Black Myth: Wukong Early Impressions Are Out Amid Review Guidelines Controversy

After a four-year wait since its 2020 announcement, Black Myth: Wukong is finally here! Read on for a summary of early reviews and a look at the controversy surrounding review guidelines.

Black Myth: Wukong's Arrival

PC Exclusive (For Now)

Since its debut trailer in 2020, Black Myth: Wukong has generated significant hype. Initial critical reception has been largely positive, with an 82 Metascore on Metacritic based on 54 reviews.

Reviewers praise the game's exceptional action gameplay, emphasizing its precise and engaging combat system and well-crafted boss battles. The stunning visuals and hidden secrets within its beautiful world also receive high marks.

Drawing inspiration from Chinese mythology's Journey to the West, the game's interpretation of Sun Wukong's adventures has resonated with critics. GamesRadar+, for example, described it as "a fun action RPG that feels like a modern God of War game filtered through the lens of Chinese mythology."

However, PCGamesN's review, while considering it a potential Game of the Year contender, points out potential drawbacks shared by other reviews: subpar level design, difficulty spikes, and occasional technical glitches. The narrative's fragmented nature, similar to older FromSoftware titles, requiring players to piece together the story through item descriptions, is another noted criticism.

Importantly, all initial reviews are based on the PC version; console review copies haven't been distributed, leaving the PS5 version's performance currently unreviewed.

Review Guidelines Spark Controversy

Image from SteamDB. Reports emerged over the weekend detailing controversial guidelines issued by one of Black Myth: Wukong's co-publishers to streamers and reviewers. These guidelines allegedly restricted discussion of certain topics, including "violence, nudity, feminist propaganda, fetishization, and other content that instigates negative discourse."

This has ignited debate within the gaming community. While some criticize the guidelines as overly restrictive, others express no concern. One Twitter (X) user commented, "It is WILD to me that this actually made it out the door. These guidelines had to have gone past multiple people/departments. Also, creators casually signing this and not speaking up is just as wild, unfortunately just less surprising.."

Despite this controversy, anticipation for Black Myth: Wukong remains high. Its Steam sales data shows it's currently both the best-selling and most wishlisted game on the platform ahead of its release. While the lack of console reviews is a caveat, the game is poised for a significant launch.