Pre-release reviews are pouring out just days before the game's launch, revealing that the highly anticipated action-RPG is less like a soulslike than we thought.
Over the past several years, the developers of Black Myth: Wukong have said little about their game, letting stunning trailers speak for themselves. It was easy for soulslike fans to see grotesque monsters coupled with a dodge roll and put the dots together - hailing Black Myth: Wukong as potentially the best soulslike we've seen since the release of Elden Ring in 2022.
But yesterday, gameranx published his usual "Before You Buy" video, revealing that the highly anticipated game is less like a soulslike than we had assumed.
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Based on the Before You Buy review from gameranx, Black Myth: Wukong isn't a soulslike for these reasons:
There is no parry mechanic. Parrying is a standard mechanic for soulslike games like Sekiro and Lies of P. If you don't want to get hit by an enemy in Black Myth, your best bet is to dodge roll or hit the enemy first to stagger them.
Early reviews find that the game makes up for lacking a parry mechanic with lower difficulty. Black Myth: Wukong is not meant to be as hard as a Dark Souls game. The bosses are unique and challenging - but don't have the "parry or get one-shot" mechanic of many soulslikes.
There is not a complex leveling system in Black Myth: Wukong. You will level up and you will unlock new skills, but you won't be having to decide to put points into Vitality, Strength, or Dex.
There is not a variety of weapons to use in Black Myth: Wukong. You will unlock new powers for your staff, and your staff will shapeshift, but you will be using your staff for the entire duration of the game. Your staff has a stance-change mechanic that reminds me more of Ghost of Tsushima than a soulslike. Instead of worrying about perfect blocks and parries, players will be tasked with changing stances mid-combat to adapt to enemy moves.
This news does make me worry about Black Myth's replay factor. This doesn't sound like a Dark Souls game where I will want to replay the game immediately to try a different build and a cool weapon that I found on the last playthrough. Black Myth: Wukong is starting to sound more like Ghost of Tsushima: a stunning action-RPG that I'll replay in a couple years when I've forgotten how the game ends.
Despite the news that Black Myth: Wukong isn't a soulslike, my boyfriend and I have the soundtrack on repeat at home, hyping ourselves up for a stunning adventure starting on Tuesday. I'm just grateful I don't have to buy a new PC to run the game.
See gameranx's full Before You Buy video here.
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