Is Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike game?
While Black Myth: Wukong has some things often seen in Soulslike games such as a stamina-based combat system and enemy-respawning checkpoints, it's not a true Soulslike, with the developers even stating they don't see it as one. If anything, it's more of a traditional action game with a few Souls-style elements.
It has similarities, but it's not a true Soulslike
2024 has been a great year for fans of action games, with huge releases like the Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Capcom's long-awaited Dragon's Dogma 2, and others ensuring that there's always something exciting to play. Another large title that's dropping soon is Black Myth: Wukong, a highly anticipated action RPG that's been in the works since 2018 and was first announced four years ago in 2020. It's coming to Windows PC and PS5 in just a few weeks on August 20, and there's an Xbox version in development, too.
Given that it's currently the top most-wishlisted game on Steam, Black Myth: Wukong will undoubtedly have one of this year's biggest game launches. With excitement for it hitting peak levels right now, though, many are wondering if it's a Soulslike — a game that features mechanics similar to FromSoftware's "Soulsborne" titles like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. These have become increasingly popular over time, and at a glance, Black Myth: Wukong seems like it might be one.
However, while the game does have some features prevalent in Soulslikes like spectacle-heavy boss fights, stamina-based action, and bonfire-style checkpoints that respawn enemies when you rest at them, it also has plenty of mechanics and designs that go against norms of the genre. I'll get into those below, but know that Game Science — the studio making it — doesn't even consider it to be a Soulslike.
What kind of game is it, then?
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If Black Myth: Wukong isn't a Soulslike, what kind of game is it? Overall, now that I've played through it for my review, I can say that it's more of a traditional action RPG. It has a few Soulslike-style systems, but it also has diverse skill trees, a gear system with color-coded rarities and bonuses, levels that are generally linear and straightforward, and combat mechanics that emphasize aggression and offensive movement instead of spacing and the commitment of individual attacks.
None of these things are generally typical of Soulslikes, outliers like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and FromSoftware's own Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice aside (the former is on Xbox Game Pass, by the way). They are common in regular action RPGs, though, so that's the kind of experience players can look forward to when Black Myth launches in a few days.
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Another thing worth noting is that Black Myth: Wukong has a strong narrative focus, as it's entirely based on the classical novel Journey to the West and has strong connections to Chinese mythology. This is another way it differs from most Soulslikes somewhat, though I will note that several aspects of the story are conveyed in some abstract and cryptic ways.
If the game sounds like something you're interested in playing, keep in mind that the Windows PC version for Steam is on sale for just $52.69 at CDKeys right now. That's nearly $10 off the MSRP; the $69.99 Digital Deluxe Edition that includes some extra goodies is only $61.39 at CDKeys, too, giving you similar savings (read our CDKeys FAQ for more on the retailer).
Black Myth: Wukong is one of the biggest upcoming games of 2024, and has the potential to be one of the best PC games and best Xbox games (whenever it does finally come to Microsoft's consoles). It's scheduled to launch on Steam, the Epic Games Store, WeGame, and PS5 on August 20, 2024, and preorders for it are live now.
