Game Science's much anticipated 2024 video game, Black Myth: Wukong, is based on one of the most popular stories in Chinese mythology.
Black Myth: Wukong drops players into a fantastical Asian landscape where they play as an anthropomorphic monkey protagonist, known as the Destined One. Despite an absence of early PS5 reviews, the game has been received favourably on PC, gaining a Metacritic score of 81.
The action RPG draws on the soulslike genre for its gameplay, but for its story it is steeped in the culture and lore presented in one of China's most classic tales, Journey to the West.
What is the Story of Journey to the West?
Journey to the West was first published in China in the 16th century and has gone on to become one of the most famous and beloved stories in East Asia.
The story's premise involves the pilgrimage of a monk, Tang Sanzang, as he ventures into the Western Regions to recover sacred Buddhist scriptures, and encounters a series of tests and trials along the way.
Aiding the monk on his journey are three disciples. Zhu Bajie, simplified to "pig" in English, was an immortal commander who was reborn in the womb of a sow due to an error in the reincarnation wheel and rendered him a pig-human hybrid.
Sha Wujing, translated to "sand", was a celestial who was exiled to the mortal world and made to look like a sandman after he accidentally broke a goblet belonging to the Queen Mother of the West.
Rounding out the trio is Sun Wukong, aka "monkey" or Monkey King, the most famous of the three and the character who holds the most importance for the story of Black Myth: Wukong.
In short, Sun Wukong was a monkey who sought immortality and was taught the 72 heavenly methods of transformation by the Grand Master of Bodhi.
He was often a mischief-maker amongst those in heaven and stole their immortal prizes in his quest for eternal life. His teachings and expertise in martial arts and magic also made him very powerful and when the deities of heaven attempted to stop him he was able to fight off their 100,000 celestial soldiers.
The Jade Emperor eventually appealed to the Buddha to subdue him, which resulted in Sun Wukong being sealed in a mountain for 500 years, until he was freed by Sang Tanzang and joined the pilgrimage.
The Monkey King aids the monk's quest with his iconic staff, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, which can be shrunk and enlarged to seismic proportions and weighs 17,550 pounds, which Sun Wukong can handle with ease.
Journey to the West features 100 chapters, in which Sun Wukong and his companions primarily help to defend Sang Tanzang from a variety of enemies and monsters known as "Yaoguai".
The story ends with the monk receiving the sacred scriptures from Buddha and the deity providing blessings upon the group, which results in Sun Wukong achieving Buddhahood.
Journey to the West is a tale that has inspired many adaptations over the years, including the 2009 video game, Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, the popular anime series Dragon Ball and now Black Myth: Wukong.
How Journey to the West is Utilised in Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong comes from Chinese developer Game Science and, as one of the first major AAA games out of China, it seems fitting the team chose to adapt one of the nation's most popular myths. Some reviewers have even described the game as "the God of War for Chinese mythology".
However, Black Myth: Wukong doesn't do a simple copy-and-paste job of Journey to the West. Instead, the story takes place after the events of the novel, following what happens to Sun Wukong after he achieved enlightenment.
In this narrative, Sun Wukong rejects immortality, which angers the Celestial Court and leads to the Monkey King being defeated and sealed in stone.
Before his demise, Sun Wukong splits his power into six relics which are hidden across China and players, as the Destined One, are tasked with recovering these items in an effort to free the legendary character.
Spread across six chapters, Black Myth: Wukong takes players on a journey where they encounter, recruit and battle many of the same characters from Journey to the West, such as Zhu Bajie, Yellow Wind Sage, Black Bear Guai and the Bull Demon King.
Similar to the Monkey King, the Destined One also wields a size-changing staff like Ruyi Jingu Bang and has the ability to cast spells and shapeshift into different beings.
So, while Black Myth: Wukong isn't an exact adaptation of Journey to the West, it is useful to know the basics of the classic story to get a more rounded understanding of what is happening in the game.
Black Myth: Wukong is available to play now on PC and PS5.
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