Black Myth: Wukong

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Black Myth: Wukong is here, folks, and it’s ready to remind you that video games don’t always have to lecture you about the state of the world or turn every protagonist into a walking TED Talk about gender identity. It’s an unapologetically traditional action-adventure title steeped in Chinese mythology, featuring a badass monkey protagonist and just about zero female representation. Some might call that a downside, but for anyone exhausted by the endless stream of woke AAA titles, this game is nothing short of a palate cleanser.

That said, it’s not all sunshine and monkey tails—this game is hard. We’re talking “throw your controller, question your life choices, and Google strategies at 3 a.m.” levels of difficulty. And if you’re not rocking a NASA-grade supercomputer, good luck running it smoothly. But even with its flaws, Wukong is a refreshing, challenging journey through a visually stunning world, free from any ideological agendas.

Let’s start with the visuals. Black Myth: Wukong doesn’t just look good—it looks ridiculous. The level of detail in the environments, the fluid animations, and the lighting effects are so jaw-dropping, you’ll wonder if you’re playing a game or watching a cinematic masterpiece. The fur on Wukong’s tail? You can practically feel it swishing against your screen. The particle effects during combat? They’ll make you forget you’re supposed to be dodging instead of gawking.

But here’s the catch: running this game on anything less than a machine NASA would envy is a Herculean task. If your PC isn’t built like the Terminator, you might find yourself tweaking settings and sacrificing some of that graphical glory just to maintain a playable framerate. It’s a shame because the game deserves to be experienced at its full potential, but not everyone can afford a $5,000 rig to do it.

The story takes you deep into Chinese mythology, where Wukong (our beloved Monkey King) battles gods, demons, and everything in between. And guess what? There’s no heavy-handed social commentary or shoehorned political messages here. It’s just a classic tale of good versus evil, power versus corruption, and one incredibly versatile monkey with a staff that can take down creatures the size of small mountains.

Female characters? Barely any, if any at all. If you’re looking for “strong female representation,” you’re barking up the wrong tree—or maybe just the wrong branch of the celestial peach tree. But for players tired of AAA games where the male characters are either bumbling fools or villains and the female characters carry the entire narrative, this lack of woke storytelling is a refreshing change of pace. It’s just you, your staff, and a world full of enemies to pulverize. No lectures included.

The combat in Wukong is both a blessing and a curse. When it works, it’s absolutely thrilling—fluid, precise, and satisfying. Every strike, dodge, and transformation feels weighty and impactful, and the variety of abilities at your disposal keeps things fresh. But the difficulty? Oh boy.

Let’s just say this game makes Dark Souls look like Animal Crossing in comparison. The bosses are brutally tough, with attack patterns so complex you might as well be studying for a math exam while fighting them. Dying over and over again to the same boss stops being fun after the 15th attempt, and the grind to "git good" can wear you down. There’s a fine line between challenging and downright punishing, and Wukong tiptoes across it while giggling at your misery. I wish there was a little more reason to use the different stances in the game however.

The sound design is another highlight. From the haunting melodies of the game’s mythical soundtrack to the guttural roars of its monstrous enemies, every audio detail is perfectly crafted to immerse you in the world. Wukong’s transformations and abilities are accompanied by satisfying sound effects that make you feel like an absolute powerhouse—at least until you get one-shot by a boss you’ve been fighting for an hour.

Black Myth: Wukong isn’t just a great game—it’s a reminder that storytelling, gameplay, and visuals can shine without the need for forced political agendas. It’s a brutally difficult yet rewarding action-adventure that will test your skills, patience, and PC specs all at once.

While the game isn’t perfect—seriously, the difficulty spikes are enough to make you question your life choices—it’s a breath of fresh air for anyone looking to escape the preachy undertones of modern AAA titles. If you’ve got the hardware and the determination to see it through, Wukong is one of the most satisfying gaming experiences you’ll have in years. Just don’t expect any handholding, either in the story or the gameplay. It’s unapologetically old-school in the best (and most frustrating) way possible.