Black Myth: Wukong is a new Soulslike RPG featuring enemies from Chinese mythology. However, in the opening cinematic, the game makes a wild reveal: you don’t play as Sun Wukong. Instead, you’ll play as another monkey, “The Destined One.” You’ll set out on a quest to retrieve Wukong’s relics and revive the Monkey King.
This one choice largely takes away my desire to actually play the game. While I’ve seen the opening cutscene, and I’m a fan of soulslike games, it feels disappointing that the game took this direction. While the opening cutscene alone heavily implies the main character is a reincarnation of Wukong, this doesn’t capture the fantasy of playing the legendary Monkey King.
Sun Wukong, from The Journey to the West, is an absolutely perfect main character for a soulslike. “Journey to the West” provides an awesomely overpowered and great character that Black Myth sadly doesn’t realize. Black Myth: Wukong wants to be a soulslike, but evidently has no interest in actually utilizing the character of Sun Wukong to his full potential.
Sun Wukong is a Soulsike Protagonist
Let’s start with the basics. In “Journey to the West,” Sun Wukong is basically unkillable. Wukong acquired immortality in five different ways before the titular journey even started! In his own legend, Wukong erased his name from the register of life and death so that he could not be held by the underworld. Additionally, his consumption of so many immortality-granting foods made Wukong so strong he was nearly invincible. He was even strong enough to stand alone against the Jade Emperor’s armies.
Even when Wukong loses fights in Journey to the West, he is never really in danger. Even when he fights a demon he can’t beat, Wukong usually shapeshifts to escape and retry the fight later. In one story from the Journey, Sun Wukong even got his head chopped off. He then whistled to call it back to his body, and reassembled himself afterward.
As a mythological character who literally can’t die, Sun Wukong is perfect for the soulslike genre. In a game where you’re expected to die, Sun Wukong’s immortality offers dozens of ways to integrate narrative and gameplay when you’re defeated.
The soulslike genre has many death mechanic staples that could be adapted for Wukong. The soulslike rest points could be roosts that Wukong flies back to in a shapeshifted form after losing a fight. Yomi, the underworld, could be a hub that Wukong goes to in defeat and promptly walks out of. Upon defeat, Wukong could even burst into hair, revealing you were playing as one of his hair clones. Alternatively, if Black Myth: Wukong wanted to keep the grim “black” theme of the game intact, Wukong could simply piece himself together after losing a fight.
Instead of integrating any interesting interpretation of Sun Wukong’s myth into the genre, Black Myth: Wukong defaults to soulslike shrines. This one decision is indicative of the rest of the game. Black Myth: Wukong has no interest in doing anything interesting with its source material.
Black Myth Wastes Wukong
When I first heard about Black Myth: Wukong, I was pretty intrigued. I thought it had the potential to do something interesting with the soulslike genre with a beloved character. Most soulslike games craft the fantasy of being a random nobody with a sword fighting an uphill battle against legendary foes. As a soulslike protagonist, Sun Wukong has the potential to invert the typical souslike dynamic.
Sun Wukong is one of the most laughably overpowered characters in any media, and he knows it. In Journey to the West, Sun Wukong is a fun character who taunts and jokes while fighting and loves fighting strong foes. He’s funny, irreverent, always joking, and constantly laughing. Sun Wukong is a legend even within his own myth. This would make for a fascinating soulslike dynamic.
Imagine a soulslike where you are the unstoppable legend. Even if you lose, even the boss knows it’s only a matter of time before you win. It would be genuinely interesting to play a soulslike where the main character is upbeat and playful instead of grim. Furthermore, Sun Wukong is exactly the kind of character who would be just as excited about fighting crazy bosses as you.
Unfortunately, this is not what Black Myth: Wukong delivers. Once more, you play as a mute protagonist in a messed up world, fighting an uphill battle against forces beyond you. It’s a tried and true recipe, but Wukong is the ingredient that could have made it so much more.
Credit Where It’s Due
I realize that it might be difficult to turn Sun Wukong character into a player character. Adapting an unbeatable character into a playable character is hard. This is especially true when the player is expected to lose fights often, due to the genre. Black Myth: Wukong solves this by not making the playable character Wukong. Additionally, the game’s plot seems to involve Wukong’s reincarnation traveling to regain the vestiges of his power. This way, Black Myth tries to have its cake and eat it, effectively letting you play as a fledgling version of Wukong.
Black Myth: Wukong also manages to at least pay some tribute to Journey to the West. The game starts with Sun Wukong sealed in a stone. This is very consistent with his punishment in Journey to the West. Before the titular journey, Sun Wukong is sealed beneath a mountain until he is freed later.
This game also makes a small innovation by having bosses remember you on repeat attempts. While I had hoped to hear bosses truly give Wukong his due and hear Wukong quip back, this at least helps mitigate some disappointment. Hearing bosses bemoan your repeated attempts to kill them is genuinely interesting.
Nevertheless, even if I give this game the benefit of the doubt, “The Destined One” is not the character I’m interested in playing. Black Myth: Wukong attempts to draw an audience with the promise of seeing the Monkey King in action. However, Black Myth doesn’t seem to actually want to portray the character it put in the title of the game.
In Conclusion
I love the character of Sun Wukong. He’s an interesting, fun character, and I would love the chance to play a game with him as the star. Sadly, Black Myth: Wukong isn’t it. Black Myth: Wukong cares more about telling a grim, “black,” roguelike than actually honoring or depicting the mythic power of its titular character.
