Game Science’s Black Myth: Wukong has looked pretty consistently great since its reveal years ago, and we’ll finally get our hands on it when it launches on August 20th for PS5 and PC. There’s a lot to be excited about, from the sheer number of boss fights and their variety to the story and how much it’s inspired by Journey to the West. That’s not even getting into the combat and RPG systems, like transformations, stances, armor sets, bonuses, and more.
However, Black Myth: Wukong is also about details. The visuals look gorgeous but also pack tons of nuance. Of course, plenty of other interesting bits may have escaped notice on first viewing. Let’s look at 11 stunning details from the title before its launch.
Realistic Foliage, Lighting and Shadows
Black Myth: Wukong was already a gorgeous-looking title when first revealed in September, but since the shift to Unreal Engine 5, Game Science has elevated the quality even further. Thus far, we’ve seen detailed foliage that casts realistic shadows on the surrounding environment, leaves that fall naturally (and even get shuffled around when fighting), and much more. Then there’s the lighting and shadows, whether a single shaft of light piercing through a room or at night with fire illuminating the surroundings.
Water Reflections and Realistic Ripples
Adding to that is the water. Leaves linger on the surface of a water body, and the overall reflection quality is something to behold. We’ve also seen realistic liquid physics, especially in the fight with the Tiger Vanguard, where you fight in a huge pool of blood. It shifts realistic as you move around whether it’s the boss smashing the ground or landing on the ground after a lunge, the splashes and effects look very good. You can even see the environment reflected in a crimson veneer.
Blood Smudges and Realistic Fur
Speaking of the Tiger Vanguard, one cool-looking detail can be seen at the beginning of the fight. No, not when he drinks blood from the arena, but how it’s smeared on his mouth and claws. Furthermore, given the…furry nature of the boss, it even realistically smudges his fur. You can even see his fur bristling slightly during the fight. Maybe it’s expected, given all the visual flourishes that are already happening, but this is still a great addition that only reinforces how ruthless the Tiger Vanguard can be.
Maintaining Balance in Pillar Stance
The Destined One has some pretty unconventional techniques, like transformations, which allow for taking on the forms and moves of different bosses and enemies. Perhaps the most intriguing, however, is the Pillar Stance. It sees the hero planting his staff in the ground, simultaneously extending and skipping off it to travel upwards.
This provides a strong defense against area-of-effect attacks on the ground, as seen when fighting the dragon on the frozen water. However, one neat little detail is that he’ll grip the staff using his toes, making it easier to maintain balance and pivot into a massive blow. Will there be other instances or Stances of the Destined One using his feet to deal with foes later in the game? We’ll have to wait and see.
Perfect Dodges and Afterimages
Perhaps the most noticeable detail – that also looks incredibly impressive – is the afterimage produced with a perfect dodge. The maneuver slows down time briefly enough for the Destined One to get a hit in or reposition, but the concept of moving so fast that enemies perceive him to still be in the same place makes sense. It’s a split-second phenomenon that doesn’t linger for too long (mostly to keep up with the game’s fast pace) and adds more flair to the fight whilst helping it stand out from all the perfect dodge animations seen in other action titles.
Black Wind Demon’s Movement
Another interesting boss is the Black Wind Demon (seemingly based on Heifeng Guai from Journey to the West), a rampaging bear-like monster. His attacks are pretty overwhelming, but his calling card – the ability to transform into the wind and back to his bear form to quickly attack – fits his name well. This can be used to traverse the arena and catch up with the Destined One or follow up with attacks. It makes sense, given his ability to transform, and you even make out what seems to be the Kasaya robe stolen from Tang Sanzang in the novel.
Snowfall Realistically Accumulates on Characters
The Destined One’s journey takes him from gorgeous forests and abandoned locations to snowy mountains. As such, when the snow falls, it will accumulate on the characters, painting their armor, fur, feathers and whatnot in white. It thankfully doesn’t have any effect on the Destined One (hypothermia is the least of his worries), but it looks great, especially when the same effect can be seen on enemies and bosses.
Realistic Snow Deformation
The snowfall in Black Myth: Wukong looks good, but even better is the fact it accumulates on the ground, and when moving around, characters will realistically deform it. Seeing it fly up when enemies smash the ground is a given, but watching it slowly shift with the player’s movement is incredible. It wouldn’t surprise me if you could see footprints from the combatants in the snow as well, even if things quickly turn messy, as seen in the boss fight with the Macaque Chief.
Fire, Embers and Smoke
Fire is also realistically portrayed, as seen with the embers generated through particle effects and enemies catching ablaze when afflicted with burn damage. However, when battling Guangzhi, the wolf-like warrior with a bladed staff, you’ll also notice smoke emitting from the weapon when it’s on fire. It’s not as noticeable when moving around, but as he twirls and attacks, it accumulates realistically (while still maintaining visibility for the player). Interestingly, you won’t see smoke when, say, the Tiger Vanguard is set on fire. Maybe it’s unrealistic to expect as much, but it wouldn’t surprise me if this is in the launch version.
Shrines and The Destined One’s Hair
Though Black Myth: Wukong isn’t a Souls-like game, it does feature its own form of a Bonfire, namely the Shrines. These allow for resting and recovering health, respawning enemies, fast travel, and checkpoints to return to upon dying. When activating a Shrine, the Destined One will pluck a hair from their head and transform it into incense, seemingly rejuvenating the structure and clearing off any dust piled up. In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong’s hair allowed for various things, including making copies. This approach thus fits with the game’s respawning mechanic, as the Destined One presumably makes a copy of himself to return to instead of dying.
Metal Against Metal
Not all flourishes in Black Myth: Wukong have to do with visuals – there’s also some great sound design happening. When striking enemies, the dull thud of the Destined One’s staff is audible enough. However, when hitting a boss made of metal, it will make clanging sounds (which makes sense since the Destined One’s weapon is made of metal). Not only that, but the impact generates sparks, which create small flashes if you observe closely. Again, it’s a small detail, yet it increases immersion even more in a game rife with the same.
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