Based on a classic Chinese folklore, Wukong embarks on a journey of no return. A single player game with futuristic graphics and accurate stunts, this brand-new video game series which was released in August has sky-rocketed in sales and popularity beyond all reasonable doubt.

As at the time of this review, Black Myth: Wukong Game series has already sold more than a billion copies, and it is mind-blowing to think that the game was released less than one month ago.

• Part 1. What Is Black Myth: Wukong Story About?
• Part 2. What Is Black Myth: Wukong Based On?
• Part 3. Watch Game-like Drama on ReelShort

Part 1. What Is Black Myth: Wukong Story About?

The story is about Sun Wukong and his conquest to unveil the past of a legend. An action packed, single player game with a vivid role by Sun Wukong, he enters the underworld and undergoes various trials as he tries to maneuver deep and murky waters to reach his desired end.

The player of the game is known as the Destined One and is lifted from the character Sun Wukong as portrayed in the novel, and in the book that it is adapted from, Journey To The West.

Like every other adventurous and action-packed game, Sun Wukong has his ways around cornering dark crevices and fighting against demons that appear seemingly out of nowhere in the course of his journey.

A staff which enables various stances for Sun Wukong is the major tool he uses to embark on his quest, and with skills that enable him to transcend different dimensions, he faces his travails head on.

Whatever lies on the other side of Sun Wukong’s quest must be pure gold because he has to face nearly one hundred bosses throughout his journey.

At every advancement, and at every arena, there is a new boss to defeat, each one, stronger than the previous.

Just like the movie, Journey To The West, there are so many forms of bosses (they are plainly called demons in the movie). The bosses in the video game and the demons in the movie are somewhat similar, although there are certain changes, additions and subtractions to create more interaction with the player(s).

In a bid to achieve reincarnation, which is also a form of immortality, Sun Wukong must battle his own stone body.

Definitely, a stone body has no soul, and no mind, and if Sun Wukong can defeat his mindless and soulless self, there can only be two endings.

• If the Destined One does not fulfill any of the optional requirements for other endings, he will not inherit Sun Wukong’s legacy. The Old Monkey will place the circlet, which bound Sun Wukong to the Celestial Court, on the Destined One who will remain trapped inside the stone.
• If the Destined One defeats Erlang Shen in an optional boss fight prior to the final battle, he will successfully inherit Sun Wukong’s memories and refuse to wear the circlet, preventing himself from being bound to the Celestial Court and trapped inside the soulless stone body.

Black Myth: Wukong is rumored to have up to four endings, but so far, only two have been confirmed.

Part 2. What Is Black Myth: Wukong Based On?

It is based on a Chinese folklore. There are several other movies and series that Wukong has appeared in, that is to say, that Wukong on his own, is a character that the Chinese folklore have laid emphasis on.

There are several characters of Black Myth: Wukong, with their cast. There are so many that we will be able to only talk about a few of them for the purpose of this article.

Monkey King

The lead character and cast of Black Myth: Wukong video game series. Wukong is tasked to reincarnate into his stone body and hopefully live forever thereafter. He journeys through territories and uncharted waters, and fights against several bosses that stand to hinder him from achieving his desired goal.

Wukong’s character is witty and dramatic and was portrayed by Mark Takeshi who did severe justice in the voiceover of the epic game character.

Takeshi uses his vast experience to alter his ego to accurately act out this legendary character to the best of his ability.

Green Capped Martialist

The entire plot of the game is filled up with villains, and Green Capped Martialist, portrayed yet again by Mark Takeshi Ota is just one of them.

Mark definitely has a lot to offer us as he takes on various roles in the same game. Does anyone know how much Mark was paid per role and if there are openings for a follow up series? I might know one or two people interested in giving Mark a break.

Green Caped Martialist is located in the Valley of Ecstasy’s Melon Field.  Green Capped was just full of mischief and had no friend nor foe. He wore tattered clothes with a bamboo hat and was deep into the usage and belief of Zen and Golden Chakram.

Keeper Of Black Wind Mountain

Before I buttress on this character’s role, I want to ask a question. Is it just me or can anyone else see the striking resemblance between this character and his actor? Was the character made with the actor’s face model, or was it just a coincidence that there is a striking resemblance?

Anyway, that has to be the reason Alan Mark bodied his role and acted out his character via voiceover so well.

The Keeper Of Black Wind Mountain is located at Black Wind Mountain, taking note of every entity that steps into his domain. He is described as a man with a kind face and benevolent light.

Non-White

Seriously, is Mark Takeshi the owner of the game series? Because I am beginning to think that he did not want to spend so much money on paying for the cast of this game, he decided to act all the parts by himself.

Ture or false?

I think false. Haha!

Moving forward anyway, his expertise must be applauded.

Non-White is found at the valley of ecstasy. Non-white has a jester’s face with powder white. He is a cunning person and is both sly and intelligent.

Jester was among a troupe of performers in the village of Tuolo. He would paint his face white and immerse himself in his performance, but nobody ever regarded him the way he wanted, and it frustrated him a great deal.

During the course of time and while Non-White was still struggling to get recognized, an abbot told him that a Destined One would come and help him master his technique, and he would become a true hero if he could put on the face of the Destined One.

Due to that, the villagers dreaded walking the mountain path where Non-White was located, for fear that they would encounter him putting on the face of someone else and hurting them for not believing in him.

Erlang The Sacred Divinity

Portrayed by Andrew Koji, Erlang, The Sacred Divinity is located at Mount Huaguo. Erlang appears in the beginning of the game as an optional boss that Destined One must fight against. He also appears later in the game at the end, and this time, he is a mandatory target if Destined One wants to reach a true ending.

He possesses the seventh and final relic.

Erlang is known popularly for his ambiguous demeanor, full of pride and audacity. He is portrayed as a handsome fellow as well.

Part 3. Watch Game-like Drama On ReelShort

Wukong the monkey king is back again, but this time, he plays the Master to Clive of the Douglas family in this version of the Black Myth.

An ascension was taking place in the Douglas family for eligible sons of the family, but what was supposed to be a fair ascension relay into the heavens turned out to be a nightmare, full of blood and unnecessary heartache.

Clive was a Douglas family son, as well as his older counterpart, Woody. They were both sons of the Douglas family and disciples of the sect.

As was the usual practice, and as it was with older members of the Douglas family, it was time for another trip to try themselves at ascension, and Clive and Woody were eligible for the role at the same time.

The distant brothers were given one task to succeed in, they were quizzed to grab a token out of the four or five tokens which were displayed by the chief.

Frankly speaking, it was supposed to be an easy task, at least, Clive appeared to be ready and capable of it, and he actually achieved it, except that he was bullied by his relative, Woody.

Why? From the look of things, Woody was also able to grab his own token, so why didn’t he just do so and ascend into the next realm?

In Black Myth: My Master Is Wukong Series, Woody, who had a heavier aura and power than Clive, bullied Clive and took his token. In fact, if Woody had just bullied Clive and let him go, it would have been fair.

Woody went ahead to exhume Clive’s elixir, and also break his spine, humiliating him to be a disabled person just like his mother. In fact, Woody must have really hated Clive, and one would wish that the narrative of the plot revealed the reason.

After doing all that to Clive, he went ahead to send Clive into the Snake pit, or what have you.

While Clive was there, he happened to be brought back to life by the Monkey King, Wukong, who had been trapped under a mountain for 15000 years by just a small piece of paper with inscriptions written on it and stuck to the mountain.

Monkey King promised Clive that if he set him free of that mountain, he would help him by entering him and making Clive his disciple.

Don’t forget that Monkey King Wukong has a heavy demon aura, in fact, he is the chief demon of all the demons.

Clive released Wukong, and we can trust Wukong to be happy to wreak havoc to all and sundry, so he did just as he had promised, and entered Clive.

The Douglas family did not know what was coming for them.

Woody and his uncles who had already ascended previously were busy humiliating Clive’s mother and sister when Clive returned.

For some reason, Woody was not taken aback by Clive’s sudden appearance, well in the world of cultivation and discipleship, anything is possible, so Woody welcomed Clive back and was ready to kill him for good this time around.

Right in front of Clive, Woody killed his mother and was ready to kill Clive as well, but the Monkey King showed up.

Wukong’s demonic aura cannot be mistaken, and it took the least blow from Clive to kill Woody and force the chief to do the right thing, allowing Clive passage into ascension, and letting go of his sister whom they had started to humiliate.