Sony’s PlayStation 5 has been absolutely knocking it out of the park with one stellar first-party exclusive after another, and also squeezing in a few partnership exclusives in between for some good measure. One of the biggest hits that fall within the latter category has to be Game Science’s Black Myth Wukong, which came out in August last year. Now that its exclusivity deal is nearing its end, the game is due for release for Xbox Series X on 20 August 2025. And if you are someone who didn’t really check out the game or just passingly knows about Black Myth: Wukong, let me tell you that you are absolutely not ready for it.
Black Myth: Wukong isn’t just a simple action-adventure brawler like many made it out to be. It’s an extremely thoughtful game with different elements that all come together to create something that’s truly magical and memorable; something that will stay with you long after the credits roll. I distinctly remember seeing the first trailers of Black Myth: Wukong showcasing those impressive animations and environments, courtesy of Unreal Engine 5, and thinking the final product would most likely be a quite faint shadow of all this pre-release glory.
You see, there are plenty of reasons to have such reservations against Black Myth; firstly, it comes from a studio that doesn’t have an amazing track record and the game is claiming to reach the production quality of current-gen AAA games at a fraction of the budget, which isn’t an easy pill to digest. But when the game actually came out, I was pleasantly surprised to be proven absolutely wrong about my apprehensions and come to witness Black Myth: Wukong in all its glory.
From the very moment you start Black Myth: Wukong, the game puts you in a boss fight against an all-powerful deity. The sense of scale is quite staggering, right from witnessing a huge army of soldiers to seeing a gargantuan stone giant that can shatter entire mountains with one fell swoop of his axe, and fighting atop the clouds – the scenery paints the perfect starting point for what’s to follow.
The fight itself doesn’t disappoint either; it’s a sandbox to learn the ropes and get familiar with Black Myth: Wukong’s fighting nuances. Or you could just spam the light and heavy attack buttons and get away with it since there’s no actual player health bar involved in the fight. It’s actually a great way to let players familiarize themselves with the rhythm of the combat, since that is something of paramount importance later on.
It’s actually a fight that you are meant to lose, which then kickstarts your journey as the Destined One who must journey through the many realms of this world and recover the six relics that correspond to Sun Wukong’s six senses. Now that you are stripped of all the shiny armor and abilities that you donned in the first fight, Black Myth: Wukong truly kicks into gear as you must be a swift yet thoughtful dancing monkey if you want to stand a chance against these bosses.
Describing Black Myth: Wukong is a tough task – but you can imagine it as a mix of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Bloodborne, and some Devil May Cry. Much of its mechanics have been lifted straight from the works of FromSoftware, such as limited healing charges during battle and fixed checkpoints but it also has hack-and-slash elements such as charging up a mix of light and heavy hit-combos to these bosses and cannon fodder enemies alike.
All of this lends a unique rhythm to the combat of Black Myth: Wukong. It operates on a very careful wavelength that sits right besides Devil May Cry or Sekiro. Some enemies can give quite decent opportunities to attack where you can pummel down with hits, and even extend these opportunities further using techniques like transforming into enemies you’ve fought before or using abilities like immobilize to pin them in place.
But at the same time, being reckless with your staff swings will get you nowhere. You have to uttimately have an idea of these enemy attack patterns, and also get a sense of when to dodge and where to dodge if you want to have a shot of beating some of the later enemies. The best bosses in Black Myth: Wukong are white knuckle challenges that test endurance, skill, and adaptability in all sorts of different ways.
Black Myth: Wukong can be a rather tough game at times. Bosses can have long combos with unpredictable tells, and each hit can knock down a significant chunk of your health bar, making it important to memorize these patterns. Some fights can also happen in phases, with bosses having different attack sets during each phase, which can take up to over 10 minutes to best. However, the game always manages to be tough-but-fair, which is a rare trait to see in non-FromSoftware developed games that use high difficulty as an allure to gamers.
The depth in combat extends far beyond the meticulous dance of dodges. Black Myth: Wukong also features plenty of options for player progression, ranging from skills that help increase your stats like health or stamina or unlock new nuances in the combat such as a new combo. Of course, you also unlock new abilities or transform into a previously downed enemy. There are also options for brewing potions that imbue elemental effects like flame or poison which can also help in a pinch. Last but not the least, you can also swap out different stances to change your moveset according to the enemy. It can be difficult to keep track of all these options – especially in the heat of battle – but mastering these additional elements can be quite effective and help you beat down tough-looking bosses in no time.
And what’s quite interesting about Black Myth: Wukong is the fact that it is pretty streamlined in terms of the playing experience. At first glance, you might think of Black Myth as this current-gen Soulslike – but it’s actually a boss rush in the vein of something like Furi. There are a few open spaces punctuated with enemy presence, and certain side paths that reward you with extra points or crucial building materials, but by and large, you will be facing one boss after another.
And that’s a really clever move by Game Science, and it adheres to the principles of design by subtraction. Instead of creating a game with so many different gameplay types and not being extremely good at any one of them, Game Science chose to reduce or cut out the fluff and hone in on the core of the game, which is these boss fights. Going this route lends the game a sense of consistency where a major part of the game is the highlight of the experience, and the filler sequences act as just breathers without overdoing their purpose. It’s also precisely why Game Science was able to reduce development times and build the game at a fraction of the budget.
And we can’t really forget about the visuals, can we? Black Myth: Wukong absolutely knocks it out of the park when it comes to delivering realistic visuals. Built using Unreal Engine 5, Black Myth: Wukong employs all current-gen rendering techniques to the fullest to create a stunning and picturesque world that well and truly feels like real life.
Apart from all the technical wizardry, we also have to appreciate the art direction, right from how the enemies and characters are built to how diverse yet serene these environments feel, and the superb animation work on display. It’s well and truly a passionate work of art, and we wouldn’t blame you if you end up just stopping and observing at every possible point in your journey.
Of course, Black Myth: Wukong isn’t a flawless game by any means. The storytelling could be improved, especially if you are planning to play in English. Also, being railroaded down a particular path can also prove to be frustrating when you are in the mood for exploration.
But all of these blemishes are nothing compared to the grand experience that is Black Myth: Wukong. There’s obviously a reason why it continues to be one of the most talked about games, and with a sales figure of over 25 million units with platform exclusivity, it’s no secret that Game Science has delivered a hit. And if you are even passingly interested in the prospect of Black Myth: Wukong, you should definitely give it a try when it releases for Xbox Series X on August 20.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.