Black Myth: Wukong Gameplay Footage Unveiled Amid Guideline Debate

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 in 2020, Black Myth: Wukong has generated considerable buzz. Initial critical reception has been 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, particularly its well-crafted boss battles. Stunning visuals and hidden secrets within its beautiful world also receive high marks.

Drawing inspiration from Chinese mythology, specifically Journey to the West and the adventures of Sun Wukong, the game's interpretation of this classic tale has resonated with critics. GamesRadar+, for example, described it as "a fun action RPG that feels like a modern God of War game filtered through the lens of Chinese mythology."

While PCGamesN considers it a potential Game of the Year contender, some reviewers point out potential drawbacks, including subpar level design, uneven difficulty, and occasional technical glitches. The narrative structure, similar to older FromSoftware titles, requiring players to piece together the story through item descriptions, is another frequently mentioned criticism.

Importantly, all early access review copies were for the PC version. Console performance, specifically on PS5, remains unreviewed.

Controversial Review Guidelines Surface

Image from SteamDB. Reports emerged over the weekend detailing review guidelines issued by one of Black Myth: Wukong's co-publishers to streamers and reviewers. These guidelines reportedly included a list of restricted topics, such as "violence, nudity, feminist propaganda, fetishization, and other content that instigates negative discourse."

This has sparked significant debate within the gaming community. While some criticize the guidelines as overly restrictive, others see no issue.

Despite this controversy, anticipation for Black Myth: Wukong remains high. Its Steam page currently boasts the highest number of both sales and wishlist entries before release. While the lack of console reviews remains a point of concern for some, the game appears poised for a strong launch.