Black Myth: Wukong Early Impressions Spark Controversy Over Review Guidelines

After an eagerly awaited four-year journey since its initial announcement in 2020, the verdict is finally in for Black Myth: Wukong! Dive into the details and discover what reviewers across the board are saying about this highly anticipated game.

Black Myth: Wukong Is Almost Here

But Only On PC

Since its debut trailer in 2020, Black Myth: Wukong has been the subject of immense anticipation, and it appears that the critics largely approve. The game currently boasts an impressive 82 Metascore on Metacritic, compiled from 54 critic reviews.

The consensus among reviewers is that Black Myth: Wukong excels as an action game, with a strong focus on precise and engaging combat that is enhanced by well-crafted boss battles. The game also impresses with its stunning visuals and offers a world rich with secrets waiting to be discovered.

Drawing heavily from Chinese mythology, specifically the classic tale of Journey to the West, the game brings the legendary adventures of Sun Wukong to life. GamesRadar+ praised it as "a fun action RPG that feels like the modern God of War games viewed through the lens of Chinese mythology."

In their review, PCGamesN suggested that Black Myth: Wukong could be a contender for Game of the Year (GOTY), though they noted some potential drawbacks, such as subpar level design, sudden difficulty spikes, and technical issues. Other reviews echoed these sentiments, also mentioning a disjointed narrative that requires players to delve into in-game item descriptions to fully grasp the story—a style reminiscent of older FromSoftware titles.

Notably, all review copies provided were for the PC version, with no early access given for console versions, leaving the game's performance on the PS5 unassessed at this time.

Streamers and Reviewers Reportedly Received Controversial Guidelines

Image taken from SteamDB Over the weekend, reports emerged that one of Black Myth: Wukong's co-publishers distributed a document outlining guidelines for streamers and reviewers. This document reportedly included a list of "Do's and Don'ts," instructing recipients to avoid discussing sensitive topics such as "violence, nudity, feminist propaganda, fetishization, and other content that instigates negative discourse."

This move has sparked intense debate within the gaming community. A Twitter (X) user expressed disbelief, stating, "It is WILD to me that this actually made it out the door. These guidelines had to have gone past multiple people/departments. Also, creators casually signing this and not speaking up is just as wild, unfortunately just less surprising." Conversely, some community members saw no problem with the guidelines.

Despite the controversy surrounding the review guidelines, anticipation for Black Myth: Wukong remains high. The game currently tops Steam's charts as both the best-selling and most wishlisted title ahead of its release. While there are concerns about the lack of console reviews, the game is poised for a significant launch.