CNA Explains: How a video game with a mythological monkey god has taken China and the world by storm

How have reviews been?

On review aggregator Metacritic, the game has garnered a score of 81 out of 100, indicating “generally favourable” reviews from both critics and users.

Many have praised its visual brilliance and production quality, Sixth Tone magazine reported.

On Steam, customer reviews – numbering more than 260,000 – have been “overwhelmingly positive”. 

Video game site IGN gave Black Myth: Wukong an 8 out of 10, commending its “fantastic combat, exciting bosses, tantalising secrets and a beautiful world” despite some “frustrating technical issues”. 

Niko Partners attributed the game’s success to its “high-end graphics, transformation gameplay” and cultural connection resonating strongly with Chinese gamers. 

Another reason for its popularity is China’s absence from AAA games, one analyst told the South China Morning Post.

The classification refers to games with higher development and marketing budgets than others.

“As the world’s largest gaming market and (home to) the richest gaming company (Tencent), there were no products that were truly recognised as AAA games globally. This has become a pain in the hearts of Chinese game developers and players,” said CBJ Think Tank’s Zhang Shule.

“This is also the reason why Black Myth: Wukong was so highly anticipated.”