Calling Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike is inappropriate. The game from Chinese developer Game Science has a completely different focus.
Black Myth Wukong: Kein Soulslike
Since the announcement of Black Myth: Wukong in August 2020, many interested parties have wondered whether the game would be a Soulslike The boss fights suggested this.
- Black Myth: Wukong follows the story of the Monkey King Sun Wukong and presents difficult fightsa respawn system via shrines and gourds scattered around the world, which you use like Estus flasks for healing. But it is not a Soulslike game.
- It is much more reminiscent of Action-RPGs like Devil May Cry, Bayonetta and even God of War. You follow the story, familiarize yourself with the combat system and defeat the numerous bosses that stand in your way.
- The fights require a quick reactionas you cannot avoid damage as effectively. You have to stay on top of things and use the much more comprehensive skill system to optimize your build.
- What speaks for a Soulslike is the Difficulty level. The game only has one and you can't change it. Black Myth: Wukong is therefore somewhere between a Soulslike and an Action RPG.
Differences to Soulslike games
Black Myth: Wukong has some significant differences about the Soulslike genre:
- You lose after a K.o. neither in-game currencies (e.g. Dark Souls runes), resources or items. You respawn at the last shrine and can adjust your build and improve your skills. Only a few experience points are deducted from you.
- The world is quite small compared to Soulslike games linear structure and offers little room to explore. Puzzles and classic dungeons are also absent. The focus is on the trials of the Monkey King in the form of bosses, as the game is based on the novel “Journey to the West”, which has a similar structure.
- Soulslike games often offer extensive opportunities to customize the character to your own play style through skills, spells and equipment. Black Myth: Wukong reduces the game to the magic staff, three stances with matching skills, spells and spirit summons, to instead create a action-packed combat system to offer.
- Black Myth: Wukong can therefore be described as a so-called Boss Rush-Spiel Linear level design with an imposing boss at the end of the level and other side and mini bosses interspersed, supported by the fast and challenging combat system with numerous combo possibilities.