Video game "Black Myth: Wukong" takes global players on journey beyond West

This undated image provided by the Game Science shows the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, one of the most iconic characters in global fiction, from the video game "Black Myth: Wukong." (Xinhua)

* Officially launched across the globe on Tuesday, "Black Myth: Wukong" is a highly-anticipated video game inspired by the ancient Chinese tale "Journey to the West". This release marks a bold foray by Chinese game developers into a market long dominated by Western triple-A titles.

* During its pre-sale phase starting from June, enthusiasts who played the trial version shared their experiences online, sparking widespread discussion and prompting some Chinese social media users to even request custom-built PCs to meet the game's hardware specifications.

* According to observers, from "Journey to the West" to "Black Myth: Wukong," Chinese traditional culture has been continuously expressed, reimagined and blended, increasingly aligning with international tastes while showcasing the charm of cross-cultural exchange and mutual learning.

BEIJING, Aug. 20 (Xinhua) -- Clad in golden chainmail armor and wielding a magical staff spinning with flames, the Destined One, Monkey King, embarks on a marvelous yet daunting odyssey in the celestial world of "Black Myth: Wukong."

Officially launched across the globe on Tuesday, "Black Myth: Wukong" is a highly-anticipated video game inspired by the ancient Chinese tale "Journey to the West". This release marks a bold foray by Chinese game developers into a market long dominated by Western triple-A titles.

Developed by Game Science, the video game is now available on platforms including Steam, Play Station 5, Epic Games Store and Tencent WeGame.

According to data on Steam, "Black Myth: Wukong" has amassed over 1.04 million concurrent players by 11 a.m. this morning, merely an hour after the debut, topping the "most-played games" list of the platform.

Following the release, Chinese stock shares in the electronic sports and media entertainment sectors led the gains and that of Zhejiang Publishing &Media, the game's publisher, soon rose by the daily limit in the morning session.

In fact, anticipation for "Black Myth: Wukong" was palpable even before its release, having garnered significant attention from both domestic and international gamers since the gameplay trailer's debut four years ago.

During its pre-sale phase starting from June, enthusiasts who played the trial version shared their experiences online, sparking widespread discussion and prompting some Chinese social media users to even request custom-built PCs to meet the game's hardware specifications.

As of Monday, "Black Myth: Wukong" received an average score of 82 out of 100 from 54 global media outlets, according to the global game rating website Metacritic. IGN China, a game review website, awarded the game a perfect score, hailing it as a milestone for the Chinese gaming industry and a domestically produced triple-A title that competes strongly on the global stage.

High ratings on review websites have undoubtedly fueled public excitement for the game, a sentiment echoed in its sales figures. According to Valve, "Black Myth: Wukong" topped the global Steam sales charts for paid games during the week of Aug. 6 to 13, 2024.

"It's stunningly gorgeous, the animations are incredibly fluid, it's steeped in rich Chinese culture, and there's just something immensely satisfying about playing as the Monkey King and beating up all sorts of mythical creatures with a giant extendable staff," wrote Mitchell Saltzman, editor of American video game media outlet IGN, after his first hands-on with the game.

"Black Myth: Wukong" draws inspiration from "Journey to the West," one of China's most beloved classical works. The novel follows the adventures of a monk and his three disciples, centering on Sun Wukong, or the Monkey King, who is known for his supernatural abilities and mischievous nature.

The game weaves a heroic saga rich in emotion, blending traditional Chinese cultural elements with a distinctive Eastern aesthetic, while also appealing to international sensibilities.

People try "Black Myth: Wukong" at the booth of Game Science during Gamescom 2023 in Cologne, Germany, Aug. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Fan)

"First and foremost, it has to be fun to play," Feng Ji, producer of "Black Myth: Wukong," told Xinhua in an interview. He said the global attention and praise has surpassed his initial expectations and has further motivated his team to develop more similar products.

In 2023, Chinese companies topped the 606 billion yuan (about 84.96 billion U.S. dollars) global mobile gaming market with a share of 37.4 percent, according to the latest report released by Gamma Data (CNG), a Chinese research institute specializing in the gaming industry.

While China's mobile game industry has been in its prime, its triple-A games are still in their infancy. Triple-A games are typically defined as high-cost, high-volume, high-quality stand-alone titles in single-player format, a market currently dominated by Japanese, American and French companies.

The online sensation of "Black Myth: Wukong" has shown that local Chinese developers are now well capable of producing triple-A blockbusters with global reception, and that China has taken a big step forward in its game industrialization, according to a recent research report by Minsheng Securities.

"Making the first step in embarking on a pilgrimage is more important than obtaining sacred sutras in the end," said Feng, who regarded this line as a tenet for Game Science as it blazes trails in the Chinese gaming industry. With this breakthrough, the default language of a triple-A game is no longer English, but Chinese.

Amid heated online discussions, "Black Myth: Wukong" has also attracted the attention of savvy retailers. A promotional partnership with Luckin Coffee featuring limited edition posters, tote bags and cup sleeves sold out instantly upon release.

The game's scenes extensively replicate ancient Chinese architecture and religious icons, achieved through meticulous research across many provinces and cities in China. Recently, the Culture and Tourism Department of Shanxi Province released a series of promotional videos for "Black Myth: Wukong," showcasing many of the game's real-life filming locations, including famous cultural landmarks such as Xiaoxitian Temple, Yu Huang Temple, and Tiefo Temple.

"Every day recently, we have been receiving requests from netizens. They are asking us to provide Black Myth: Wukong-themed tour routes, guides, gameplay strategies, and passes, and they are also hoping to acquire related merchandise. We have heard everyone's voice and are currently preparing such activities," the culture and tourism department stated in a video.

"The world of Black Myth Wukong is a rich one, as it pulls from Chinese mythology and keeps a lot of the aesthetic of traditional Chinese artwork that makes the game look and feel special despite its use of hyper-realistic graphics," wrote Kazuma Hashimoto, a game reviewer.

This undated in-game screenshot provided by the Game Science shows a scene from the video game "Black Myth: Wukong." (Xinhua)

"Black Myth: Wukong" not only represents a significant achievement in game development, but also acts as a bridge in cultural storytelling, introducing elements of a treasured Chinese narrative to a global audience.

In terms of sound effects, traditional Chinese instruments such as the suona, pipa, drum beats, and guzheng provide the primary melodies. These are enriched with pianos and orchestral music from the West to broaden the game's grand narrative. The overall audiovisual experience has won considerable acclaim from foreign players, many of whom have described it as "fantastic."

The game's portrayal of Sun Wukong, especially his ability to magically store his weapon in his ear, has captivated gamers unfamiliar with the mythology, sparking discussions about the cultural origins and authenticity of the narrative.

"Isn't it a little dangerous to put your magic stick that grows in your ear? It's not a cotton swab," wrote a user on the social media platform "X," formerly Twitter.

"This is a faithful representation of the source material. Wukong stowing his staff in the ear is so well-known that it is basically common sense in the Chinese-speaking community," explained an anonymous user on NeoGAF, an online gaming forum.

According to observers, from "Journey to the West" to "Black Myth: Wukong," Chinese traditional culture has been continuously expressed, reimagined and blended, increasingly aligning with international tastes while showcasing the charm of cross-cultural exchange and mutual learning.