If you had to list the most exciting and highly-anticipated upcoming action RPGs that speak to fans of the “soulslike” genre, there’s no doubt that Black Myth: Wukong would enter the conversation.
While there are still concerns around developer Game Science’s studio culture and some abhorrent remarks made online by members of its leadership team, hype for the game continues to grow after numerous incredibly-impressive showings with some particularly slick-looking combat and enemy visuals.
Now, in the wake of Summer Game Fest, numerous outlets have posted previews of the game having gone hands-on with a couple of hours in its early game, and the general consensus is that it’s shaping up to be something special, indeed.
IGN’s Mitchell Saltzman began his preview saying, “It’s stunningly gorgeous, the animations are incredibly fluid, it’s steeped in rich Chinese culture, and there’s just something immensely satisfying about playing as a Monkey King and beating up all sorts of mythical creatures with a giant extendable staff,” while fellow staffer Rebekah Valentine agreed that the game is “gorgeous, with snappy combat, fantastic monster design, and some really interesting boss fights” while remaining concerned that Game Science is seemingly uninteresting in addressing reports of sexist and inappropriate remarks made by members of its team and a supposed culture of misogyny within the studio.
Gamesradar’s Austin Wood made an unexpected comparison, saying “Black Myth: Wukong feels more like the modern God of War games and less like Dark Souls so far. It also feels great to play, looks stupidly good in motion, and might be the best action RPG I’ve experienced since Lies of P.”
Alex Van Aken over at GameInformer similarly praised his experience of the demo, writing, “Black Myth: Wukong seems to present a compelling world of striking character designs, boss fights requiring skill mastery, and gorgeous environments. I eagerly await the game’s release, not simply for its excellent combat and promising character building, but to experience its take on the prominent Chinese folk tale.”
Push Square was equally impressed while hopeful that the PS5 version remains as slick as the PC demo, saying, “Black Myth: Wukong could well become a 2024 favourite for many.”
And if you’re looking for a video preview to watch over your break, Easy Allies and Gamespot both published theirs today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApqSA0PKKDU&pp=ygUZYmxhY2sgbXl0aCB3dWtvbmcgcHJldmlldw%3D%3D
Black Myth: Wukong launches on August 20th for PS5 and PC.