news

한어Русский языкEnglishFrançaisIndonesianSanskrit日本語DeutschPortuguêsΕλληνικάespañolItalianoSuomalainenLatina

"Black Myth: Wukong" has quickly become a national hot topic in the four days since its release. Whether or not you are a gamer, you will enthusiastically discuss the gameplay, audio and video performance, the impact on the industry and society, and the good memories evoked by the game.

We invited eight players from different industries to express their views from different perspectives.

Editor | Teng Yu

Title image | Screenshot of the game "Black Myth: Wukong"

Behind the success,

Often it is a trace of "people"

@Roger Gaming Industry

Good at observing and analyzing industry trends

Black Myth: Wukong (hereinafter referred to as "Black Monkey") makes the entire game atmosphere unique by carefully restoring China's unique mythology system and Buddhist, Taoist and Demonic culture. In addition to the reasons that everyone is familiar with, I would like to say something else about why it has caused an unprecedentedly enthusiastic response.

Screenshot of the game "Black Myth: Wukong". (Photo/provided by the interviewee)

There are fewer and fewer products on the market that are both thoughtful and capable, and the needs of players are never really met. For example, The Last of Us 2 is capable, but it offended many players because of its arrogance. Every year, there are domestically produced stand-alone games on the market, but their influence on a global scale is still too small.

I agree with what Luo Yonghao said a few days ago. The general meaning is that "Black Monkey" is a rare spontaneous group goodwill event on the Internet in recent years. If you are doing something that everyone recognizes as very impressive, then you will never lack support.

Of course, I still firmly believe that "Black Monkey" is an exception, and it is far from representing the rise of China's 3A or China's stand-alone market. Nothing in the gaming industry has ever been achieved overnight. Behind "Naraka: Bladepoint" is "Meteor Butterfly Sword" 22 years ago, and the success of "Sword Star" is due to "Blade & Soul" 11 years ago.

Game Science is not a new team that came out of nowhere. Since the development of “God of War”, they have been carefully depicting the Journey to the West in their hearts. An interesting point is that “Blade & Soul” and “God of War” were both released and tested by Tencent 10 years ago, and they were both representatives of differentiated online games that were very popular at the time. Today, 10 years later, the “Blade & Soul” team has made “Sword Star”, a 3A work that the South Korean government has ordered to continue to support, and the “God of War” team has made “Black Myth”, which has caused a sensation in the Chinese industry. As a player who has experienced all four games, I believe that behind success, there are often traces of “people”.

The Chinese game market has always suffered from the lack of world-class content products. The significance of the success of "Black Monkey" is more to encourage people with lofty ideals to have greater confidence in investing in content-based products, so that the art and market value of games can be better utilized.

Traveling on Lingshan Mountain

@TC Foreign Trade Industry

Experienced game player on all platforms

From the animation "Havoc in Heaven" to the game "Black Myth: Wukong", we have always preferred this special monkey, probably because in our history, this kind of image with a spirit of rebellion and struggle is indeed rare and easy to inspire us.

The advantages of Black Myth: Wukong are unquestionable: the magnificent scene design, the Journey to the West and ancient architectural culture shining in every corner, the excellent soundtrack with Chinese characteristics, and the iconic golden hoop that makes people excited. It reproduces the scenes that only existed in imagination before in an unimaginable way.

Screenshot of the game "Black Myth: Wukong". (Photo/provided by the interviewee)

However, the shortcomings in the game are also very obvious. For example, the lens design of the game cutscene CG is a bit of a waste of such good art. There are also ubiquitous air walls, lack of guidance and small maps, and the easy loss of perspective when locked is also an obvious problem. Strictly speaking, the regrets of the level design and the outstanding art design form a sense of disconnection in the experience - it looks like a step that can be reached, but there is an air wall and you can't jump up; the previous level cannot jump off the cliff to explore, but the next level will let the player be kicked off by the monster and fall to death, so the player always has a sense of disobedience or even confusion. This unnatural experience is something that game science can pay attention to and correct.

But the flaws do not outweigh the merits. Objectively speaking, Game Science has delivered a nearly perfect answer. In terms of completion, it has exceeded the imagination of me and most players. We all hope that this is a starting point, and that more and better games with Chinese cultural characteristics will be born in the future. I hope that next time we will no longer work hard to study the game text and strive to be "soul scientists", and let foreigners have a taste of doing homework.

Sun Wukong once said: As long as you are sincere, you will find the sacred mountain wherever you look back. Before we set off again in the gaming industry, we can temporarily rest assured to travel in the sacred mountain of Black Myth: Wukong and experience this gift that we have been waiting for four years.

A believable world

@Shanshui Media

Pay special attention to the development of domestic stand-alone games

Black Myth really creates a believable world. You believe that the place really exists, and there are a bunch of monsters lingering in it, trapped by their own destinies and air walls.

From today on, the visual impression created by the TV series "Journey to the West" will probably be gradually replaced by Black Myth. The world depicted in Black Myth is actually closer to the original "Journey to the West". You can say it is a kind of magical realism. That world is very much a jungle law, the world is cruel, and the Monkey King is never a good guy. Sometimes his methods are more cruel than the monsters. Even after reading the stories of some monster illustrations, you will feel reluctant to kill the monsters. The power of the worldview it shows is actually stronger than the gameplay.

Screenshot of the game "Black Myth: Wukong". (Photo/provided by the interviewee)

Someone will keep trying.

But it won't form a pattern

@Molin Gaming Industry

Old-school gamer based in North America

I still clearly remember the excitement in the player community and the shock in the industry after the trailer of "Black Myth: Wukong" came out 4 years ago.

But at that time, most Chinese game practitioners were skeptical about whether the game could actually be made. This was not because of jealousy or sour grapes, but because DEMO scams were too common in the game industry, with examples of launch shrinkage or even mid-development collapse. Given the experience and scale of the Game Science team at the time, plus the ambition shown in this PV, many people would sneer and think it was a pipe dream.

So even though there were several large-scale trials before the launch, and many people experienced the good combat design in the development version, I was still skeptical until just before the launch, wondering if this game was a scam, and if the launch content would only be 5 hours, with only a few boss battles and everything else being just fancy moves.

When the media ratings were released and the average score of MC was 82, I basically knew the status of the product. I got goosebumps when I played the actual game. As I played, I could imagine how they spent four years making this game, how they worked hard on every detail, and how they spent months and years polishing a feature, a mechanism, a scene, or a boss battle. This kind of dedicated and focused mental state is really a luxury in the Chinese game industry.

For players, "Black Myth: Wukong" is a fun game, a game that makes Chinese players proud, and a topic of conversation that may last for months.

But for Chinese game practitioners, seeing this product come out and succeed is always a mixed feeling. There is comfort and hope, because we see the hope of domestic stand-alone games, and the positive feedback from the market to the first hard worker; there is also envy, envy of the friends at Game Science for truly embracing idealism and reaping the best outcome for idealism.

Screenshot of the game "Black Myth: Wukong". (Photo/provided by the interviewee)

There is regret here, and more than one person must be thinking, "Why didn't I choose to follow the path of Youke back then?"

There is confusion here. Some people may think, "Why should I spend 4 years doing this project now?"

There are definitely concerns here. Black Myth: Wukong has set such a high benchmark for subsequent stand-alone games. Even if we want to try, we will ask ourselves: "Can we have the right time, right place, and right people like Youke?"

Recently, there have been many discussions on whether Black Myth can change the landscape of the Chinese game industry in various media and communities. Objectively speaking, a high-quality stand-alone game will not change anything, because the business logic of this industry is unlikely to change in the short term. The dominance of free online games is the same around the world, and few companies will put aside a better business model to pursue their dreams with all their strength. So although some people will try, it will not form a model.

However, the impact of Black Myth on the Chinese industry is huge and far-reaching - because it has planted a spark in the hearts of almost all game-loving practitioners. In the near future, these sparks will surely burst out and continue to pass on, allowing the world to have more idealists and more heroic attempts.

The stories of Game Science and Black Myth: Wukong are very similar to the story of the Monkey King: My fate is determined by myself. When the common people in the lower world saw the Monkey King wearing a phoenix-wing purple gold crown and holding a golden cudgel facing the gods and Buddhas at the South Heaven Gate, they probably felt moved.

The combat system still has room for improvement

@Jiji Art Industry

Action game and classical swordplay fans

Personally, I think that IGN's 8-point rating for Black Myth: Wukong is relatively objective.

The art of this game is top-notch. I have completed the game and I give full marks to all the art scenes in the game until the end. Especially for Chinese players, this is one of the most familiar art styles for us. Many places restore the charm of landscape paintings, which reaches its peak in the Flower and Fruit Mountain chapter.

The game's architecture, Buddhist and Taoist statues and murals are particularly worthy of praise, and the artistic style is highly consistent with historical objects. The architecture is a high-precision scan of the original ancient buildings, which greatly enhances the player's sense of immersion. The game also does not have the political correctness phenomenon that is prevalent in the industry today - fairies should be stunningly beautiful, and all kinds of Taoist masters are ethereal, calm and handsome.

The singing style of Lingji Bodhisattva in Huangfengling in Chapter 2 is very ethnic, and the down-to-earth artistic style immediately draws players into the tone of this game, that is, gods and Buddhas are not high above and pure, but are just like ordinary people, obsessed with money and desire, and are part of the secular world.

Screenshot of the game "Black Myth: Wukong". (Photo/provided by the interviewee)

The action system is quite standard, the combat feels good, and you will feel a corresponding sense of satisfaction after executing a whole set of actions smoothly. But unfortunately, the connection of the action system needs to be polished. The combo of the destiny man is divided into multiple segments, and it is often difficult to dodge the enemy's attack when performing a combo; and because of the large backswing, even though the rolling monkey has pressed the medicine drinking button, the character occasionally fails to drink it successfully due to the backswing, which affects the fluency of the battle to a certain extent.

There are several well-designed bosses in this game. For example, Tiger, players often feel it is very difficult when they challenge it for the first time, but they seem to be able to handle it with ease after passing it, which proves that the boss's attacks are traceable and can effectively give players a positive sense of interaction. However, the design level of some bosses is mediocre, and simple production logic is applied, that is, fast and slow knives interfere with players' judgment + high-frequency continuous attacks + large attack range + high mobility, which makes the challenge a bit monotonous. Once these combinations are unbalanced, what players call "dung monsters" will appear, lacking a basic sense of interaction and easily frustrating players' enthusiasm for challenges.

According to feedback from many players, the game has quite a lot of hidden plots, so the evaluation of the plot may not be objective at present. However, judging from the current main plot, the plot can only be said to be mediocre, which is the "blackened Journey to the West" that has been seen frequently in recent years, that is, gods and Buddhas have their own conspiracies, and a large number of characters have their own ulterior motives. This setting has a certain sense of contrast with the TV series "Journey to the West" that we are familiar with. The plot is mostly common fable-like stories, such as characters falling into endless regrets because of their greed, and good people may not be rewarded for their evil hearts.

So, what happened next?

@Cao Junhui Media Person

Action game enthusiasts

Players had already prepared themselves mentally long before the game was released: this is essentially a hardcore action game, and no matter how powerful the Destiny Man looks, he will inevitably be beaten to the point of being broken by the boss like the Fader next door.

When I first entered Black Myth, it was not difficult: Monkey King's continuous basic attacks could not be stopped, and his small combos were smooth. It was not until he met the ghost, the black bear, and the tiger vanguard, and was repeatedly defeated by various fast and slow swords, that he became honest. The tiger vanguard, who was full and full, burped: your combo is very smooth, but your monkey head is stuck in my teeth.

Combat is of course the highlight of Black Myth: Wukong, but it is not the only highlight. You want to rush the boss all the way, but the game's main artist Yang Qi won't allow it, the game's music producer Zhai Jinyan won't allow it, and every scene and the little monsters along the way won't allow it. It's not because they will make it difficult for you, but because they will use excellent music and art to keep you in your tracks: a 1:1 replica of a Buddha statue, a huge and exquisite mural, and a hearty traditional Chinese style BGM are all worth watching and tasting again and again. If you insist on rushing and fighting, you will miss some beautiful things. Even if you come back for the second round, you will never be surprised by the first sight.

Screenshot of the game "Black Myth: Wukong". (Photo/provided by the interviewee)

Every character you meet on the road, no matter the leader or the demon king, or even the roadside minions that you can't help but complain about every time, has a unique story. These stories are like puzzles, forming the world, all living things and legends in this journey, awakening the cultural background in your DNA. So you are like a child listening to a bedtime story every night, with a strong curiosity and keep asking: "So, what happened next?"

Only by letting go of worldly thoughts can one achieve enlightenment

@will lian Freelance

Obsessed with animation and games

The three words "Sun Wukong" mean so much, and the combination of these factors, namely, domestic production, Journey to the West, and 3A game masterpieces, are enough to make a passionate middle-aged man like me feel excited.

Although I am not good at action games, I died repeatedly and memorized the board repeatedly in Black Myth: Wukong. At the beginning, I was taught a lesson by the ghost for two hours. I wanted to refund the money at one point, but I finally won it with muscle memory, and my mental strength and skills increased. After that, I passed the Elder Jinchi and the White-clothed Scholar in three games. The annoying Tiger Vanguard stuck me for five hours. In the middle, I played exceptionally well and knocked down half of its health without any damage. I was so excited that I made a mistake in dodging and was taken away by it. I made monkey brain liquor.

I majored in animation, and my favorite part is the animations that are interspersed in the levels. It is no exaggeration to say that Game Science has made a "Love, Death and Robot" in the style of Journey to the West. The themes of these six short films with different styles include out-of-control ego, the constraints of worldly discipline, unbridled greed, unrequited love, hesitation in choice, and the courage to explore the true self after "Wukong", all of which are the greed, anger and ignorance of all living beings.

Screenshot of the game "Black Myth: Wukong". (Photo/provided by the interviewee)

Everything is clear, and mortals are empty. A detail: Bodhi Patriarch has already named him "Wukong" in the Three Stars Cave of the Slanting Moon, but we still stubbornly call him "the Great Sage". This is us, the common people, who can't let go of the thoughts of the world and can't understand "emptiness" - the eight heavenly dragons, all sentient beings are sinful, no one is not wronged, no emotion is not resentful, no fate is not sinful. The world is bustling, and all sentient beings are trapped by love, Amitabha, Amitabha.

The Westward Journey: “Beautiful Everywhere”

@Yunyun University Teacher

Hardcore female gamer

I really like the art of the game, the scenes, the landscapes, the animations, the murals, the comics, everything is beautiful. Someone on Xiaohongshu said that we can make a tourist route map of the places where we can learn from the scriptures. I think this idea is great.

The opening CG is amazing, and the ending animation is very sentimental. Each character has its own story, and each little monster has its own miscellaneous notes, as if reading the game version of the Classic of Mountains and Seas and strange stories. The storytelling in northern Shaanxi at the beginning of the second chapter is very exciting, and each verse contains a task prompt. This setting is both clever and direct, and can be called a stroke of genius in the narrative of "Black Myth: Wukong".

Screenshot of the game "Black Myth: Wukong". (Photo/provided by the interviewee)

The death penalty in the game is mild. Although there are many variations in the fighting style, you can still defeat many bosses with a simple combination of light and heavy sticks, which is quite friendly to players with poor hands. The character skills increase as the game progresses. After learning the skills of bosses and elite monsters, there are all kinds of strange ways to fight. I feel that there will be many interesting videos later, and I am looking forward to it.