Black Myth: Wukong gameplay; I don't get the hype?

FakeSympathy

Elite Member
Legacy
Jun 8, 2015
3,479
3,214
118
Seattle, WA
Country
US
Sounds perfect to me; It's not the overbloated experience that artificially increases hours you have to put into the game. Rarely do games take a long time to complete all the while making each hour feel meaningful, like Baldur's Gate 3.

BM:W (god, I hope the car company doesn't sue the devs for this), seem to give enough content all the while respecting the player's time by making it actually beatable within a few days.
 

Gordon_4

The Big Engine
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
6,419
5,676
118
Australia
So this game is apparently selling gangbusters. Especially in China, supposedly making up like 90% of sales on Steam. Which makes sense given the subject matter, I suppose, tho I've heard it got a particularly big marketing push over there too.
The Journey to the West and Sun Wukong are big cultural presences in China. If the game is as decent as described then it selling well is not surprising. Though I imagine it’s still gratifying for the developers to have such a positive response; there’s still a very big built in audience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

Dreiko

Elite Member
Legacy
May 1, 2020
2,909
985
118
CT
Country
usa
Gender
male, pronouns: your majesty/my lord/daddy
Made a quick cash off of selling some stuff, and decided to get this game, at a bit of discount from a third-party vendor.

And after spending a few hours myself and completing the first chapter, I do think this is a solid game. One gripe I have have with this game is that shader/cache or whatever the data the game needs to load in gets loaded in late, giving me choppy audios and stuttering cutscenes. It happens EVERY TIME I hit continue from the main menu, or when I load in a new chapter. It's a shame, because some of these cutscenes look epic and I can't stand audio being out of sync and cutscenes freezing. Going in-game doesn't really help either, because it freezes/stutters there as well!

Thankfully it only lasts first few min after I start the game. So I'm hoping for a patch soon.

As for the combat, while I do think it's fine, I think they should've not had stamina management at all or not have combo-building-focus mechanic. It feels really counter-intuiative. So you want the player to attack the enemies with the flurry of light attacks, but continuing to to attack consumes stamina and you have to wait to reload? People who are more used to the likes of DMC or Arkham games will struggle because they can't keep the attacks and dodges going due to limited stamina, and people who are used to soulsborne won't take the full advantage of building up a combo because they are more used to hitting them a few times and backing out.
I heard that the audio issues have to do with performance mode, maybe try playing in a different mode? Not sure how it is on pc, but apparently the frame generation it uses causes those audio bugs.


My solution for the stamina management so far has been to use the immobilize spell as a stamina management spell, cast it and just take a drink or walk slowly towards them before starting your combo. Also, after you beat chapter 1, going back to the bamboo forest lets you buy an accessory from the shrine shop that buffs your stamina a lot. And you eventually find a spirit that you can turn into that just equipping makes your stamina recover faster.

Basically, stamina is an issue early on but after you level a bit and get those perks that cut the stamina cost of rolls and find the treasure pills that increase it, it becomes a smaller and smaller issue.


But yeah I do agree that this is a new combination of games like dmc and souls and it isn't a pure example of either category. I play all of them so it feels fine to adapt to it though. And hell, everyone should play all of those games, they all rock in their own ways XD.
 

Ezekiel

Elite Member
May 29, 2007
1,301
615
118
Country
United States
Bet I could simply copy what I posted in the Phantom Blade 0 thread about it being a Souls game and it would mostly be true. Tired of these games.

"Play something else." There isn't that much else. Which is why I play so many older games.
 

Old_Hunter_77

Elite Member
Dec 29, 2021
2,100
1,932
118
Country
United States
I didn't read the whole thread but just wanted to add to the chorus of voices emphasizing what a big f***ing deal Journey to the West is in China and what it could mean to gaming to introduce console-style AAA gaming to literally the biggest consumer market the world has ever known. It is absolutely stunning to me that with the immense popularity of video games we've all just been taking it for granted that in China folks mostly just play F2P and mobile games. I literally just cannot believe it, that's crazy!

Sure, personally, I'm also tired of these types of games but it's ok- I am not the audience. I already have a PS5 and have played action games. This is for the billion people who are getting their gamer minds blown by playing decently made high flying action game that lets them interact with characters they know and love. It's ok if "hype" doesn't always equal some "objective" quantifiable properties. The "hype" is because Chinese players are freaking hyped and good for them.

Edit to add: it actually inspired me to get my own translated copy of Journey to the West.
 

Dreiko

Elite Member
Legacy
May 1, 2020
2,909
985
118
CT
Country
usa
Gender
male, pronouns: your majesty/my lord/daddy
I didn't read the whole thread but just wanted to add to the chorus of voices emphasizing what a big f***ing deal Journey to the West is in China and what it could mean to gaming to introduce console-style AAA gaming to literally the biggest consumer market the world has ever known. It is absolutely stunning to me that with the immense popularity of video games we've all just been taking it for granted that in China folks mostly just play F2P and mobile games. I literally just cannot believe it, that's crazy!

Sure, personally, I'm also tired of these types of games but it's ok- I am not the audience. I already have a PS5 and have played action games. This is for the billion people who are getting their gamer minds blown by playing decently made high flying action game that lets them interact with characters they know and love. It's ok if "hype" doesn't always equal some "objective" quantifiable properties. The "hype" is because Chinese players are freaking hyped and good for them.

Edit to add: it actually inspired me to get my own translated copy of Journey to the West.

Yeah honestly it's a miracle it took em this long. Maybe they had to prove to someone through all those phone games and Genshin Impact that there's interest in actual real games made from china.

I haven't read the original journey in a hot minute, but from what I remember Wukong had 72 transformations in that one. 72! Just in case you thought DBZ was making shit up XD. (though granted it was mostly turning into various animals and mist and so on, but still)
 

FakeSympathy

Elite Member
Legacy
Jun 8, 2015
3,479
3,214
118
Seattle, WA
Country
US
I didn't read the whole thread but just wanted to add to the chorus of voices emphasizing what a big f***ing deal Journey to the West is in China and what it could mean to gaming to introduce console-style AAA gaming to literally the biggest consumer market the world has ever known. It is absolutely stunning to me that with the immense popularity of video games we've all just been taking it for granted that in China folks mostly just play F2P and mobile games. I literally just cannot believe it, that's crazy!

Sure, personally, I'm also tired of these types of games but it's ok- I am not the audience. I already have a PS5 and have played action games. This is for the billion people who are getting their gamer minds blown by playing decently made high flying action game that lets them interact with characters they know and love. It's ok if "hype" doesn't always equal some "objective" quantifiable properties. The "hype" is because Chinese players are freaking hyped and good for them.

Edit to add: it actually inspired me to get my own translated copy of Journey to the West.
Yep. I think the closest we ever got was the inclusion of Wukong in League of Legends. Son Goku from Dragon Ball also derived from JTTW and there were many games, but it has become its own thing after gaining massive audience.

I'm just hoping to see more games based on legends and mythology from various parts of the world, without being part of AC universe
 

BrawlMan

Lover of beat'em ups.
Legacy
Mar 10, 2016
29,296
12,215
118
Detroit, Michigan
Country
United States of America
Gender
Male
think the closest we ever got was the inclusion of Wukong in League of Legends. Son Goku from Dragon Ball also derived from JTTW and there were many games, but it has become its own thing after gaining massive audience.
Asura's Wrath was JTTW inspired too. AW was even closer to JTTW than DB.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FakeSympathy

Bedinsis

Elite Member
Legacy
Escapist +
May 29, 2014
1,640
830
118
Country
Sweden
I'm just hoping to see more games based on legends and mythology from various parts of the world, without being part of AC universe
It seems metroidvanias have recently became a haven for underexplored cultures. This year saw the release of Tales of Kenzera: Zau based on Bantu cultures and the release of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown which unlike previous Prince of Persia titles is based on Persian mythology.
 

Dreiko

Elite Member
Legacy
May 1, 2020
2,909
985
118
CT
Country
usa
Gender
male, pronouns: your majesty/my lord/daddy
You know when a boss does some stupid BS that you have to just hold until it's finished and then you can play again? Well, this game is excellent about letting you do stuff even in those situations. I was fighting this electric dragon and when you get him to half life he just flies way up and just rains thunderbolts all over the place. You basically have to play that FFX minigame where you dodge lightnings for a minute.

But, and it's a big but, there's this one transformation that initially seems useless for such a mobile opponent due to it being extremely slow but works perfectly when it comes to tanking stuff. So you have this situation where you just slowly walk up to the flying dragon tanking thunderbolts left and right and when he's done bonk him with all the charged might you got from being hit which is the rock transformation's trait. Looks hilarious and is the most trolling thing I've done in the game so far lol.
 

FakeSympathy

Elite Member
Legacy
Jun 8, 2015
3,479
3,214
118
Seattle, WA
Country
US
Finished Chapter 2; The tiger and the chapter boss weren't as bad as people made them out to be; I think it took me 5 attempts for the tiger and 3 attempts for the sage.

I feel like as much as they tried to put the importance of perfect dodge and stamina management while stacking combos, with enough skill points invested they hardly become issues; Investing into stun, increase health and stamina, and smash stance all worked really well against those supposeded difficult bosses. I also didn't shy away from spamming the fuck out of everything at the start of the boss fights; stun, red tide to get burning effect going, then use the poison guy to deal extra tick damage, then the hair clones. It seem to take at least 25-30% of the boss's HP.

The Pillar stance only seems situational; the evasion of ground attacks is nice, but I found the finishing heavy attack to pop out a bit too late
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

CriticalGaming

Elite Member
Legacy
Dec 28, 2017
11,207
5,676
118
I'm pretty far into Chapter 3 now which according to reports is the longest chapter in the game. Something i've started to notice is that the boss density is getting much lower than the first two chapters but the bosses are even more ridiculous. This game is hard as fuck! I'm doing something wrong because even watching other people play they are breezing past shit that I'm facefucking and I don't know why. They aren't higher level, they aren't doing anything really different, so I dunno what concept I'm not grasping. Maybe my age is finally just making me too fucking old for this shit.

Not only are the bosses fewer now, but there is a general lack of enemies entirely, even the basic enemies are spread rather thin on this level, however what enemies there are have had their difficulty ramped up as well and they are harder to deal with as well.

I will say the art design of the game is awesome, character designs are great, and bosses look really intimidating.

I think it's safe to say that the game will be a high point in the year for me, despite my issues with the difficulty because I feel like it's a "me" issue. FF7 still reigns supreme though.

Maybe Star Wars Outlaws will be good......
 

Dirty Hipsters

This is how we praise the sun!
Legacy
Feb 7, 2011
8,574
3,098
118
Country
'Merica
Gender
3 children in a trench coat
Bet I could simply copy what I posted in the Phantom Blade 0 thread about it being a Souls game and it would mostly be true. Tired of these games.

"Play something else." There isn't that much else. Which is why I play so many older games.
It's not though? You don't even lose anything on death or need to do corpse runs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BrawlMan

FakeSympathy

Elite Member
Legacy
Jun 8, 2015
3,479
3,214
118
Seattle, WA
Country
US
I'm pretty far into Chapter 3 now which according to reports is the longest chapter in the game. Something i've started to notice is that the boss density is getting much lower than the first two chapters but the bosses are even more ridiculous. This game is hard as fuck! I'm doing something wrong because even watching other people play they are breezing past shit that I'm facefucking and I don't know why. They aren't higher level, they aren't doing anything really different, so I dunno what concept I'm not grasping. Maybe my age is finally just making me too fucking old for this shit.

Not only are the bosses fewer now, but there is a general lack of enemies entirely, even the basic enemies are spread rather thin on this level, however what enemies there are have had their difficulty ramped up as well and they are harder to deal with as well.

I will say the art design of the game is awesome, character designs are great, and bosses look really intimidating.

I think it's safe to say that the game will be a high point in the year for me, despite my issues with the difficulty because I feel like it's a "me" issue. FF7 still reigns supreme though.

Maybe Star Wars Outlaws will be good......
Have you tried experimenting your build with skill point respec? The game is incredibly open letting players build however they want. Also don't forget to find every meditation spots and find every celestial pills for an increase in HP, mana, and stamina.

And as much as I understand your frustration with bosses, it turns out there are some hidden ones that unlocks more spells. Turns out there are three tiger bosses in chapter 2, with 2 of them being hidden. One of them giving your their spirit which increase your attack at the cost of max HP reduction. Some hidden bosses also drops exclusive crafting materials for your staf as well