Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong shows off switch to Unreal Engine 5
Under a beating sun, bolts of lightning mix with the sun’s rays to create a scene sizzling with atmosphere.
Already a looker when it was revealed last year, Black Myth: Wukong’s latest gameplay showcase revealed an engine upgrade. Now running on Unreal Engine 5, the Journey-To-The-West-inspired soulslike looks amazing. Chinese developer Game Science really shows off what Epic’s engine can do in a game.
In the showcase, Monkey makes his way towards a shrine through a mountain blizzard, fighting larger, angrier monkeys. As they scuffle, the snow deforms around the fighters, particles flying all over the place. There’s a paciness to the combat that calls Sekiro to mind, but it’s got a heft that’s all Dark Souls. Slickly trading blows with his simian attackers, Monkey is able to leave after-images as he dodges, stretch his staff to poke opponents at just the right time to damage them, and even spin his staff around himself to create a temporary flaming shield on the ground (it lasts long enough for him to take a swig of a healing potion).
Things only get prettier on the surface of a frozen lake. As Monkey fights a Chinese thunder dragon under a beating sun, the bolts of lightning mix with the sun’s rays to create a scene sizzling with atmosphere. As the dragon hurtles through the air, you really get the sense that it’s blocking out the sun. Switching stances, Monkey can propel himself into the air to smack the dragon in the face, or perch on it to avoid ground-based lightning strikes. As beautiful as the engine upgrade looks, it’s also impressive how much it’s able to add to the action.