With the Soulslike subgenre being as popular as ever, it’s no wonder that many people take one look at theaction and explorationinBlack Myth: Wukongand label it as part of that category. However, when looking deeper and actually playing the game, they’ll discover that it’s closer to an Action RPG that just lends a few mechanics from Soulslike games.
In fact, the game that draws the most comparisons to Black Myth: Wukong is the rebootedGod of Warseries, with both its original 2018 title and its 2022 sequel,God of War Ragnarok,both being frequently seen as a clear inspiration for Black Myth: Wukong.
5Mythology - Black Myth: Wukong
While it is not the first point that comes to mind when looking at Black Myth: Wukong and God of War side by side, one more particular aspect they share is their heavy influence from mythology.
Black Myth: Wukong wears this inspiration on its sleeve, being seen as a follow-up story to the famed 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West. While it is not required, you will have a lot easier time understanding some of the intricacies of the story being told in Black Myth: Wukong if you are familiar with the text since some moments in the narrative are shown to expect some pre-existing knowledge of the story.
Mythology In God Of War
While it is still a mythological influence, the style of mythology used in God of War couldn’t be any further, with the rebooted series taking heavy inspiration from Norse mythology.
Unlike the original God of War series, which was heavily inspired by Greek mythology, the idea to lean into Norse mythology instead gave the rebooted God of War series a fresh perspective and was the perfect backdrop for this grittier re-imagining of Kratos. While understanding Norse mythological references will make some moments of the God of War reboot series more enjoyable, to understand the core narrative, you won’t need to be that familiar with Norse mythology.
4Combat - God Of War
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The main difference between God of War and Black Myth: Wukong’s approach to combat is that even though both are quite aggressive, God of War’s is arguably more so, with a closer camera angle, and more of a focus on parrying compared to dodging in Black Myth: Wukong.
While Kratos still has a wide variety of options to try in any battle he enters, they’re slightly less varied than the wide selection of skills and abilities The Destined One can whip out at a moment’s notice. This can be seen as a strength or a detractor, depending on what you prefer. It is worth pointing out though that Kratos will often have his son Atreus helping him in most encounters, which adds a lot of extra depth to some fights. Compare this to Wukong, where occasionally Zhu Bajie will help out, but his help is often so inconsequential, that he might as well not be there.
Combat In Black Myth: Wukong
The area where Black Myth: Wukong and God of War get compared most often is with the combat featured in both games. This can be seen in the fluid animations both feature and aggressive playstyle encouraged by both games.
The combat in Black Myth: Wukong is slightly more customisable thanks to the massive variety of different abilities at The Destined One’s disposal, whether these arestandard skills, spells, transformations, spirit spells, or even vessel attacks. While this means that you’ll always have a wide variety of options at your disposal, it also means that there is a lot to take in when approaching different battles, and some of the options will inevitably feel useless compared to others.
2Bosses - Black Myth: Wukong
One of the biggest selling points of Black Myth: Wukong is the massive variety of boss encounters featured throughout the game, and this is lived up to fully. Throughout each chapter in Black Myth: Wukong, you will run into bosses around every corner, and most will put up a sufficient challenge.
This means that there is a strong variety of enemies to face, and it’s a perfect chance to try out different builds and approaches. This means that you will always have a fresh challenge to face, and some of these bosses are spectacular, but on the other hand, sometimes the pure quantity of bosses is overwhelming and can make exploration a little tiring.
Bosses In God Of War
Like Black Myth: Wukong, there is a large variety of bosses in God of War, and these are just as fun and a great way to test your skill whenever they show up. While there is still a good selection in both modern God of War games, there are nowhere near as many as there are in Black Myth: Wukong.
This can be seen as a strength or a weakness, depending on your preferences. The bosses in God of War are almost all strong additions, compared to the few duds that make it in thanks to the sheer quantity included in Black Myth: Wukong. This is not to say that the bosses aren’t as good in Black Myth: Wukong, but it’s clear that the bosses selected to be in both modern God of War games were maybe chosen more specifically.
1Winner - Both
While there are plenty of differences separating Black Myth: Wukong and God of War, it’s clear that thanks to the similar foundations that they’re built on, if you enjoy one of them,you’re likely going to enjoy the other as well.
If you want something completely fresh and removed from any pre-existing IPs, then trying Black Myth: Wukong would be a good place to start, but if you want something with a slightly easier to follow narrative and nominally more refined, then starting with God of War would be a better choice.
