Reviews are now live for Black Myth: Wukong, one of the most-anticipated games of August. A fast-paced action-RPG game inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, the game puts you in the boots of The Destined One as they navigate a dangerous world full of monsters and titanic threats. So far, reviews have been mostly positive, praising the game for its imaginative presentation and rich combat.
There have been some criticisms over technical issues, and it’s worth noting that only PC review codes were provided to the press for review purposes, although the game will also launch for PS5 on August 20. On GameSpot’s sister site Metacritic, Black Myth: Wukong currently has a “generally favorable” metascore of 82 from 48 reviews.
“It’s not uncommon to go from one boss fight into another and then another, and it’s in these elaborate battles where Black Myth: Wukong shines,” Richard Wakeling wrote in GameSpot’s Black Myth: Wukong review. The moments in between, however, aren’t quite as strong, sometimes devolving into aimless tedium. But its satisfying combat and unique variety of boss fights mostly manages to overcome these flaws.”
If you’re looking to buy the game, Black Myth: Wukong preorders are currently discounted at Fanatical.
Game: Black Myth: WukongPlatform: PC, PS5Developer: Game ScienceRelease Date: August 20Price: $60
GameSpot — 8/10
“Black Myth: Wukong is an uneven game where the highlights often outnumber the lowlights. Its triumphant boss battles and fast-paced combat make up for the stale moments in between, where bland level design and a scarcity of enemies will have you clamoring for the next face-off with a deadly Yaoguai. I appreciate that it’s not just another souls-like in what is now a crowded genre, and the choice to go for a boss gauntlet is unexpected and, honestly, quite refreshing. It’s disappointing that it falters outside of its cinematic clashes against mighty beasts, but designing this many rousing boss battles while avoiding a sense of fatigue is no mean feat and deserves praise.” — Richard Wakeling [Full review]
PC Gamer — 87/100
“Wukong is one of the most joyful action RPGs I’ve played simply for how lovingly it treats its world and characters and, by extension, how much it clearly wants me to love them too. It worked: Punchy combat aside, I wanted to keep working through each area to meet another weird little creature with a mysterious quest or to get jumped by another animal who learned MMA.” — Tyler Colp [Full review]
IGN — 8/10
“As GameScience’s debut action game, Black Myth: Wukong is mostly a great success, despite some major technical black marks and localization issues that are likely to cause some frustrations at launch. Combat is fantastic thanks to a great balance of careful resource management and lightning-fast, twitch-reaction gameplay that tested my skills as much as Elden Ring ever has, despite being a more traditional action game than FromSoftware’s style.” — Mitchell Saltzman [Full review]
GamesRadar — 4/5
“With strong combat and a fascinating world that mostly rewards exploration, Black Myth: Wukong is a fun action RPG that feels like the modern God of War games viewed through the lens of Chinese mythology.” — Austin Wood [Full review]
Polygon — Unscored
“Black Myth: Wukong is an astounding triumph, one that blends a story celebrating Chinese and other East Asian cultures with an original retelling that has resonant themes, all complemented by spectacular design and exhilarating combat. While the narrative is confusing at first–as I can personally attest to–it nonetheless encourages you to embrace that sense of strangeness and wonder as you venture into distant lands, much like a certain journey written centuries ago that has stood the test of time.” — Jason Rodriguez [Full review]
SiliconEra — 8/10
“Overall, Black Myth Wukong is a gorgeous game that has taken great efforts to make an interesting and exciting reimagining of one of East Asia’s most popular myths. The game is solid, and outside of frame drops, otherwise performs very well. And it’s probably one of the best action RPG I’ve played all year.” — Kazuma Hashimoto [Full review]
Rock Paper Shotgun — Unscored
“Black Myth: Wukong is a triumph. A surprising triumph in the sense that I can’t quite believe it’s as good as its drip feed of screens and trailers looked over the last few years. It’s a generous Soulsy adventure hybrid that works within its limitations and delivers a beautiful challenge to be unpicked with a magical toolbox.” — Ed Thorn [Full review]
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