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PC Gamer

Lauren Morton

Everything you need to know about Black Myth: Wukong

Sun Wukong Game Science Steam

If there's one thing I know, it's that Souls fans never get tired of punishment, and Black Myth: Wukong sure looks like it's going to dole out plenty in some very pretty, very difficult boss fights. Black Myth has been hotly anticipated, rocking up to the #1 spot on the list of Steam's most wishlisted games (right above that other highly yearned for soulslike Hollow Knight: Sillksong).

This upcoming action RPG from Game Science is based on Chinese mythology and 16th century novel Journey to the West where you'll play as the Destined One (who might be monkey king Sun Wukong, or inhabiting the body of Wukong, or being told about the past adventures of Wukong? The specifics of the story aren't exactly clear). Get up to speed on what you need to know about Black Myth before it launches with the latest trailers, the release date, and a quick breakdown of how much like a Souls game it actually is.

When is the Black Myth: Wukong release date?

Black Myth: Wukong launches on Monday, August 19 on Steam and the Epic Games Store for $60/£50. Game Science has been promoting the date August 20, but for those of us in the western hemisphere that's going to actually be Monday night, not Tuesday.

Check out the final Black Myth: Wukong trailer

After a certain amount of cinematic preamble, the final trailer for Black Myth kicks into combat at the 1-minute mark. You can spot a lot of its slashing, dodging, and magical transformation abilities in there.

Who's Wukong and what's Journey to the West?

Journey to the West is a classic Chinese fantasy novel about the pilgrimage of a Buddhist monk, accompanied by several companions including the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. It's an immense collection of folk tales, weighing in at around 2000 pages in total. That's a lot to read before Black Myth: Wukong comes out if you want to familiarize yourself with the story, but Game Science has said it wants its take to be accessible to western players who aren't as intimately clued into the tale as many Chinese players will be. There are loads of adaptations, but here are a few condensed options you could fit in before Black Myth launches:

1964 Chinese animated film Havoc in Heaven
2013 adventure game Enslaved: Odyssey to the West
The two-part '90s film adaptation A Chinese Odyssey starring Stephen Chow of Kung Fu Hustle fame (it's on Netflix)

Is Black Myth a soulslike game?

From what we've played, Black Myth: Wukong is a boss rush game. Whether or not you want to call it a "soulslike" depends on how much of a purist you are. It's definitely an action RPG with prominent boss fights, limited health restoration, and the expectation that you're going to be dying and returning to the same brutal battles several times before all's said and done. That final trailer above definitely does have a very Souls-style pace to it.

Here are a few quick facts about playing that Morgan Park highlighted after getting hands on with a Black Myth: Wukong preview:

✅ Like Souls

Big boss fights
Light attack and heavy attack combos
Lots of dodging
Heal with a limited-use flask

❌ Not Souls

Only one actual weapon, the staff
Singleplayer only, no co-op or invasions
Shapeshifting into alternate forms
Light attacks build Focus Points instead of spending stamina
Exploration between bosses is minimal

Is Black Myth: Wukong going to be on Game Pass?

Maybe, but probably not until its delayed Xbox version launches.

"We are currently optimizing the Xbox Series X|S version to meet our quality standards, so it won't release simultaneously with the other platforms," Game Science says. "We apologize for the delay and aim to minimize the wait for Xbox users. We will announce the release date as soon as it meets our quality standards."

Currently, Black Myth does not appear as an upcoming game on Xbox Game Pass or on PC Game Pass. Game Science has not said anything about Game Pass one way or the other.