Black Myth: Wukong Review

Journey to the West, Reborn

You play the Destined One, a staff-wielding successor to the Monkey King, on a mythic odyssey through a China steeped in legend. It adapts the classic tale Journey to the West with obvious reverence, and from the first chapter it oozes style and ambition.

Staff Combat

Combat is fast and weighty, built around three staff stances — smash, pillar, and thrust — fuelled by Focus points spent on punishing combos. Spells like Immobilize, shape-shifting transformations into defeated foes, and spirit abilities give you a deep, flexible toolkit.

Bosses and Yaoguai

The bosses are the beating heart of the experience. There are dozens of them — the Black Bear Guai, the Yellow Wind Sage, the multi-form Tiger Vanguard — each inventive, ferocious, and gorgeously designed, and many rank among the genre’s best in years.

Spectacle and Setting

Built in Unreal Engine 5, it’s frequently breathtaking, and the lavish animated cutscenes that close each chapter are a highlight. Its grounding in Chinese mythology makes it feel refreshingly distinct.

A Few Limitations

Level design is more linear and corridor-like than the open structure some expect, with occasional backtracking, and difficulty spikes and performance issues can intrude.

Verdict

Black Myth: Wukong is a stunning debut from Game Science — a feast of mythology, spectacle, and combat that announces a bold new studio with serious talent.