'Black Myth: Wukong' Gameplay Impresses Despite Controversy

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 surrounding controversy.

Black Myth: Wukong – A PC Launch

The game, heavily anticipated since its initial trailer, has largely received positive critical acclaim. It boasts an 82 Metascore on Metacritic (based on 54 reviews).

Reviewers praise the engaging, precise combat and impressive boss fights. The stunning visuals and hidden secrets within its richly detailed world are also frequently highlighted. The game's adaptation of the Journey to the West mythology has been particularly lauded, with GamesRadar+ describing it as "a fun action RPG that feels like a modern God of War game filtered through Chinese mythology."

However, PCGamesN, among others, points to potential drawbacks: subpar level design, uneven difficulty, and occasional technical glitches. The narrative, similar to older FromSoftware titles, is considered disjointed, requiring players to piece together the story through item descriptions. Importantly, all early access reviews are based solely on the PC version; console performance (specifically PS5) remains unreviewed.

Controversial Review Guidelines

Controversy erupted over the weekend following reports that a co-publisher issued guidelines to streamers and reviewers. These guidelines allegedly restricted discussion of "violence, nudity, feminist propaganda, fetishization, and other content that instigates negative discourse."

This sparked intense debate. While some criticized the guidelines as censorship, others saw no issue. One Twitter (X) user commented, "It is WILD to me that this actually made it out the door...creators casually signing this and not speaking up is just as wild, unfortunately just less surprising."

Despite this controversy, Black Myth: Wukong remains highly anticipated. It currently holds the top spot as both the best-selling and most wishlisted game on Steam before its official release. While the lack of console reviews is a caveat, the game is poised for a significant launch.