Black Myth: Wukong

Warning! Alert! This game, which is indeed terrific, has more limited appeal than its hype would imply.

Its structure is very straightforward: you go into a new area, find the bosses, and defeat them. You will likely have to die again and again (and again!) until you learn a boss's moves well enough to kill it before it kills you. The presentation is drop-dead gorgeous, the controls simple yet subtle, and the satisfaction felt for every inch of progress is palpable. Oh, and it's unbelievably huge. There's a lot to see. And kill.

If hard-as-nails boss fights sound frustrating to you then do not buy this game, no matter the hype. It is absolutely not a "God of War in China", despite how it might look or even feel in the first hour of gameplay. It is nothing more than a beautifully dressed-up, relentless series of boss battles. Or if you insist on a comparison to God of War: it's just the Valkyries. Oh, and I guess there are some poorly structured, ridiculously obscure optional "quests", too.

How hard is it, really? Very. Very very. Most bosses have uninterruptible attacks that can kill you fast, so the only way to get through this game is to master dodging. Learn the tells, practice the timing, and Bob's your uncle. An evil uncle. It took me several hours of persistent rematches to defeat some of these splendid nasties. Is it fair? Well, let's just say that the meaning of fairness is a bit stretched. Probably everything can be dodged, but you will find yourself often praying to the RNG gods for their favor.

There is a story, I guess, but it's rather opaque and just there for background and scenery, a flavorful retelling of "Journey to the West", underscoring its melange of folklore from Daoist, Buddhist, and even Jain sources. Though the characters are just cutscene ingredients, they are all delightful, charming, and often terrifying. However, their world, though tantalizingly alluring, is always at arm's length. Invisible walls everywhere. And that's fine, really. It's inspiring to realize how much attention and love was put into what is nothing more than context and staging for the boss fights. Some of the arenas are nothing short of breathtaking, and their beauty—and dread—builds up viscerally as you approach. But, no, you can't visit that forlorn cliff-side village in the distance, because this isn't "Elden Ring in China", either.

My biggest complaint is that there are missable bosses and quests. If you continue too far, they are locked from you and you have to restart the game to see them (or finish the game and do NG+). I truly hate this design. It's a major blemish on the game.

Smaller complaints: The game does a poor job at teaching you how combat works. I spent quite a few hours not knowing what "focus points" were (hint: they are critically important). Happily, there are community-made tutorials online. Also, annoyingly, there is no in-game map. Immersive in a way, but you might get quite confused, especially in one chapter. Again, the community stepped in to create good maps online. (Edit: Apparently the game has since been patched to add in-game maps. But so many of us played it without them, and the devs still deserve criticism.)

In summary, Black Myth: Wukong focuses pretty much on one thing, but it does it with heaps of artistry and refinement. It's hard, majestic, and excellent. Play it if you dare.