Chinese video game "Black Myth: Wukong" takes U.S. market by storm

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)

"Based on my experience, the game's art, including its rendering and optimization, has reached a world-class level," said Jonathan Liu, an art designer at a game company in New York.

by Wen Tsui, Huang Heng

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese video game industry made another significant leap onto the global stage with the release of "Black Myth: Wukong," an action role-playing game that has become an instant hit in the United States.

Developed by Game Science, a startup headquartered in Shenzhen, this game has captivated players and garnered praise from critics, marking what many consider a "milestone" for the Chinese gaming industry.

"Black Myth: Wukong" is inspired by Wu Cheng'en's iconic 16th-century Chinese novel, "Journey to the West." Players step into the role of Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King, as they embark on an epic journey to vanquish a host of formidable monsters.

Released on Tuesday, it has quickly risen to prominence on major gaming platforms.

On Steam, the leading gaming platform, it sat atop the global chart. Within an hour of its official upload on Steam, the game claimed over 1 million concurrent players. By the following day, that figure had skyrocketed to 2.2 million. The game's trailer amassed over 10 million views on YouTube.

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

The game's success is reflected in its impressive statistics across various platforms. On Steam, it has received "overwhelmingly positive" reviews from 255,243 players as of Thursday afternoon. Twitch, the popular streaming platform, reported 188,000 viewers and 31,700 followers for the game.

Critical reception has been equally positive. On Metacritic, the PC version of the game has scored an impressive 81 based on 68 critic reviews, while user reviews have given it an even higher score of 83.

Several prominent gaming outlets praised various aspects of the game.

PC Gamer awarded it 87 out of 100, lauding its "eccentric cast of characters and expressive combat all wrapped up in the rich world of its source material."

Giving it an 8 out of 10, IGN said, "Despite some frustrating technical issues, Black Myth: Wukong is a great action game with fantastic combat, exciting bosses, tantalizing secrets, and a beautiful world."

Jonathan Liu, who works as an art designer at a game company in New York, has participated in the development of more than 20 games, including three 3A projects. He told Xinhua in an interview Thursday that with his 10 years of work experience in the industry, the above data is quite amazing.

"Based on my experience, the game's art, including its rendering and optimization, has reached a world-class level," he said.

The game's visual aesthetics received widespread acclaim. The environments were described as breathtaking, blending stylized art with realistic graphics to vividly bring the mythological setting to life. This meticulous attention to visual detail greatly enhances the game's immersive experience.

Liu said that 3A games have extremely high requirements for graphics and image quality, which is equivalent to Hollywood high-tech blockbusters in the film industry. Currently, there are no more than 10 countries that can independently develop 3A games.

Developed by a Chinese startup with only about 140 employees, "Black Myth: Wukong" has managed to compete with, and in some cases surpass, titles from more established companies, said Song Ye, a 35-year-old engineer used to work at Cryptic Studios in California.

"The game has exceeded my expectations in terms of quality, including graphics and programming. Considering the manpower invested, I believe the quality of this game surpasses those developed by similarly sized American and Japanese companies, based on my experience," Ye told Xinhua after playing the game for six hours.

Its success can be a potential catalyst for the Chinese gaming industry, inspiring more Chinese developers to create high-profile titles and attract more capital investment in game development, said Ye.

As the Chinese gaming industry developed rapidly in recent years, the overseas revenue of Chinese-developed video games has seen dramatic growth, rising from 1.82 billion dollars in 2013 to 16.37 billion dollars in 2023, according to data from Statista.

With its early success, "Black Myth: Wukong" is poised to contribute significantly to this upward trend. In just two days, the game has sold 8.4 million units on Steam with an estimated gross revenue of 405.2 million U.S. dollars, according to VG Insights, a market research firm. The game is available as a one-time purchase, priced at 59.99 dollars for the standard version and 69.99 dollars for the deluxe edition.

Beyond its entertainment value and commercial success, the game is also being recognized for its cultural significance. This narrative choice not only provides a rich storytelling foundation but also serves as a cultural bridge, introducing elements of Chinese mythology and folklore to a global audience.

Liu said he noticed that some game anchors began to introduce the background of this game in their programs, including the Chinese classic Journey to the West, and that it is a good method for Western players to understand Chinese culture.

Francesco De Meo, senior editor for gaming at the tech news website Wccftech, praised the game's storytelling and its representation of Chinese culture, depicting the experience as "a compelling journey into Chinese tradition."

"The amount of love poured into the game's setting is evident, and the whole experience greatly benefits from it," he wrote in his review of the game, adding that "competent English voiceovers compound the solid writing."

De Meo suggested players go with the original Chinese dub "for an authentic experience."