The release of the action RPG Black Myth: Wukong is highly anticipated. On Steam, it tops the list of most-wanted games. However, there is currently a heated discussion about the title.
What is the current status? Just before the upcoming release of Black Myth: Wukong on August 20, 2024, many potential players are wondering if the action RPG can live up to the spectacular trailers or if it falls into the “graphics gimmick” category.
The first reviews of Black Myth: Wukong were published on August 16 and are quite hopeful: On Metacritic, the PC version received a good score of 82 from 54 critics. Generally, there seems to be agreement that while the action RPG may not necessarily reinvent the wheel, it can shine with crisp combat and beautiful visuals.
Our colleagues at GameStar, on the other hand, already had the opportunity to try out Black Myth: Wukong.
- Here is the first conclusion on GameStar (paid PLUS article).
Criticism of Performance, Gameplay, and Diversity
What kind of rating is this? On social networks, some users are currently outraged over a review from the entertainment website ScreenRant. There, Black Myth: Wukong received a rating of 3/5.
The fluid and enjoyable combat, breathtaking cinematography, and diverse mechanics are positively highlighted. However, there are deductions for performance, repetitive gameplay, and the lack of inclusion and diversity among the characters. Furthermore, the game world is not effectively utilized and offers few challenges beyond the bosses.
In her article, the author explained that she did not feel welcome in the game world as a woman. In the first two chapters, there are hardly any female NPCs or bosses. This also coincides with alleged sexist statements from the developers, which IGN reported in November 2023.
Users on social media criticize “woke gaming press”
What is the discussion? On X, there are several threads discussing the review from ScreenRant, with one of the largest having almost 475,000 views (via X). Critics accuse the author of allowing her rating to be influenced by her personal political ideology.
Supporters of the studio refute the allegations of sexist remarks. Additionally, videos are circulating showing that female opponents do appear later in the game.
It seems that Black Myth: Wukong is becoming the subject of a culture war, similar to that which recently surrounded the PS5 exclusive Stellar Blade. A narrative is being employed which claims that Western games are ruined by “woke” elements, while Asian games thrive without this allegedly imposed agenda. This was also evident in the discussion concerning the advisory firm Sweet Baby Inc.
To support this perspective, excerpts from the article are skillfully ignored or taken out of context: it is claimed that the gaming press “hates” the game and is trying to “cancel” it because it does not align with their political ideologies.
In fact, as mentioned at the outset, the ratings are predominantly positive. Even the 3/5 from ScreenRant corresponds to a “very good” according to the website’s metric.
That this criticism only makes up a relatively small part of the article and that the author emphasizes that the focus of her review is gameplay is conveniently ignored.
Due to concerns for the author’s safety, ScreenRant has since removed her name from the article.
It should be noted, however, that these critical voices only represent a portion of the player base. On Reddit, many users express satisfaction with a score in the 80s.
Ultimately, the opinion of the players will be decisive. Until the release, when fans can finally form their own opinions about the action RPG, it remains exciting. Until then, you can find everything about the release, gameplay time, benchmark tool, and editions on MeinMMO here.
