Black Myth: Wukong is the new must-have game, judging by the whopping amount of people playing it.
We had an inkling the dark fantasy adventure would be popular, which is why it landed on our lists of the most-anticipated PS5 and PC games, but it’s safe to say it has topped all expectations.
Here’s what you need to know about the game everyone is talking about.
What is Black Myth: Wukong?
Following in the footsteps of Genshin Impact and PUBG, Wukong is the latest game out of China to take the West by storm.
Developed by Game Science, a studio founded in Shenzhen (a coastal city in the south of the country), the game mixes blistering combat with a story steeped in Chinese mythology.
Drawing its inspiration from one of the most influential works of East Asian literature, Journey to the West, the game puts players in control of the Monkey King (aka Sun Wukong), an ape with magical powers.
What is the story about?
The story follows Wukong as he embarks on a perilous journey through a reimagined ancient China, encountering mythical creatures along the way who are looking for a scrap.
These enemies often blend human and animal traits, and range from creepy arachnids reminiscent of spider demons to anthropomorphic animals like a regal black bear. Majestic beasts, lantern-headed humanoids, and desiccated winged creatures add to the game's brooding atmosphere.
To defeat them, you’ll have to use your magical staff, an enchanted weapon that can extend and change size at will. You’ll also get to experience Wukong's unique abilities, such as shapeshifting and summoning clones.
How many players does it have?
Black Myth: Wukong came out earlier today (August 20) and it’s already shattering records on PC.
The action role-playing-game currently has the highest player count on Steam, with more than 1.92 million simultaneous players. That’s also the biggest opening ever for a game on the digital storefront for PC titles.
Impressively, it’s also in third place on the most-played Steam games chart, behind creature-taming adventure Palworld (2.1M) and PUBG (3.25M).
As such, it’s the biggest single-player game of all time on Steam, beating juggernauts like Cyberpunk 2077, GTA 5, Stardew Valley, Baldur’s Gate 3, and (its biggest influence), Elden Ring.
Is Black Myth: Wukong open world?
Alas, Wukong isn’t an open-world game, though it features plenty of exploration. Players can traverse towering mountains, ancient temples, and hidden caves, but each mission takes them to a different location where they typically face a formidable boss at the end.
In that sense, it’s probably more accurate to describe it as a semi-open-world experience, with large, explorable areas within each chapter.
Within these locations, players can discover resources and collectibles at their own pace, with the game's narrative ultimately guiding them along a predetermined path.
Is Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike?
While the game incorporates some Soulslike elements, its distinct mechanics and narrative structure ultimately set it apart from the popular sub-genre.
It has some of the hallmarks of other Soulslike games, including challenging combat, an emphasis on skill-based gameplay, and enemies that respawn when you die.
But, the game deviates from the likes of Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Dark Souls (classics of the sub-genre) in several ways.
Combat is faster and more fluid in Black Myth, and it follows a linear structure rather than offering a fully interconnected world. Additionally, players primarily use a single weapon, Sun Wukong's staff, which contrasts with the abundance of weapons found in many Soulslikes.
For its part, Game Science has emphasised that Black Myth is not a Soulslike, highlighting its unique approach and cultural inspirations from Chinese mythology.
Is it hard?
Still, the combat in the game won’t be for everyone. Newcomers to the action RPG genre may struggle with boss fights, especially early on in the game when you’re low on resources.
As with Elden Ring, the best thing you can do is take a moment to size up your opponent's moves and then plan your counters accordingly. Practice makes perfect, so don’t give up after your first (or fifth) loss. When you do finally taste victory, it will be all that sweeter.
Once you start progressing, you’ll be able to mitigate the difficulty by upgrading your character, using various skills and items, and exploring the game world to gather more useful resources.
Does Black Myth: Wukong have difficulty settings?
Unfortunately, there’s no way to crank down the challenging aspects of the game as Black Myth doesn’t offer difficulty settings. Plenty of people enjoy playing games on easy, allowing them to take in the sights and sounds without getting frustrated by combat, but that’s simply not an option here.
What platforms is it on?
Black Myth: Wukong is available on PlayStation 5 and PC, with an Xbox Series X/S release planned for a later date.
Is Black Myth: Wukong on Game Pass?
Seeing as it’s not on Xbox consoles, that also means it’s not on Game Pass, the gaming subscription service known for getting high-profile games on the day of their release.
