This is an IGN opinion piece from writer Tim Brinkhof, who loves challenging video games and has bested all of Black Myth: Wukong’s bosses (except Erlang, who continues to stand in the way of ultimate victory).
Black Myth: Zhong Kui is still years away. But if the recently released gameplay trailer provides an accurate impression of the final product, it seems we should expect the game to be a lot less epic than its predecessor, Black Myth: Wukong. As someone who adored the mythological scale and scope of developer Game Science’s triple-A debut, Zhong Kui’s grittier, muddier, more grounded approach initially struck me as disappointing. However, the more I think about it, the more I like it.
Based on many of the comments posted below the trailer, people largely seem pretty excited for Black Myth: Zhong Kui, which switches out Monkey King Sun Wukong for another beloved character from Chinese folklore, a demon hunter known as the “King of Ghosts.” But while I agree that the graphics look as stunning as ever and the combat – now featuring a welcome parrying mechanic – promises plenty of fun, the main thought that initially came to mind after watching the trailer was: “Wait…is that all?”
If this were any other developer, my expectations would be more than satisfied. But compared to Wukong – a game which, despite all odds, proved to be even better than I had dared to dream – Game Science’s upcoming project initially seems a little underwhelming. Where early gameplay footage for Wukong showcased an almost dizzying variety of stunning natural environments and architecture – from sun-drenched deserts to towering pagodas engulfed – most of the Zhong Kui trailer takes place inside a grey, dreary forest almost completely devoid of interesting landmarks. We don’t see our new protagonist transforming into animals, or ride a cloud, or face foes the size of skyscrapers, and the one boss fight shown in full – against a large, winged figure with a sword – isn’t quite as spectacular as the battle against Lingxuzi, the giant, bipedal wolf from the opening of Wukong.
That’s not to say that this project won’t continue the lineage Wukong started. Zhong Kui kicks some yaoguai butt here and there, and it’s clear that this is going to be a terrific action game. But the top and, in particular, tail of this extended first look showcases a game with what appears to be a slightly different ambition. We see Zhong Kui fishing, building a boat, and playing a musical instrument with a skeleton band. A little man bathes in a soup bowl, among numerous other small and rather silly interactions. It’s not exactly the kind of stuff that proves the sword-clashing credentials of your upcoming action game.
But what if action isn’t the point? While the original gameplay trailer for Wukong tried to awe and impress, Game Science’s first look at Zhong Kui seems like it wants to charm and intrigue. Its focus is not on boss battles or level design, but story and character, both of which appear to play a much more central role than they did in the developer’s previous project – and that’s pretty exciting.
The thing about Wukong that ultimately stayed with me wasn’t the battles, but the ideas and emotions.
As much as I loved its grandiose opening cutscene, the final boss fights against Wukong and Erlang, and pretty much every foe I fought in between, the thing about Wukong that ultimately stayed with me wasn’t the battles, but the ideas and emotions explored through its surprisingly touching narrative. More surprising than the quality of the gameplay or the length of the game itself was the fact that Game Science managed to craft a story which genuinely does its hallowed source material a bit of justice. The game functions not as an adaptation of Journey to the West so much as a sequel, picking up where the classic novel leaves off and building on this foundation in effective and thought-provoking ways.
Rather than leaning on nostalgia for the novel – and the hugely popular 1986 TV show whose iconic music inspired the game’s soundtrack – Wukong stands on its own legs, exploring themes of selfhood, freedom, and enlightenment that have resonated with ordinary players and scholars of Chinese history alike. The former see in Game Science’s Wukong a figure not unlike One Piece’s Monkey D. Luffy (the name, in case you didn’t know, is not a coincidence): someone who inspires them to persevere, live authentically, and trust in their own innate strength, while the latter have, among other interpretations, viewed the game as a metaphor for confronting China’s collective traumas.
I’d even go as far as to argue Wukong’s story and characters made up for its at times lackluster design. Various sections which were downright frustrating to play through on a gameplay level – like the mud-soaked fight against a possessed Pigsy in Chapter Four – were made bearable and, indeed, memorable because they occurred in points of the narrative which evoked feelings of despair and loss.
All of this is a roundabout way of saying that Wukong moved and made you think as much as it wowed and excited – and that, should Zhong Kui move more in the direction of the former at the expense of the latter, we might be in yet for another unexpected treat.
It is of course possible that the final game won’t be as light on spectacle as the footage suggests. Wukong is said to have been in development for more than six years, and since Game Science has yet to announce a release date for Zhong Kui, the developers may be saving the biggest surprises for later. Then again, that’s not really Game Science’s MO. At least, it hasn’t been up to this point. Against almost everyone’s expectations, the trailers for Wukong turned out to be a faithful reflection of the final game’s content and quality. As such, it’s not unreasonable to expect Zhong Kui to offer what this early footage indicates: a less grand, more story-driven experience.
Another reason why I expect Game Science to move into this direction is because doing so would be completely antithetical to how games are being made in the West. Over here, where profit incentives often interfere with talent and vision, triple-A franchises tend to get bigger with each installment, even though few would say that bigger automatically equals better.
For many non-Chinese players, Wukong was a breath of fresh air. Not just because it was produced in a country that hadn’t previously been known for its games – at least, not of this kind – but also because its unique and outspoken personality contrasted so sharply with the state of the gaming industry at large, where rampant commercialization and monetization has left many blockbuster titles feeling rather soulless.
On the same day Game Science released the gameplay trailer for Zhong Kui, its founder, Feng Ji, uploaded a post on his Weibo account in which he shared the company’s 10 development principles. The first of these principles – a translation of which can be found on Reddit – essentially states that the developers strive to make the kinds of games they want to play themselves, rather than chasing consumer trends. Regardless of how Black Myth: Zhong Kui will turn out, this philosophy promises a game that may be a little different from its predecessor, but no less lovingly put together.
Tim Brinkhof is a freelance writer specializing in art and history. After studying journalism at NYU, he has gone on to write for Vox, Vulture, Slate, Polygon, GQ, Esquire and more.
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