Is Black Myth Wukong open world? Gameplay explained
Souls-like or Souls-adjacent?
![radio times black myth wukong A anthropomorphic monkey character engaging in battle with a monster in Black Myth: Wuking](https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2024/08/radio-times-black-myth-wukong-3e86066.jpg?quality=90&resize=980,654)
"Is Black Myth: Wukong open world?" is the question on everyone's lips with limited time for gaming who are keen to try out GameScience’s classic Chinese epic.
We’ve got the gameplay explained and will be taking a look at if it is more Souls-like or Souls-adjacent.
One thing is for certain, though, the graphics are drop-dead gorgeous, though they require a pretty beefy PC to meet the system requirements.
If you want to have a physical copy of Black Myth: Wukong or play it on Xbox Series X/S, you will have to wait a little longer before you dive in to see what the game is all about for yourself.
But alas, time is precious and you may only have so much time to play Black Myth: Wukong before the tidal wave of upcoming games in 2024 and beyond washes over us so let’s cut the chit-chat and get straight to it!
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Is Black Myth Wukong open world?
No, Black Myth: Wukong is not open world, but you do visit many open-ended areas in the game that encourage and reward exploration.
There are plenty of secrets, bosses and side-quests to be found. It’s more similar in structure to earlier FromSoftware titles such as Bloodborne, which also features interconnected maps.
You can go revisit previous areas to try and hoover up any quests or goodies you might have missed on your first pass. You cannot replay the story elements of the chapter, though.
If you are after an open-world Souls-like then Elden Ring is your best bet if you haven’t already played it yet!
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Is Black Myth Wukong a Souls-like?
Black Myth: Wukong is not quite a true Souls-like even though it features much of the game design elements synonymous with the genre.
The reason for this is that it is far more fast-paced, streamlined and accessible than one would typically associate with Souls-likes.
Developers GameScience have been careful to avoid calling it such, perhaps to avoid people being put off by the genre's infamous difficulty.
There are shrines where you can rest, teleport to and craft gear much like the bonfires found in Souls games.
The gameplay too feels reasonably similar, but it is far less punishing and offers more freedom than the strict nature of traditional Souls games.
What type of game is Black Myth Wukong?
GameScience describes Black Myth: Wukong as "an action RPG".
If you weren’t aware already, the game is based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, written by Wu Cheng’en.
With this backdrop, Black Myth: Wukong presents itself more akin to something like Santa Monica’s most recent God of War games, a sentiment shared by Austin Wood for Gamesradar.
You engage with enemies and bosses, get better gear, level up your character and enjoy the plot.
The story is presented in a way that is far more approachable than found in Souls-like games as well, so you won’t be needing to open up the wiki to make sense of all the lore.
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