious, like I crashed their big moment. I was hooked by surprises like a giant frog jumping out of the grass or a snake dragon grabbing me in its jaws over a frozen lake—each level is a wild mix of bizarre scenes that crash into a seemingly simple quest. Wukong is packed with boss fights, but don’t let that freak you out. The difficulty is all over the place, so you never really know what you’re getting into. You might breeze past a giant rat but then have to fully focus to take down a raging bear. A lot of the bosses are all about the spectacle, not just testing your reflexes.

Abundance of Bosses

Describing the gameplay is a bit tricky since it mixes several genres and subgenres. The devs call Black Myth an action RPG, and for the most part, it fits that label with some classic mechanics. That said, if you’re looking to dive into more games that blend genres or push the boundaries of action RPGs, it’s a great time to buy cheap PS5 games that experiment with innovative gameplay styles and fresh ideas. There’s an XP system and level progression tied to a skill tree that unlocks buffs and new abilities. You’ve got a crafting system for brewing potions and making armor and weapon pieces, plus a shop for buying potions and materials. You’ll also meet allies who can help upgrade specific items that you can’t boost at the prayer shrines alone. On top of that, some previews have labeled Black Myth a boss rush game, and that’s kinda true. There are tons of bosses, almost matching the number of regular enemies you face. You’ll frequently find yourself battling fully named foes, and hidden paths can lead to secret boss fights. However, there are still big sections of the game focused on exploration and encounters with regular enemies, so the boss rush label doesn’t quite capture the whole experience either. One of the coolest things about the game is that you only have one weapon—your holy staff—but you can mix it up with some awesome modifications. You can tweak the staff to unlock different abilities and boost your stats. Plus, there are various attack stances you can switch between with a simple button press for totally different moves. For example, one stance lets you chill on your pole and drop a brutal overhead smash, while another has you spinning your staff to deflect a storm of flaming arrows. One of the sickest abilities is transforming into bosses you’ve defeated. Some transformations are quick and act like special attacks, while others give you a whole new attack set and feel like a temporary second life—just be careful, because you’ll revert back to your original form if your health runs out or the timer expires. Make no mistake, though: the game is still brutally hard. Even the easiest bosses can take you out fast if you mess up, and nailing those dodges requires serious timing since there’s no parry or block. You will die, and you’ll probably die a lot. That said, the other mechanics make Black Myth a bit more forgiving for those who might not be Soulslike pros. The game leans towards flashy action over precise hits, so a bit of button-mashing won’t totally wreck your chances. Stamina management helps you keep it clean, but it’s not the end of the world if you let loose a bit. Plus, with constant XP opportunities, running away from fights isn’t a good move for your progress. Smart play is still crucial if you want to come out mostly unscathed, but going all out can totally work too. It’s a great mix of fast action and solid defense that welcomes both newbies and veterans!

Enhanced Player Agency

When you die, you don’t lose your XP, gear, or currency—you just respawn at a checkpoint and lose any consumables you used. Besides Sparks, you can snag Will, which is the currency for upgrading your gear, spirits, and even your health gourd to stay in the fight longer. You’ve got your staff, but you can upgrade your weapons and gear and equip different accessories for various effects. Overall, Wukong feels way more RPG-focused and freeing than most soulslike games, encouraging you to plan your loadout and grind a bit without the fear of major penalties for mistakes. Black Myth: Wukong taps into the rich tapestry of Chinese mythology to pull you into a world that's both stunning and perilous. While the story sometimes struggles to shine through, it provides enough structure to guide you, even if it leaves out some of the juicy details for you to piece together. The focus is definitely on combat, but with such beautiful visuals and deep lore, you might wish it dove deeper into the narrative. The combat gives you loads of ways to experiment and find what works best for you, while still serving up enough of a challenge to keep you adapting. This balance makes for a game that rewards you with adrenaline-fueled battles without punishing you too harshly for slip-ups. Exploring the world can be a bit tricky, but the rewards you find along the way make the journey worthwhile, leading to a thrilling adventure of discovery.

Wukong blog

7 Apr 2025

Discovering Legendary Relics in Wukong

You step into the shoes of the Destined One, who might be the reincarnation or descendant of the legendary Sun Wukong. It’s a role that comes with some serious mythic baggage, and if you’re ready to embrace the challenge, it’s also a great reason to buy Xbox games that let you step into other larger-than-life adventures while you wait to wield those divine relics yourself. Armed with the iconic staff of this deity, your mission is to roam Ancient China in search of six legendary relics to unlock a massive stone at the top of a mountain. The story is kept a bit mysterious at the publisher's request, but if you know the first part of Journey to the West, you’ll have a solid idea of what’s going down. The game gives you plenty of background on each character you meet, so you won’t feel totally lost.

Breathing Room Between Boss Fights

The same vibe carries over to the sections between those epic boss fights. Wukong starts off super linear, almost like a straight-up highway of enemies, but it gradually opens up after a few hours. If you’re someone who craves more exploration or wants games that evolve into expansive worlds, it’s worth considering to buy PS5 games that offer a mix of structured storytelling and open-ended freedom. You go from whacking wolves in a forest to sneaking past skeletal snake dudes. By the second chapter, all kinds of rats are sniping you from rooftops or lighting you on fire with gunpowder clouds. Wukong gently nudges you to explore side paths that lead to treasure or side quests to buff you up for what’s coming. In one desert area, I took out some shield-wielding hedgehogs and jumped down a bridge, only to find a dude turned to stone begging for help. When I brought him the item he asked for, he laughed at me for being gullible—classic 16th-century humor! Suddenly, I could lock onto him, so I smacked him around a bit, and he dropped a spell that let me parry attacks by turning to stone. Instead of throwing you into a meat grinder of tricky enemy setups between bosses like a lot of other Soulslikes, Wukong gives you breathing room in these open sections so you can really soak in the world before diving into the next big fight.

Switching Roles: Warrior to Magician

When the fights get tough—and trust me, some of them do—Wukong’s flexible skill tree and upgrade systems keep them from feeling impossible. At any shrine, which is like the bonfires in Dark Souls that respawn enemies, you can shuffle your skill points to unlock some dope magical abilities. Investing in Immobilize lets you freeze enemies right before they hit you, giving you a chance to heal or strike back. Maxing out a spell that turns you into a wolf with a flaming polearm feels like having a second life against multi-phase bosses. While I wouldn’t call them full-on builds, Wukong gives you enough options to handle the roughest parts of a fight. Some players might even choose to go without spells, like those Reddit purists who refuse to use the mimic tear in Elden Ring. But skipping spells means missing out on some of the most satisfying parts of Wukong’s combat. Aside from a few minor upgrades to your staff, you won’t have a bunch of weapons to choose from. Instead, you collect creatures from the levels. Special enemies drop their spirits, which you can equip for passive buffs and epic signature attacks, like turning your head into a giant hammer or becoming a swordsman for a killer slash. Combat is all about finding openings in enemy attack patterns with your spells and dodging until you can strike. Most fights feel like a wild dance of cartwheels, somersaults, and clouds of smoke as your monkey hero transforms into various beasts you collect like Pokémon. Once you find your groove, you switch from warrior to magician in no time! Beyond the awesome exploration, Wukong seriously rewards curiosity. There are hidden parts of the world that you can’t access right away until you grab the right items or chat with certain characters. These secret spots are called “Obsessions,” and they totally vibe with Buddhist ideas about attachment leading to suffering. The items you find represent that struggle: someone was so attached to them that their pain pulls you into a mystical space. It’s a dope way to show a world filled with magic and otherworldly spirits. Plus, it’s a bit cheeky; if you’re the type to go all-in, you’ll have to take down even more epic bosses to uncover these areas.

Celebrating Wukong as an Amazing Experience

Wukong has totally crushed it in the market. Journey to the West is a classic story, but no other game based on it has sold 10 million copies in just a few days. For some folks in the West, it’s a surprise that a game like this comes from a place known for mobile games and microtransactions. But for many in China, it feels like a long-awaited blockbuster that finally gets it right. It’s like all the weight of an entire country's cultural legacy is on a developer that hardly anyone knew about before this game dropped, and Game Science is definitely feeling that spotlight. But to judge Wukong just by market trends and audience preferences misses the main point: it’s simply an amazing game.