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GAMING FEATURE

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MONKEY MEMORIES If the story of Black Myth: Wukong sounds familiar, it may be because you remember the classic Japanese TV series Saiy ū ki , which we knew as Monkey . Originally airing in Japan between 1978 and 1980, it starred Masaaki Sakai, and it too was based on Journey to the West . Monkey also had a memorable theme song that declared that the title character was “the punkiest monkey that ever popped”.

It’s already been hailed as one of the top games of 2024, and now PS5 fans can rejoice, for action RPG Black Myth:Wukong – complete with Deluxe Edition extras - is coming to physical disc this month, ready to take pride of place in the collection. Words Bec Summer MONKEY MAGIC!

Beginnings Developed by China’s Game Science on Unreal Engine 5, Black Myth: Wukong was first shown off in August 2020. The trailer instantly wowed viewers, and with quick word of mouth it garnered almost two million YouTube views in its first 24 hours online. It’s since proved to be a welcome case of great anticipation being met with a great game. The story The tale that plays out was inspired by the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West , by Wu Cheng'en. Widely regarded as one of the greats of Chinese literature, it has been described as the most popular literary work of East Asia. In the game, our story centres around a simian protagonist named the Destined One. Here, we traverse six chapters set in distinctive environments, which include real-world landmarks such as temples and grottoes. Our hero is a young warrior tasked with entering these six areas and recovering six relics – the scattered six senses of Sun Wukong – in order to revive the legendary Monkey King. The gameplay Armed with a trusty staff that can extend and retract during battles, the Destined One battles foes in classic third-person action RPG style, with the challenging but rewarding combat itself regarded as the key to the game’s popularity so far. Well, that and the often quite stunning graphical beauty on display. Players can stick to the main track, working their way through the requisite – and often super-intense - boss battles, or seek out hidden bonus content on their journey to elaborate upon the experience.

• Black Myth: Wukong is out Dec 12

With only one difficulty level, there’s quite some challenge on offer, especially the further that you progress in your quest. Mercifully, as you travel further into the game, you unlock myriad skill tree perks that aid you as the bosses that you encounter – all drawn from Chinese mythology – up the fighting ante. Black Myth: Wukong is not an easy game, and this challenge is just part of its appeal. The background A challenging prospect for a fledgling developer – this is Game Science’s first game – no time or expense was spared in creating something special. Over a period of four years, the team visited locations throughout China, scanning assets such as statues and buildings along the way. Meanwhile, the stunning animated cutscenes that play out after each of the six main areas were created by different animation studios, in different styles. If you needed further impetus to soldier on in-game, then they’re just part of your great reward.

DYK?

This isn’t the first video game to take inspiration from Journey to the West . In 2010, we were playing Enslaved: Odyssey to the West , with protagonist Monkey’s

motion capture and voice provided by Andy Serkis.

50 DECEMBER 2024

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