It takes a while for Black Myth: Wukong’s breakneck pacing and acrobatic combat to click. The start of my hands-on preview is decidedly graceless, as I repeatedly fumble dodge timings, struggle to retain my composure against its heavy-hitting enemies, and put in a performance comparable to my dismal first run of Demon’s Souls way back in 2009. 15 years and dozens of soulslikes later, developer Game Science’s debut arrives as a flashy and frenetic new contender, one that resembles combo-driven action games like Devil May Cry and the rebooted God of War series’ epic fantasy yarns just as much as it does FromSoftware’s modern classics.
Currently the most-wishlisted game on Steam, Black Myth: Wukong‘s prelaunch buzz stems from its wildly popular gameplay trailers dating back to 2020 that almost seemed too slick to be real. While we’re hardly lacking great new action games and soulslikes, its intricate combat and ‘next-gen’ visual makeup cemented it as one to watch. It also hails from a brand-new Chinese studio staffed by industry veterans and backed by Tencent. Its road to launch hasn’t been without controversy, however, as you may recall IGN’s 2023 report detailed examples of sexism at Game Science, including allegations against staff in leadership roles, to which the developer has yet to respond.
It’s clear from the opening minutes of my two-hour hands-on that this take on ancient Chinese mythology and specifically Journey to the West is more forthcoming with its storytelling than most of its soulslike contemporaries. Semi-regular cutscenes depict key story beats and introduce the cast, such as your early-game mentor, an elderly gentleman with a sprouting potato head. Taking charge of the nimble, staff-wielding Sun Wukong, otherwise known as the Monkey King, I descend into a lush forest filled with gracefully animated mobs and bosses all out for my head, from a giant-headed baby man and an oversized frog to a flaming bear. As for whether or not this is a soulslike, rechargeable health flasks, checkpoint shrines, the loss of XP on death, and demanding melee combat are all present.
Battles are immediately faster than I’d anticipated, and this paired with my miniscule health bar and paltry number of restoratives throws me for a loop. Spamming dodge is a recipe for disaster thanks to the regen time after every third successive attempt. There’s no dedicated block feature – the person playing on a screen to my left appears to be steamrolling every challenge in their path, and I rock up to my first boss fight with my confidence at subterranean levels. Fast-forward two hours and I was left feeling like I could tackle just about anything.
It takes me several attempts to down the first boss; I’m starting to feel a little better after discovering light combos build focus, which you can spend on heavy attacks, while the perfect dodge system slows time and lets you get a couple of hits in. Soon after I sprint headfirst into the giant baby and retreat just as quickly as I arrived. The Game Science developer standing nearby reassures me he’s optional. I’m surprised by how linear this admittedly beautiful forest and mountain range is, as I keep spotting what I assume is an explorable area only to hit an invisible wall.
Souslikes are at their best when the path ahead is unknown, with its dangers and quirks still obscure and brewing within the imagination. Every inch of ground you claim is a victory as you begin to square your perception of their deadly worlds with reality, putting their secrets to memory in the hope they may serve you later. The first Dark Souls has a certain aloofness; it appears unfussed about whether you spot that shortcut or uncover that seemingly essential item. Your journey is yours; you must endure its highs, its lows, and its quirks.
Black Myth has secrets – enemies hiding behind trees, or chests and optional bosses just ever so slightly off the beaten path – but there’s an inescapable pull towards them and a more straightforward, immediately knowable progression style. The early game doesn’t give you space to drive your own discovery or ponder and fret over the road to come, nor does it present any intriguing NPCs who aren’t just talking upgrade menus (besides, perhaps, the potato guy). All of this essentially turns Black Myth into a boss rush.
I seem to encounter a new boss every 15 minutes. I don’t recall any other soulslike cramming so many so close together. It’s a breathless, zero-filler intro, yet at every turn I long for a greater chance to get to grips with the world and – yes – to grind before the next big fight. Black Myth’s upgrade system is closer to Sekiro’s streamlined setup than Dark Souls’ intensive min-max scaling, with each level-up granting you an upgrade point to spend on an ability tree. I unlock a magic spell that freezes enemies in place, I turn my staff into an extendable platform and crash down on unsuspecting foes, and I temporarily transform into a deceased boss, netting me a second health bar and the ability to use a handful of their attacks.
Then I encounter a particularly grueling two-stage brawl with a snake-powered brick wall of a boss – I need to step back and spend five sifting through everything at my disposal. I am a terrible hoarder of consumables and prone to finding one combat approach, weapon, or ability that I like or enjoy, then stubbornly, often stupidly, sticking with it through thick and thin. This is especially true in soulslikes, but Black Myth was having none of my nonsense. Not since Sekiro have I felt such an unavoidable push toward getting good. And so I read the descriptions of my many consumable items, I think carefully about my equipped abilities, and in the heat of battle I push myself to use every power and carefully monitor their cooldowns. Finally, it all clicks into place, and – by the skin of my teeth – I squeak by.
Black Myth’s hardest fights are perfectly calibrated to demand your all, and the world and systems surrounding them won’t let you grind your way to victory. At the same time, the game isn’t rigid; it wants you to experiment with the many boons it throws your way, even allowing you to respec from the jump. In just two hours, I feel I’ve come so far in my arsenal and prowess, even if I’m left a bit cold by everything outside of the boss arenas.
I end my preview on a flaming mountaintop fighting a bear that moves with such speed and ferocity that I almost miss the snake-powered nightmare from earlier. It’s overwhelming. I can scarcely believe I’m the same player who two hours previous died twice to a lone wolfman. I get in one respectable yet unsuccessful attempt before my time’s up, and then the developers skip forward to a dragon boss that sits at the end of a side mission. This fight seems insurmountable until the beast suddenly flops over and I wail on some jars atop its back that explode, obliterating a third of its health bar.
Black Myth: Wukong oscillates so quickly and regularly between despair and elation that I worry it could grow exhausting during its over 15-hour runtime. While I was left with a desire to continue to improve and see if things open up, as someone who values mood and genuine player-driven discovery in the best soulslike games, I also craved a proper reprieve from the intense boss rush and a reason to invest in this world beyond the admittedly satisfying mechanical progression.
The Black Myth: Wukong release date is set for August 20 on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.