It’s been almost four years since developers Game Science dropped their first trailer for the action RPG Black Myth: Wukong. With a 13-minute runtime, the pre-alpha trailer footage caught the attention of gamers worldwide thanks to its dazzling gameplay and striking graphics powered by Unreal Engine 4.

Now running on the much beefier Unreal Engine 5, there's still much to unpack about this ambitious fantasy adventure. Fortunately, GameSpot is here to tell you everything you need to know about Black Myth: Wukong, from its versatile combat mechanics and upgrade systems to how it draws inspiration from Chinese folklore and classic novella.

What is Black Myth: Wukong about?

The primary plot of Black Myth: Wukong remains shrouded in mystery, but we know it draws heavily from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. For those unfamiliar, Journey to the West chronicles the adventures of the monk Tang Seng and his allies, one of which is the mischievous monkey god, Sun Wukong.

Sun Wukong serves as the main inspiration for Black Myth’s playable protagonist, the Destined One, with many abilities, characteristics, and lore drawn directly from Wukong. Born from enchanted stone, Sun Wukong is an immensely powerful immortal being whose arrogant and brash behavior led to his imprisonment by the Buddha. Wukong is eventually released to serve as the bodyguard for Tang Seng, marking the start of his journey toward redemption.

Before you head off to read all 100 chapters of Journey to the West, you should know that Black Myth: Wukong takes place after the novel, so no homework is required. Game Science has also stated that Black Myth is a more mature depiction of the mythos with a central focus on Sun Wukong and the supposed truth behind his redemption.

Where is Black Myth: Wukong set?

Similarly to its plot, not much is known about Black Myth: Wukong's primary setting, other than that it is influenced by Journey to the West. The novel was set in China during the 7th century, in what was known as the 'Western Regions,' primarily comprising Central Asia and India.

While it's unclear how much of Journey to the West's settings will be revisited, some areas, such as 'Black Wind Mountain,' are present. Enemies inspired by these areas will also appear, such as a hulking black bear based on the 'Black Wind Demon' from Journey to the West.

Alongside characters and settings inspired by the novel, we can expect to see a few original creations from Game Science, as well as depictions based on other stories from Chinese folklore.

Exploration in Black Myth: Wukong

Despite Black Myth: Wukong's beautifully stylized world and environment, it is not an open-world game, instead following a more linear level design. However, each area in Black Myth is still teeming with hidden gear, upgrades, and optional bosses to discover.

Combat in Black Myth: Wukong

At its core, Black Myth: Wukong is about speed, precision, and reading your opponents. As you journey across realms as the Destined One, your primary means of combat is the Ruyi Jingu Bang--Wukong's iconic, size-altering enchanted staff.

The staff can be used in at least three stances: Smash, Pillar, and Thrust, each offering a distinct playstyle. The default Smash stance focuses on chaining combos through light and heavy attacks. The Pillar stance allows the Destined One to create a perch for avoiding ground-based attacks, which can then be brought down on enemies for a devastating blow. Alternatively, you can swing around the planted staff - like the mischievous monkey you are - delivering kicks to all enemies surrounding you. Lastly, the Thrust stance delivers quick, powerful strikes that can also be used at long range.

Mastering each stance is crucial for surviving Black Myth's intense combat, but you won't get far without getting to grips with its versatile dodge mechanic. Outside of deflecting projectiles and using special abilities, there is no block function in Black Myth, so dodging is your primary form of defense. There’s more strategy to combat than just timing, however. With a multitude of combat styles, special attacks, and transformations, you’ll need to use all the tools on your mystical toolbelt to devise the right strategy for each encounter.

Dodging and attacking drains stamina so choose your moments wisely. Perfectly timed dodges increase your focus meter, granting access to even more powerful attacks and abilities.

As you progress through Wukong’s rich mythological world, you will come face to face with a vast array of fearsome foes. Journeying through dense forests and fighting atop crumpled temples, players can expect to have their skills tested throughout this Buddhist folklore-inspired epic. From early encounters with blade-wielding anthropomorphic wolves to reflex-testing showdowns with building-sized, venomous toads, each new area requires a cunning combination of stances and a keen eye for reading enemy attacks.

As you trade blows with leaping lizards or fell katana-wielding tigers, every new beast you battle feels pleasingly unique, their designs and attacks drawing from a rich well of Eastern mythology. In true genre form, taking the time to defeat each opponent reaps great rewards, allowing players to unlock new skills and techniques for their chosen combat stance.

Nowhere is this truer than with Wukong’s bosses. As you roam across this awe-inspiring land, the Destined One will face increasingly horrifying creatures. Each boss will test your skill, serving as the final exam for everything that you have learned battling the flora and fauna that came before. While many of these bosses are essential to progressing through the story, each region you explore will feature an array of optional mini-bosses, defeating them netting you great rewards. From ancient wolf gods to terrifying demonic infants, this story will pit you against a wealth of unforgettable gods, each more fearsome than the last. Luckily for players, the Destined One has a few extra tricks up his sleeve.

Special abilities in Black Myth: Wukong

Alongside the Ruyi Jingu Bang staff, the Destined One also has access to an array of magical and physical abilities, many of which appear to be based on Sun Wukong's 72 heavenly powers. These abilities include freezing enemies in place, creating defensive barriers, shapeshifting, and summoning an army of duplicates to aid you in battle. A fearsome fire glaive is an early highlight, allowing players to temporarily transform into a state that imbues their staff with deadly flame attacks, proving incredibly useful for defeating enemies who are weak to burning.

The ability to shapeshift is one of the most powerful skills in Black Myth and offers many unique abilities. One transformation takes on the appearance of an imposing feline creature that delivers devastating blows, while another turns you into a strange creature made of stone that is impervious to most attacks. Some transformations include previously defeated enemies and bosses, though it's unclear if this is the only way to unlock new forms.

Certain transformations have uses outside of combat as well. At certain points in the story, you’ll be turned into a small bird or flying insect to progress the story. At one point early on, for instance, you’re turned into a cicada for the chance to survey a new area and prepare for what lies ahead.

Upgrades and crafting in Black Myth: Wukong

Black Myth: Wukong may borrow some mechanics from soulslike and character-action titles, but it is fundamentally an action RPG. Better armor, weapons, and gear can be found hidden throughout levels and can be crafted with the correct materials. Wearing full armor sets also provides bonus buffs such as increasing the amount of focus you earn from dodging.

For upgrading abilities, Black Myth: Wukong features three separate skill trees: one for magic abilities, one for staff abilities (in which there are three more trees - one for each combat stance), and one for character-specific abilities, such as increasing your maximum health. Skill trees can be progressed in whatever order best suits your playstyle by spending Sparks. Sparks are level-up points you can obtain through gaining experience (usually from hitting things real good) and through meditation points that you’ll find dotted around the world. Falling in battle causes you to lose a portion of your unbanked experience, but Black Myth: Wukong is a little more lenient than other titles and only penalizes you with a small amount of XP per death.

You’ll also be collecting Will, which can be used to purchase items and upgrade equipment, so keep an eye out for floating green lights and smash all the pots you see!

Who developed Black Myth: Wukong?

Game Science is a Hangzhou-based studio known for developing the multiplayer RTS, Art of War: Red Tides. Black Myth: Wukong is Game Science’s first triple-A game and marks their biggest undertaking to date. Previously, Game Science’s core founders worked at Tencent Games on the MMORPG Asura.

With the first trailer for Black Myth: Wukong garnering well over 10 million views on YouTube and over 10 million on the Chinese video site Bilibili, all eyes are on this ambitious studio and its grander plans for creating a ‘Black Myth’ gaming universe.

When is Black Myth: Wukong out?

Black Myth: Wukong reaches its long-awaited release on August 20th for PC and PlayStation 5.