After a four-year wait since its 2020 announcement, Black Myth: Wukong is finally here! Read on for a summary of early reviews and a look at the controversy surrounding review guidelines.
Black Myth: Wukong's Arrival
PC Launch Only
Since its debut trailer, Black Myth: Wukong has generated significant buzz. Initial critical reception is largely positive, with an 82 Metascore on Metacritic (based on 54 reviews).
Reviewers praise the game's exceptional action gameplay, emphasizing its precise and engaging combat system and well-crafted boss battles. The stunning visuals and hidden secrets within its beautiful world also receive high marks.
Drawing inspiration from Journey to the West, the game successfully incorporates elements of Chinese mythology. GamesRadar+, for example, described it as "a fun action RPG, reminiscent of modern God of War titles, but filtered through the lens of Chinese mythology."
While PCGamesN considers it a potential Game of the Year contender, some criticisms include subpar level design, uneven difficulty, and occasional technical glitches. The narrative structure, similar to older FromSoftware titles, requires players to delve into item descriptions for a complete understanding of the story.
Importantly, all early access review copies were for PC; console reviews (particularly for PS5) are still pending.
Controversial Review Guidelines
Image from SteamDB. Reports emerged of a co-publisher issuing guidelines to streamers and reviewers, outlining "Do's and Don'ts" that reportedly restricted discussion of "violence, nudity, feminist propaganda, fetishization, and other content that instigates negative discourse."
This sparked considerable debate online. While some criticized the guidelines, others expressed no concern.
Despite this controversy, Black Myth: Wukong remains highly anticipated, currently topping Steam's best-selling and most-wishlisted games charts. The lack of console reviews remains a point of discussion, but the game's launch is poised to be significant.
