To date, 2024 has been a merely fine year for video games. Granted, the standards set by 2023, where it felt like a new GOTY contender was dropping every other week, were never going to be matched, but over the past eight months, I’ve struggled to find a game that has consumed not just my playing time, but also my thoughts.
There have been plenty of new releases I’ve thoroughly enjoyed including Persona 3 Reload, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Stellar Blade and Rise of the Ronin, but it wasn’t until I started Black Myth: Wukong on PS5 earlier this week, that I felt that deep persistent itch to play that I had been craving.
I haven’t been able to sink as much time in Black Myth: Wukong as I’d like (thanks to those pesky grown-up responsibilities), but even after just half a dozen hours, I’m seriously impressed with what I’ve experienced. And I’m not the only one bewitched by Chinese developer Game Science’s debut title as it’s breaking all sorts of records on Steam.
There’s been a whole lot of column inches written about Black Myth: Wukong already this year (not all of them positive), but here’s why it’s one of the few games this year that has fully captured my attention.
If you can’t beat them, copy them
Much of the pre-release discussion surrounding Black Myth: Wukong centered on whether the action RPG is a true Soulslike (a subgenre of titles that take inspiration from the works of developer FromSoftware), or whether it was something a little different.
In our Black Myth: Wukong review, my colleague compared to game to the rebooted God of War games, and while I do see that comparison, for me, Game Science was clearly inspired by the Dark Souls franchise. Much like those masterful games, Black Myth: Wukong is an experience that hooks you because it throws difficult encounters your way and asks that you rise to them. The feeling when you do is intoxicating.
Black Myth: Wukong does give you more tools to tackle its tough bosses, ranging from useful magic spells like being able to freeze a foe in place, or the ability to transform into previously defeated enemies to dish out serious levels of damage. Nevertheless, while your toolkit is bigger, the drive to defeat a challenging boss after several failed attempts is the same, and it's what will keep you playing for hours.
Though if there’s one area where Black Myth: Wukong could have perhaps cribbed FromSoftware’s homework even more, it would be the levels built around the boss fights. In the likes of Dark Souls, Bloodborne and Elden Ring, the areas you transverse to get to each new boss encounter are just as memorable as your final destination. However, with Black Myth: Wukong’s in between the boss battles you'll find mostly linear corridors that serve more as window dressing than actual levels.
Worming its way into my thoughts
Black Myth: Wukong plays well, offers a pleasing sense of progression (there’s plenty to unlock and loot) and it looks very pretty on PS5, but there have been several other games this year where all of that applies. So, what makes Black Myth: Wukong different?
For me, it's the fact, that it has managed to capture my attention even when I’m not playing. Even as I write this article, I’m recounting a memorable experience I had during my most recent play session, where I squared off against an optional boss and managed to defeat this hulking beast with just a single sliver of health left.
I’ve even found myself watching videos of other people taking down bosses I’ve already defeated just to see how their strategies differ from mine, or to see what abilities they’re using (in case I want to mimic their build).
This level of engagement is something I’ve not experienced since playing Elden Ring’s phenomenal Shadow of the Erdtree DLC back in June. And the last time I had it with a full game was Lies of P in 2023, which proved to be my GOTY pick.
Granted, Stellar Blade back in the spring does share a whole lot of what I really enjoy about Black Myth: Wukong. However, the Chinese mythology setting of Black Myth sets it apart and makes it feel unique, whereas Steller Blade’s sci-fi aesthetic felt more familiar — not to mention the game’s cheesy story had me muting cutscenes pretty darn quickly.
Play Black Myth: Wukong right now (if you can)
If you have a PS5 console or one of the best gaming PCs, I urge you to give Black Myth: Wukong a try.
So far, it’s been one of the strongest games I’ve played all year, and I’m eager to dive in further and see what tricky bosses are waiting for me. Just to note for those curious, the difficulty level so far has been relatively tame, but I’m expecting that the uber-hard battles are around the corner as I've heard it gets pretty brutal later on.
Sadly, players on Xbox have been left out of the Black Myth: Wukong party and the reason for that doesn’t isn’t particularly clear. The game was initially announced as a multiplatform title, but there is no confirmed release date for the Xbox version.
Online rumors abound with some sources claiming it’s a technical problem, and others suggesting Sony inked a timed exclusive deal. Whatever the reason, it’s a shame that Xbox players are missing out here. Fingers crossed the Xbox Series X port is still planned and arrives in the near future.
While I definitely had Black Myth: Wukong on my radar going into 2024, I didn’t expect it would completely hook me as it has done. My journey to the West is still in its infancy, so I won’t declare it my game-of-the-year frontrunner quite yet, but if its quality holds up, then it’s absolutely going to be a contender for the best of 2024.
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