Summary
- Yellow Wind Ridge in Chapter Two introduces captivating Headless Monk songs but suffers from repetitive and confusing environments.
- Chapter Three offers open exploration, exciting temple sequences, and memorable boss battles, despite some navigational challenges.
- The best chapter in Black Myth: Wukong is Chapter Four, known for its excellent level design, stunning secret area, and challenging bosses.
Black Myth: Wukong is a sizable action RPG, with six extensive chapters players must complete before reaching the end credits. Each chapter takes roughly five to eight hours to fully clear, assuming players tackle every side quest, uncover secrets and hidden areas with bosses, and collect all valuable loot, such as curios, along the way.
Black Myth: Wukong — All Spells, Ranked
For players looking to discover the most powerful combat spells in Black Myth: Wukong, these choices offer the best advantage.
Each chapter in Black Myth: Wukong stands out for its distinct biomes, landscapes, and enemy types, but also varies in how populated it is with key characters and plot events, as well as how open or linear the path is for the Destined One. While there aren't any outright "bad" chapters in the game — there's always something new to see and do — not every chapter is equally exciting to progress through. Here's how they compare.
6 Chapter Two: Yellow Sand, Desolate Dusk
Yellow Wind Ridge And Kingdom Of Sahālī
What's great:
- Headless Guy songs
- Challenging bosses that raise the bar
- 17 unique bosses
Yellow Wind Ridge is arguably the most uneven chapter in Black Myth: Wukong, and it may not be the most enjoyable to play through. The main issue lies in the environment, which can feel repetitive and monotonous, complicating exploration as the scenery tends to blend together. Without a proper map, it's easy to get lost in this dusty desert biome filled with maze-like passages, indistinguishable villages, and vast open spaces dominated by sand and rocks.
On the positive side, Yellow Wind Ridge introduces the memorable Headless Monk NPC, later revealed to be Bodhisattva Lingji, whose captivating songs have become a favorite among players. It's a bit of a shame that this is the only chapter featuring such a variety of songs, as the Headless Monk delivers them regularly here based on the Destined One's chapter progress, adding a unique charm to this otherwise unremarkable chapter.
5 Chapter Three: White Snow, Ice Cold
Pagoda Realm And New Thunderclap Temple
What's great:
- Exploring an enormous temple is fun
- The most open area in the game
- 22 unique bosses
The New West is generally a solid chapter, offering several exciting surprises, such as traveling atop a colossal turtle, the most boss fights in the game, and key NPC encounters. Players meet Zhu Bajie for the first time here, who later becomes a recurring companion, appearing and disappearing as the story requires. Notably, this chapter's ending sequences stand out, with two unforgettable boss battles against the Macaque Chief and Yellowbrow. Additionally, the entire New Thunderclap Temple sequence is a highlight, featuring intriguing exploration and numerous treasures.
Black Myth: Wukong— 10 Best Skills, Ranked
Activating these skills will allow Black Myth: Wukong players to go through the story without too many problems.
However, the New West also has its drawbacks. Like Yellow Wind Ridge, the snowy areas can be difficult to navigate without a map, with similar-looking forests, rocky passages, and an overabundance of beautiful yet repetitive temples. The prison section in the Pagoda Realm is particularly frustrating, with regular debuffs, tough guards, and tricky traversal through its circular floors. Moreover, the snow-covered areas of the Valley of Ecstasy — while vast — suffer from awkwardly placed invisible walls, limiting the player's sense of freedom in an otherwise open environment.
4 Chapter One: Black Cloud, Red Fire
Black Wind Mountain And Cave
What's great:
- One of the most beautiful areas
- Novelty effect with plenty of secrets to uncover
- 11 unique bosses
In hindsight, Black Wind Mountain stands out less compared to the rest of the journey in Black Myth: Wukong. It features fewer notable NPCs, the story feels less clear and focused, and the environments are relatively small and straightforward. However, the tree and bamboo forests of Black Wind Mountain remain some of the most visually stunning areas in the game, with their lush vegetation, captivating temple and ruin architecture, and serene water ponds.
Exploring this beautiful environment for the first time, when the novelty is still fresh and every step holds unexpected surprises, creates a magical feeling that greatly contributes to Black Myth: Wukong's strong first impression. Plus, there are memorable battles with tough bosses like the Wandering Wight, as well as plenty of secret areas hiding additional bosses throughout the chapter.
3 Chapter Six
Mountain Huagao And Water Curtain Cave
What's great:
- Players can ride the cloud
- Many great bosses to find and defeat in any order
- 16 unique bosses
Mountain Huagao is the final stretch before the game's conclusion, making it a densely packed chapter with little downtime. This has both advantages and drawbacks. On the one hand, there are no secret areas or hidden treasures to discover, save for one chest at the start of the chapter. Some players might find the abundance of large, empty spaces with few rewards aside from story progression and the occasional enemies — who sometimes spawn right in front of the player — underwhelming.
Black Myth: Wukong - 10 Best Curios & How To Get Them
In Black Myth: Wukong, curios (talismans) are essential additions to any Destined One's build. Here are some of the most valuable options available.
On the other hand, Mountain Huagao is elevated by the introduction of the Somersault Cloud ability, which allows players to ride the cloud at high speeds, swiftly moving between the sky and ground in search of bosses who drop legendary pieces of Sun Wukong's armaments. Additionally, this chapter boasts one of the best boss selections in Black Myth: Wukong, which is fitting for its endgame status. One particularly memorable fight even takes place inside Zhu Bajie's stomach, ensuring that the chapter is not short on surprises.
2 Chapter Five: Golden Child, Crimson Blood
Flaming Mountains And Bishui Cave
What's great:
- Great bosses and supporting characters
- Tight, straightforward, and packed with story beats
- 18 unique bosses
Black Myth: Wukong arguably shines brightest when it maintains a focused, linear progression, where players move quickly from one epic boss encounter to the next, interspersed with engaging adventures. The Flaming Mountains chapter exemplifies this experience. The area's linear paths make it easy to navigate without confusion, and even though the environments consist mainly of flaming rocks and occasional lava, the traversal feels satisfying. Players must sometimes brave lava floors, enduring constant burning damage as they hunt for treasures or secret bosses.
In addition, the Flaming Mountains boasts a focused narrative with impactful cutscenes and memorable characters like the Keeper of Flaming Mountains and Pale-Axe Stalwart, and some of the game's most emotionally resonant side quests, such as the fate of Horse Guai. The chapter also delivers thrilling boss fights, including several dual-boss encounters like Cloudy Mist and Misty Cloud, Top Takes Bottom and Bottom Takes Top, Quick as Fire, and Fast as Wind. Remarkably, these multi-boss battles feel fluid and enjoyable, in contrast to the often frustrating dual-boss fights in other action RPGs (FromSoftware, take note).
1 Chapter Four: Rosy Cheeks, Gray Hair
Webbed Hollow And Purple Cloud Mountain
What's great:
- Great level design with strong use of verticality
- Best and largest secret area
- Top-notch boss selection
- 18 unique bosses
Perhaps the best chapter in Black Myth: Wukong is Webbed Hollow, and there are several reasons for this. First and foremost, it offers some of the best level design in the game. The chapter introduces a complex, multi-level cave system with excellent verticality, making exploration genuinely fun and rewarding. Unlike other areas, Webbed Hollow minimizes frustrating roadblocks and unreachable spots. The spider-insect theme adds a haunting yet captivating atmosphere, with intimidating cocoons hanging from the ceilings and webs shrouding hidden passages that lead to untold treasures.
Black Myth: Wukong— 7 Best Weapons, Ranked
These weapons can save Black Myth: Wukong players a lot of time.
Moreover, Chapter Four features Black Myth: Wukong's most beautiful and expansive secret area: Purple Cloud Mountain. This area continues the insect theme but shifts the tone to a more tranquil, sunlit environment. It's home to some of the best and hardest optional bosses in the game, such as Yellow Loong, Scorpionlord, and Duskveil — or even two of the latter at the same time. Altogether, Chapter Four represents the pinnacle of Game Science's craftsmanship so far, offering a deeply exciting and visually stunning experience.
Black Myth: Wukong
- Released
- August 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Game Science
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
