Summary
Black Myth: Wukongis set to bring an all-new Soulslike experience to gamers. As the game’s August 20 release date draws closer,Black Myth: Wukonghas a lot of potential to be a great addition to the genre that FromSoftware started. There is still an ample amount of mystery surrounding the game, but based on early footage and trailers,Black Myth: Wukonglooks to have some thrilling gameplay mechanics.
As the first AAA release from developer Game Science,Black Myth: Wukongis an ambitious venture. Not only is the prospect of the studio’s first AAA title exciting, but its source material offers plenty to be intrigued about. Based on the classic Chinese novelJourney to the West,Black Myth: Wukongis a retelling of the beloved story. There is a lot ofhype surroundingBlack Myth: Wukong, and the confirmed gameplay features that are set to appear in the game only make the anticipation that much greater.
Black Myth: Wukong’s Confirmed Gameplay Mechanics
Heavy Inspiration From Soulslike Games
First and foremost,Black Myth: Wukongtakes heavyinspiration from the beloved Soulsike genre. Therefore, based on that and clear footage from trailers, there will be an emphasis on larger-than-life boss battles that are designed to put players through the ringer. Intense head-to-head encounters are the beating heart at the center of the Soulslike genre, andBlack Myth: Wukongseems to have plenty of white-knuckle combat in store.
Wukong’s Staff
One intriguing part of protagonist Wukong’s personal arsenal is his staff. This is pulled directly fromJourney to the West, as the hero Wukong wields a magical staff that can extend and shrink, making it an incredibly useful tool.Black Myth: Wukongembracing Ancient Chinese mythhas given the game plenty of material to work with, and it will be fascinating to see how the game uses these bits of myth and legend, like Wukong’s staff, as essential pieces in the gameplay.
Cloud Traversal
The trailers forBlack Myth: Wukonghave confirmed that cloud traversal will play some sort of role in the game. To what extent cloud traversal will play is unclear, but it must play a decent-sized role for it to be featured in the trailer. Cloud traversal is another exciting featureBlack Myth: Wukonghastaken fromJourney to the West, further demonstrating that the game seems to be staying pretty close to its source material.
Journey to the Westhas been highly influential in pop culture. One of the most notable works to be inspired by the novel isDragon Ball Z. Goku is directly inspired by the book’s protagonist. This is shown through Goku’s ability to travel via cloud, fight with a staff, and turn into a giant ape.
Shapeshifting and Self-Cloning
Shapeshifting is one particular skill set Wukong has that is bound to set up some awesome combat encounters.InJourney to the West, Wukong has 72 different possible transformations, andBlack Myth: Wukonglooks to have a lot of fun with this concept. From a beast-like version of himself to taking the form of his own enemies when wielding their weapons, this could be one of the game’s most versatile mechanics. Not only can Wukong transform into other creatures, but he can also clone himself for a brief period of time, which is exciting to imagine how this will be used in fights.
The Ability to Freeze Time
Last, but certainly not least, Wukong has the ability to freeze itself. Not only can this be used on normal enemies, but it can even be applied to boss fights, allowing players to really get in some serious hits before the effect wears off. There are a lot offeatures to look forward to withBlack Myth: Wukong, and they all promise some incredible combat is on the way.
