Black Myth: Wukong review roundup: 'An interesting and exciting reimagining'

GamesRPGBlack Myth: WukongBlack Myth: Wukong review roundup: ‘An interesting and exciting reimagining’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Game Science)

black myth: wukong

Black Myth: Wukong earned plenty of buzz with its reveal in 2020, seemingly emerging from nowhere with impressive art and cinematic action sequences. Now, after four years of glimpses, teasers, andstudio controversies, Black Myth reviews are in the wild, and it looks like developer Game Science has delivered a hit.

Here’s what other reviewers are saying about Black Myth: Wukong.

“Incredibly frustrating on occasion, but it’s an overall rock-solid RPG”

GamesRadar+: 4/5

Where Wukong’s been commonly compared with the Souls games, GamesRadar’s Austin Wood found the modern God of War games a better point of comparison for the Chinese ARPG’s progression and structure. After praising the game’s world—with a few asterisks for occasional level design friction—Wood said that, while the combat suffers somewhat from a standard light attack combo that never gets more elaborate, Wukong “is at its best in boss fights,” most of which are “real spectacles.”

“A sense of balletic elegance to its best boss fights”

GameSpot: 8/10

Like Wood at GamesRadar, Richard Wakeling at GameSpot called Wukong’s bosses the clear highlight of the experience, writing that “triumphant boss battles and fast-paced combat make up for the stale moments in between.” Outside of fights, however, Wakeling said it suffers from “bland level design and a scarcity of enemies,” but those lows pale in comparison to the cinematic highs of its best battles.

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“An interesting and exciting reimagining of one of East Asia’s most popular myths”

Siliconera: 8/10

“Game Science has managed to pull off the impossible”

Polygon: Unscored

For Jason Rodriguez at Polygon, Black Myth: Wukong is an achievement: a compelling, thoughtful, and evocative reimagining of the “timeless classic” of Journey to the West. Its story, Rodrigeuz said, “is woven like fine tapestry” from cultural tradition: a work of beautiful imagery, “gratifying” side activities, and excellent enemy designs.

“I can’t quite believe it’s as good as its drip feed of screens and trailers looked”

Rock Paper Shotgun:Unscored

“One of the most gorgeous games I’ve ever played”

IGN: 8/10

Mitchell Saltzman at IGN, like other reviewers, noted some substantial technical issues, citing crashes, audio issues, and a boss fight that reliably sent him plummeting through the geometry. Still, Saltzman said the game’s “strengths more than carry it through,” thanks to the tension of its “lightning-fast, twitch-reaction gameplay” and a setting that’s a feast for the senses.

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“Incredibly frustrating on occasion, but it’s an overall rock-solid RPG”#

“A sense of balletic elegance to its best boss fights”#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

“An interesting and exciting reimagining of one of East Asia’s most popular myths”#

“Game Science has managed to pull off the impossible”#

“I can’t quite believe it’s as good as its drip feed of screens and trailers looked”#

“One of the most gorgeous games I’ve ever played”#