Blogs
on September 11, 2025
<br><img src="https://static0.gamerantimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/wm/2024/08/black-myth-wu-kong-relationship-with-journey-to-the-west-game-rant-3.jpg"; alt="" /><br>
<br>While it first appeared as though Game Science's Black Myth: Wukong would put players in direct control of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King from the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West , the action RPG is set some time after the events of the novel. Ultimately, this means that Black Myth: Wukong is separated enough from Journey to the West that it can attempt to establish its own identity as an original story, as opposed to being a direct adaption of the novel. As a result, rather than playing through Black Myth: Wukong as Sun Wukong himself, players experience a reimagining of the world brought to life by Journey to the West through the eyes of a humble monkey simply referred to as the "Destined One" — an almost identical physical copy of Sun Wukong. <br>
<br>In many ways, Black Myth: Wukong could be considered a sequel to Journey to the West , as it makes regular past-tense references to the original story throughout its own roughly 30-hour narrative. However, Journey to the West is more the bones of Black Myth: Wukong than the muscles, with the novel essentially only serving as the foundation for the moving story and enchanting world Game Science has crafted here. It certainly doesn't shy away from including some of the most notable characters from Journey to the West — though many of them have been reconceptualized for the game — and its heavy reliance on Eastern mythology helps to fill in any gaps left in the wake of its semi-adaptive format. <br>
<br>Close <br>
<br>While the Destined One is an original character created specifically for Black Myth: Wukong , many of the game's other major characters are almost explicit copies of those from Journey to the West . As the game's story takes place five centuries after the events of the novel, these characters help maintain the game's connection to its "past" and, in turn, give substance to its present. The major boss of Black Myth: Wukong 's first chapter, for instance, is the Black Wind King, who is based on the Black Wind Demon from Journey to the West . Both the Black Wind King and the Black Wind Demon wield a Black Tassel Spear, can transform into a ferocious black bear, and serve as the guardian of Black Wind Mountain. The Black Wind King is also the first character to confirm Black Myth: Wukong 's place in Journey to the West 's timeline when he mentions it has been 500 years since his last encounter with Sun Wukong. <br>
<br>One of <a href="https://Www.Blackmythwukongtalk.com/">Black Myth Wukong Patch Notes</a> Myth: Wukong 's most complex and developed characters is Bajie, a major character in Journey to the West who now fills the role of partner, mentor, and guide to the Destined One throughout most of the game's story. In the novel, Bajie is characterized by his laziness to some degree, but his respectful and soft-hearted side is often revealed in his love for Sun Wukong, whom he affectionately refers to as "brother." His relationship is best defined as warm, and it's easy for readers to endear themselves to him as a result. In Black Myth: Wukong , on the other hand, Bajie's most prominent characteristics are his arrogance and recklessness. However, his unbridled commitment to the game's protagonist often exposes the same tenderness of the character he is based on, as he can't help but see his old friend when he looks at the Destined One. The unifying element among these takes on Bajie is how likeabe he truly is. <br>
<br>The game also features many of the same locations from Journey to the West , though they have been meticulously crafted from the ground up to provide plenty of room for exploration and Black Myth: Wukong 's countless bosses . Journey to the West locations like Black Wind Mountain, Yellow Wind Ridge, the Flaming Mountains, and Mount Huaguo are all explorable locations in Black Myth: Wukong . However, they have been designed to reflect time-driven change and their current role in a brand-new story centuries ahead of the novel. This helps Black Myth: Wukong to set itself apart from Journey to the West as a standalone experience. <br>
<br>Close <br>
<br>Black Myth: Wukong may dig its roots into Journey to the West , but the significant time gap between the two stories doesn't require the game to remain true to every single element of its source material. This ultimately grants some leeway for Game Science to include characters not found in Journey to the West , while still honoring its nature as an Eastern mythology-inspired story. Black Myth: Wukong therefore introduces new characters — primarily enemies — not originally found in Journey to the West that are largely inspired by Eastern mythology, in addition to new and revised locations from the novel to reflect the passage of time. <br>
<br>Journey to the West is a pantheon of celestial beings, deities, and mythological creatures known as Yaoguai, and Black Myth: Wukong is perhaps even more so with its inclusion of Yaoguai not found in the novel. The Destined One encounters dozens of "lesser" Yaoguai in Black Myth: Wukong that we haven't see in Journey to the West , including the Croaky, the Crow Diviner, the Tenner, and the Pitstone, Poisestone, and Palestone. Some of Black Myth: Wukong 's bosses we also have not seen in Journey to the West , though almost every major boss is. <br>
<br>As far as locations go, most of those that players can travel to in Black Myth: Wukong are mentioned in Journey to the West . Others, like Crouching Tiger Temple, Turtle Island, Mirrormere, and the Pagoda Realm, are not — although the novel does include various pagoda structures. This is just another way that Black Myth: Wukong sets itself apart from Journey to the West to give players an experience they wouldn't even be able to get from the 16th-century novel the game is based on. <br>
<br>Black Myth: Wukong certainly relies on the story, characters, and locations of Journey to the West to establish context for the Destined One's journey. At the same time, this is a story that takes some time after the events of Journey to the West , so Game Science has ensured that it feels like a brand-new story by including new creatures based on Eastern mythology and new locations never mentioned in the book. Getting to explore these locations, undertake quests, and otherwise appreciate the beauty of Black Myth: Wukong will go a long way - beyond its boss fights. After all, Black Myth: Wukong is not a boss rush - it's a journey through a Chinese mythology and Journey to the West -inspired world. Its emphasis on original elements, engaging worldbuilding, and beautiful vistas ensures that even those unfamiliar with Journey to the West should be able to appreciate Black Myth: Wukong as an original adventure. <br><img src="https://picography.co/page/1/600"; style="max-width:430px;float:left;padding:10px 10px 10px 0px;border:0px;" alt="" />