Is Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike?

Black Myth: Wukong is a contender for Game of the Year in 2024. It is smashing player records left, right, and center, with players embracing Game Science’s newest title. There is one question that many would-be players are asking about the game – is Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike? Read on to discover the answer.

What is a Soulslike?

Before we can determine whether Black Myth: Wukong is a Soulslike or not, we need to establish some ground rules about what this actually entails. A Soulslike is a unique type of game that adheres to several traditional mechanics and tropes – not every action game fits the mold.

First off, you’ve got boss fights. Every Soulslike has major and mini-bosses scattered around the game world. They’re designed for you to fail repeatedly until you eventually get it right. Then, there are “campsites” of some sort. These represent places where you can heal, save your progress, reset the enemies around the world, and fast travel to other areas. You’ve also got some element of challenge. Soulslikes are hard. If you think it’s too easy, then it probably isn’t a Soulslike. Not a good one, at least. Our final main Soulslike trope is combat, which is usually centered on learning the attack patterns of your enemies, dodging and weaving until the right attack opens up for you.

Is Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike?

With these rules in mind – is Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike? The answer is quite nuanced. Bosses? Check – plenty of them, too. “Campsites”? Yes, they exist in the form of Keeper’s Shrines. So there are definitely a few Soulslike elements in play, and on the surface, you’d probably say that yes, Black Myth: Wukong is a Soulslike.

There are some arguments against this, though. When it comes to difficulty, the grunt enemies are almost too easy, posing very little threat throughout the game. The bosses are tough, but still nothing compared to what you’d find in the likes of Elden Ring, for example. And then there’s the combat. We felt it was a little button-mashy compared to most Soulslikes. In many encounters, you can get away with mashing your light and heavy attacks until the enemy drops, which isn’t really in the spirit of a Soulslike.

So the answer to “Is Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike?” is… sort of. There’s enough for fans of the genre to recognize, but we think regular action RPG fans can get a ton out of this too.