Imagine my surprise the next day when, while blearily stumbling around the show floor and scoping out what was there before the big crowds could put me off ever venturing past the press area, I saw that Black Myth: Wukong was not only playable at Gamescom, but had one of the biggest booths of the whole show, towering above the likes of Mortal Kombat 1 and Payda

Shapeshifting is one particular skill set Wukong has that is bound to set up some awesome combat encounters. In Journey to the West , Wukong has 72 different possible transformations, and Black Myth: Wukong looks to have a lot of fun with this concept. From a beast-like version of himself to taking the form of his own enemies when wielding their weapons, this could be one of the game's most versatile mechanics. Not only can Wukong transform into other creatures, but he can also clone himself for a brief period of time, which is exciting to imagine how this will be used in fig

After defeating an optional boss called Guangzhi, a wolf wielding a flaming staff, I earned the ability to transform into him. Guangzhi has a powerful move set and the ability to ignite enemies, applying a burn that damages them over time, but what really makes this ability handy is that turning into Guangzhi gives you a new, full health bar. Eventually time runs out and you transform back into the Destined One, but transforming can be a great way to survive when your health is low by allowing you to tank a bunch of difficult to avoid attacks. Again, more layers of resource management.

I’m not a big Souls player, but I did have a great time trying out Black Myth: Wukong. The two-hour demo I played took me through half a dozen boss encounters while introducing a variety of characters and all of the core progression and combat systems. Fans of the genre will find plenty of familiar ideas: campfires allow you to refill your health pots, purchase items, and craft armor upgrades, while also giving you a respawn point to come back to when you inevitably die. But it’s where Wukong breaks from genre traditions that make it truly stand out.

Wukong’s combat is all about resource management. On top of your health, stamina, and charge meter, you also have a magic resource used for spells. The first one I learned was a time stop that could freeze enemies in place. The spell itself has a cooldown after use, but you also spend some mana every time you use it, which can only be refilled by visiting a campsite.

Physical Collectibles: Steelbook case, Wind Chime Necklace, Gold Sun Crow Pin, Thunderstone Ring, Teaching of the Heart Sutra (silk scroll), Warranty Certificate, Stamps and Postcard, Confront Destiny (40cm statue of Sun Wuk

I, frankly, couldn't handle the wait, nor did my scummy press pass count for much for this particular game, so I figured I'd do the next best thing and get impressions of those who had actually managed to play it at Gamescom. Here's what I uncove

There’s no block or parry in Black Myth, which might be the thing that separates it the most from the rest of the Souslike genre. You have a staff spin ability that allows you to deflect ranged attacks, but when you’re facing off against an enemy, dodging is your main method of avoiding damage.

Black Myth: Wukong is set to bring an all-new Soulslike experience to gamers. As the game's August 20 release date draws closer, Black Myth: Wukong has a lot of potential to be a great addition to the genre that FromSoftware started. There is still an ample amount of mystery surrounding the game, but based on early footage and trailers, Black Myth: Wukong looks to have some thrilling gameplay mechan

I’m not trying to talk anyone out of playing Wukong (though I do recommend you at least inform yourself about the allegations of discrimination and harassment at Game Science ). It’s a Soulslike through and through and I expect it will be popular with fans of the genre. But if Erdtree is too hard for you because the bosses are relentless, I’m sorry to say it, but Wukong isn’t going to treat you any ni

Maybe some stubborn people just don’t want to engage with the game’s RPG mechanics. Maybe they got used to hammering away at a fight until they perfected it and didn’t need to spend time grinding levels or tailoring their builds, and now they resent having to adapt to a fight rather than overcome it through sheer will. I don’t know, I’m just a tourist, but what I do know is that if you’re unhappy with Erdtree’s difficulty, you need to stay far away from Black Myth: Wuk

Combat has a very different flow from what you might be used to in visit this website genre. Activating your light attack unleashes a flurry of quick, acrobatic hits that combo together several times before ending in a heavy finisher. The heavy attack (the default is a long-range, overhead slam) needs to be charged up before it can be used, either by holding the heavy attack button for a few seconds, or landing consecutive light attacks until you store a charge that you can unleash later on. The stamina gauge limits how much you can attack and dodge, though, so you can't just spam light attacks over and over. Even against weak enemies, fights require a lot of patience. It's all about building up your power and waiting for the right moment to unleash a string of devastating attacks on your opponent.