Blasting through our Black Myth: Wukong review has predictably dug up a hatchet I can't seem to bury: what is a Soulslike? It is not Black Myth: Wukong, as I said in that review and as a representative for the developers at premier monkey business exporter Game Science told me at Summer Game Fest. Instead, the devs simply call Wukong an action RPG, and after beating the game I see why.
Black Myth: Wukong does have a few ideas and mechanics commonly associated with Soulslikes. There's a stamina bar, but it isn't doesn't severely limit your actions, and after a few upgrades it barely matters at all. Checkpoints respawn enemies, but that's usually how checkpoints work. There is notably no penalty for death, and XP (for level-ups called Sparks) is separate from money (called Will). You don't level up traditional RPG stats like Strength or Dexterity, either; instead, power mostly comes from craftable, rarity-assigned equipment and new unlocks on your skill tree. Levels are big, but they're mostly linear and don't connect or loop back in interesting ways like you'd expect from a Souls-inspired game. There are tons of bosses, but combat doesn't have the deliberate weight associated with Soulslikes, and it feels very forgiving overall. Soulslikes demand; Wukong offers.
