Black Myth: Wukong – Early New Player Starter Guide

It's day one after the PC release of Black Myth: Wukong, and the game is already making headlines by being one of the biggest titles of the year. No, wait, hold that thought: biggest titles ever. That's right: Black Myth: Wukong got a concurrent release playercount of 1.4 million people!

We'll be honest, these are some absolutely ridiculous numbers, and we're thrilled to see the game do as well as this. It's awesome! And hey, it gets better, too, because Wukong is - from what we've seen and played so far - a serious GOTY contender even if we disregard its immense cultural value.

Now, we're still getting into the groove of things, but if you, too, need a short and to-the-point summary of the dos and don'ts in this game, we've got more than enough of those. Down below, we'll give you a factual account of what to expect out of this game, because boy howdy is it full of surprises.

Grab your Black Myth: Wukong Steam key at 2Game!

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Starter Guide for New Black Myth: Wukong Players

Black Myth: Wukong is downright immense. With 81 bosses to go through and innumerable unlockable weapons, gear, and abilities - to say nothing of the secrets, which the game is loaded with - it's easy to see why this is a serious contender for the coveted GOTY title. We reckon it'll make its way onto our list for sure, too, but more on that later!

In the interim, we've got some surprising (and also not) things to share about the game that you, as a newcomer to the world of Sun Wukong, ought to keep in mind as you begin your Black Myth adventure. Let's get to it.

This is a thoroughly linear game, in the vein of classic action-adventure titles of the 2010s

Given that there was an almost total media blackout surrounding Wukong up until it came out, it's no surprise that nobody really knew what the game actually was before we could play it. Our working theory, here at 2Game, was that it was a Boss Rush type of thing, and we got it somewhat right!

As we'll explain below, Black Myth: Wukong might subscribe to some of the more generalized Soulslike tropes, but it sure as heck isn't a competitor to the likes of Elden Ring. Instead, it's a mostly linear character action game with some hardcore gameplay elements. In a world where open-world progression is the default, this is amazing, especially since Wukong has dozens upon dozens of hours' worth of unique content.

Always check for side-routes

Though largely straightforward and linear, Black Myth: Wukong still has oodles of side-routes, side-quests, and secrets for players to discover. To that end, this is one of the most rewarding games when it comes to just mucking about and experimenting, and you're going to want to test out all of your traversal and transformation abilities as soon as you have them.

Optional content in Wukong usually nets you some cool new armor pieces, weapons, and abilities, and you're going to need as many of these as possible to get to the end of the game.

Some Soulslike tropes apply, but not as many as you'd think

Onto the topic of Soulslike similarities, if you felt that mainstream FromSoftware games just aren't for you, don't feel put off by Black Myth: Wukong! While it may seem like the game is a full-blooded Soulslike at a glance, this isn't actually the case, and here's why:

• You do not lose resources upon death; Sun simply respawns at the last Keeper's Shrine he interacted with
• You can respect at any point in time - more on that below
• Parrying is a later-progression skill, rather than a must-learn
• The game tells you where you need to go very specifically
• You only have one weapon type - the Staff of Sun Wukong

In practice, this makes Black Myth: Wukong a much more approachable and - dare we say it - easier game if you're only sticking with its mainline content. There are some extremely challenging boss fights, mind!

You can always respec your Monkey King build

As mentioned above, Sun Wukong can always respec if push comes to shove, and he can do so at any Keeper's Shrine he discovers. The really interesting bit, we think, is that the game outright nudges you into respeccing often, as boss fights differ from one another by a ridiculous margin, and there's no way to deal with them all using a straightforward one-size-fits-all build.

Instead, we recommend refunding and re-investing Black Myth's skill points - Sparks - often. This makes the game very reliant on experimentation and trial-and-error in combat, but since there's not a huge loss of progression whenever you die, this works out in its favor. Further, as there's no grinding whatsoever, Wukong plays much more like a straightforward character action game than we might've expected it to. Neat stuff, that.

Keep an eye out for Meditation Spots

Now, Meditation Spots are a huge deal in Black Myth: Wukong. These unassuming resting places serve several purposes all at once: you get to take in the local sights - which are a doozy thanks to the game's masterful handling of Unreal Engine 5 - and you get an extra Spark to spend at the Keeper's Shrine!

There's a grand total of 24 unique Meditation Spots to be found in Wukong, and that means you can shore up your build by a whopping 24 additional Sparks, if you find them all. So... do try to find them all.

The Journal is your friend

Sun Wukong is a journaling monster, as it turns out. The guy absolutely cannot keep himself from writing down everything he comes across, though this is an obviously good thing for us, players, as it helps us keep track of what's what as we go.

It's a simple statement of fact that The Journey to the West is a dense piece of work, and that applies even if you're already familiar with Asian mythology and culture. If you're not, then you're in for a world of confusion at some points in the game, and the Journal is here to help! Check up on it whenever you feel lost and/or confused. And even if you're not, the Journal offers invaluable insight into the background of the ongoing narrative, making it that much more important for the experience at large.

Grab your Black Myth: Wukong Steam key at 2Game!

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