Starting with SocialPeta‘s own review — a solid 9.5 out of 10! “Black Myth: Wukong” is an epic masterpiece, a must-play game of a lifetime.
The game’s visuals are stunning, featuring a unique and captivating art style. Many scenes are so breathtaking they could easily double as desktop wallpapers.
The storyline is equally impressive, though we’ll avoid spoilers here. With multiple endings, the game encourages players to dive deep into its hidden elements through multiple playthroughs.
One of the standout features is the standalone animations at the end of each chapter, which immediately bring to mind the acclaimed Chinese animation series “Chinese Folktales,” which debuted in January 2023.
The game’s background music is equally fantastic, with a newly arranged version of “Immortal Sound Above Cloud Palace” and the upcoming, irresistibly catchy “Rebirth Mantra” song.
Here’s why we deducted 0.5 points: While “Black Myth: Wukong” excels in many areas, Game Science’s intense focus on visual presentation has led to some drawbacks. Certain map designs feel a bit empty, and the absence of a mini-map can make it easy for first-time players to get lost, especially in the forest.
The presence of invisible walls also detracts from the immersion, as the game’s realistic visuals often make certain areas look accessible, only for players to be blocked.
However, these are minor flaws compared to the game’s exceptional art, compelling storyline, and challenging combat. Considering that Game Science is a relatively young game development company, with less than ten years in the industry, we are confident these issues will be addressed in future updates.
As the game continues to evolve, future players can look forward to an even more refined experience.
Game Science co-founder Yang Qi also posted on Weibo, stating that they will work quickly to optimize the issues in the game.
How Black Myth: Wukong Nails Its Marketing and Promotion
On August 6th, the official “Black Myth: Wukong” account humorously admitted in its final trailer that they hadn’t completely neglected promotion. As the release date drew near, “Black Myth: Wukong” launched a targeted wave of advertising overseas.
As of today, SocialPeta has detected a total of 310 overseas ads for “Black Myth: Wukong.” The marketing efforts primarily focused on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The earliest ad was launched on May 28th, with the highest ad volumes targeting the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
The game’s trailer dropped on May 19th, with the official launch on August 20th. Pre-orders opened on June 8th, and the most intense ad activity occurred between May 27th and June 1st, just before the pre-order launch.
During this period, SocialPeta detected over 160 unique ad creatives in a single day. Then, around June 25th, the game entered a period of promotional silence as it geared up for the official launch.
The marketing push resumed in August, leading up to the game’s release, starting on August 8th. The ad creatives were concentrated on Facebook and Instagram, peaking at 116 ads on August 19th, just a day before the official release.
The most popular ad creative in August featured a montage of the Monkey King running, set to a fast-paced drumbeat. The rapid scene and boss perspective switches perfectly captured the high level of anticipation for the game.
Beyond cultural impact, “Wukong” has proven its commercial value.
On August 19th, the collaboration between “Black Myth: Wukong” and Luckin Coffee led to the launch of the “Black Myth Cloud Americano,” which sold out immediately, nearly crashing the system.
On August 20th, with the pre-order launch of “Black Myth: Wukong,” the stock prices of related companies saw a significant surge. Huayi Brothers, a major shareholder of Hero Entertainment and an early investor in Game Science, saw its stock price rise by 19% on the day, with a cumulative increase of 43% since pre-orders began.
Zhejiang Publishing, responsible for content review, saw a 10% increase, while CITIC Publishing, which helped publish the game’s artbook, surged by 20%.
Even Shanxi Expressway’s stock hit its daily limit. This surge is attributed to the fact that out of the 36 filming locations for “Black Myth: Wukong” across China, 27 are in Shanxi.
Since these locations are spread out, a road trip through Shanxi has become a popular choice for those wanting to experience the iconic sculptures and murals featured in the game. A must-visit spot on my travel list is Little Western Heaven in Linfen, Shanxi.
From 600,000 to Over 2 Million: “Black Myth” Soars
As of today, Black Myth: Wukong has reached a peak of over 2.4 million concurrent players, making it the top-ranked single-player game worldwide and the second-ranked game across all categories.
Feng Ji’s journey in the gaming industry took a pivotal turn in 2007 when he published an article titled “Who Murdered Our Games,” criticizing the influence of capital on the industry. In 2008, he joined Tencent, and in 2010, the MMO action game Asura (斗战神), where he served as the lead designer, officially launched. During its open beta in 2013, the game attracted up to 600,000 concurrent players, thanks to its compelling storyline and excellent character design.
However, Asura’s commercialization as an MMO fell short of expectations. This led Feng Ji to leave Tencent and establish Game Science, where in 2018, the company officially began development on Black Myth: Wukong. In 2020, Game Science released the first trailer for the game, which quickly became a sensation, garnering over 57 million views, 3 million likes, and more than 1 million bookmarks, making it a hot topic in the gaming community.
From 2013 to 2024, the journey from World of Warcraft to Wukong, from 600,000 to over 2 million players, has been nothing short of remarkable.
