Black Myth: Wukong Set to Stun with Ray-Tracing and DLSS Support 

Something we love about being gaming enthusiasts is finding a game well before release and following its development. Catching the cinematic trailers, gameplay videos, and the latest updates from the devs. One such game that has caught our attention was Black Myth: Wukong.

Developed by the Chinese game company, Game Science, Black Myth will be on our gaming monitors from August 20^th 2024. There has been plenty of insight as to what this game entails and just how stunning the graphics are going to be. We’ve got Unreal Engine 5, real-time ray tracing, and DLSS support on rich and detailed environments. Topped with a compelling story, classic RPG mechanics, and engaging combat. 

What is Black Myth: Wukong? 

Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG game based on a 16th-century Chinese novel and folklore. With stunning visuals and a detailed design, it is centred on the titular character, Wukong, otherwise known as the Monkey King and the Destined One. He is incredibly strong, with a love of fun and practical jokes. 

You’ll explore a wonderous realm, filled with plenty to discover from Chinese mythology. There is a diverse cast of adversaries to face, battling demons, monsters, and fearsome bosses. To take them down, you’ll need to master wielding a staff and different weapons. These can be used with powerful spells and abilities, to create a combat style that suits you. You can even transform into a giant, flying insect! 

A rich tapestry of stories is waiting to be discovered. Origin stories for the foes you face will tell of the hate, love, fury, and greed that they have carried, feeding the epic adventure you’re taking. 

Built In Unreal Engine 5 

What really caught our eye about Black Myth: Wukong is the fact it’s been built in Unreal Engine 5. The graphics are so photo-realistic that the lines between gaming and reality are blurring! The dense forests come to life and the demonic details are all the more blood-curdling. 

Pair this with support for real-time ray tracing and AI DLSS, and you’ve got a masterpiece on your hands. Icymi, ray tracing is the realistic rendering of light and shadows, whereas DLSS is an upscaling technique. As such, ray tracing will elevate the Black Myth: Wukong graphical detail further, whilst DLSS allows you to run it from mid-range hardware.  

We can’t wait to see both these technologies in action – especially with their latest updates from Ada Lovelace technology. 

Upscaling is a technique where your GPU renders a game at a lower resolution, and then improves the image with clever AI algorithms and software. There are three big players, NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel Xeon. We’ve put together a comprehensive guide detailing and comparing each.

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Exclusive Gameplay and Trailer

I could talk about how stunning this game is going to look, but why don’t I let it do the talking? 

Black Myth: Wukong Review

We were lucky enough to get a review copy of Black Myth: Wukong, and our Social Media Manager, Jacob M, eagerly volunteered as tribute. Here is what he thought! 

Soulsborne games are some of my favourite games. All the way from the release of the original Dark Souls back in 2011, Souls games have been a deeply ingrained part of my life and a cornerstone of what I do for fun amidst the stress and chaos of life. Somewhere along the way, Souls games garnered such widespread popularity that a new genre was born: Soulslike. 

Black Myth: Wukong was the latest game brought to my attention under the moniker: Soulslike. This time, with a focus on Chinese mythology and culture. Safe to say, I was sold and thus began my very own Journey to the West. 

Classic Mythical Vibe

First things first, it’s fantastic to see a game based so deeply in Chinese mythology making waves in the western market. This isn’t your typical medieval fantasy setting – no knights, no elves, no dark lords. Instead, you’re thrust into the world of Journey to the West. For those not clued in, that’s one of the most important pieces of literature in Chinese culture. Black Myth: Wukong doesn’t just borrow from it; it embodies it. 

The storytelling has that classic mythical vibe, but with enough mystery and spectacle to feel gripping, even for players like me who didn’t grow up with these legends. It’s about time we had more games like this to introduce us to other cultures beyond the usual western tropes. Plus, it’s visually stunning. Almost everything looks like it’s straight out of a high-budget fantasy movie, with crazy detail packed into every inch of the world. 

If you’ve played Dark Souls, Sekiro, or any other FromSoftware masochism simulator, you’ll feel similarities in Black Myth: Wukong’s combat. It’s punishing, precise, and rewards patience more than anything. But there’s a distinct twist: you play as Wukong, the Monkey King, which means you’ve got a bag of shape-shifting tricks that completely changes how you approach each fight. 

The parries, dodges, and timed attacks are what you’d expect in a Soulslike, but Wukong’s ability to transform into different creatures or use his magical staff adds layers of strategy. There’s nothing quite like shapeshifting mid-fight into a huge beast to overwhelm your enemies or whipping out some mystical staff moves to get the upper hand. It’s exhilarating in a way that Soulsborne combat can be, but with a bit more flair. 

Difficulty and Bosses

I wouldn’t say Black Myth: Wukong is necessarily easier than a Souls game (some bosses definitely had me hurling more than a few choice words at the screen), but it’s certainly different. Sometimes leaning more into the realm of Character Action Games, like God of War and Devil May Cry, but never letting go of that Soulslike vibe. 

Speaking of bosses, Black Myth: Wukong is packed with the kind of grotesque, larger-than-life enemies. Each one is a test of skill, patience, and (often) sheer willpower. They’ve all got their unique patterns and phases, but the coolest part is how they all seem ripped right out of the mythical bestiary of Chinese folklore. It’s fresh, it’s intimidating, and it often left me staring at the screen thinking, “What the hell is that, and how am I supposed to beat it?” 

The bosses aren’t just tough though – they’re epic. From hulking demonic beasts to ethereal deities, each encounter feels like a spectacle. And just like in Dark Souls, you will die. A lot. But that’s part of the fun, right? 

Atmosphere

There’s a particular mood that runs through Black Myth: Wukong, a sense of awe and danger that reminds me of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The world feels hostile but beautiful, with ancient temples, misty forests, and massive, crumbling ruins that look lived in. The attention to detail is staggering, from the fluttering of Wukong’s fur to the way the environment reacts during combat. It’s the kind of game that makes you want to stop and admire the view… When it isn’t trying to kill you. 

The music is also worth a mention. It’s deeply atmospheric, with traditional Chinese instruments mixing into the orchestral score, giving it a haunting, almost spiritual vibe. It perfectly complements the action, ramping up the tension when needed and pulling you into the mystery of the world when things quiet down. 

Final Thoughts

I have purposely avoided the word “Soulslike” in this review, and that’s because I think Wukong fits better under the term Soulslite. I’m not sure how commonly used this term is, but think of it like Roguelike and Roguelite. Wukong is clearly heavily inspired by Souls games, but I just can’t shake the feeling that referring to Wukong as a Soulslike is doing it a disservice when you consider the whole package. Without going into too much detail, the reason I feel this is an important distinction to make is mainly to not put off people who are not fans of Souls games and Soulslikes as a whole. I can see fans of Character Action Games and games like Monster Hunter enjoying Black Myth: Wukong. 

In short, Black Myth: Wukong is a brilliant game with the cultural twist we’ve been craving in the West. The combat is tough but rewarding, the boss fights are epic, and the world feels unlike anything else we’ve explored. It’s not perfect -some of the difficulty spikes can feel brutal, and the camera can be a bit finicky in tight spaces -but overall, it’s an unforgettable experience. 

So, whether you’re a fan of Souls games or just looking for something that breaks the typical Western fantasy mould, Black Myth: Wukong is worth every penny. Just be ready to die, a lot, and enjoy every second of it. 

What Platform Can I Play Black Myth: Wukong On?

Black Myth: Wukong can be played on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S from August 20^th 2024. 

This game is a singleplayer adventure, so there is no support for multiplayer or crossplay. With those stunning visuals, it is just begging to be streamed! 

Black Myth: Wukong Official Specifications 

Official specifications are now available for Black Myth: Wukong. What does it take to power these ultra-realistic graphics?

Get Your Hardware Ready 

While the recommended specs feature RTX 20 Series, 9^th Gen Intel, and other older tech, to get the best out of Black Myth: Wukong an upgrade or two may be in order. With an RTX 40 Series GPU, you’ll have the very latest in ray tracing and upscaling innovations from NVIDIA to render this game in all the glory it deserves. An easy win is ensuring you have SSD storage, as their ultra-fast read and write speeds will keep loading screen time to a minimum. Plus, Black Myth: Wukong requires 130GB storage space, so a bump in capacity could be in order! 

Best PCs to Play Black Myth: Wukong

Of course, if your gaming PC is getting on or it’s going to take more than a spot upgrade to get it ready, then we have an extensive range of PCs and laptops at Overclockers UK just perfect for Black Myth: Wukong. We’ve picked out three favourites here, but you can explore our full collection if they don’t fit your adventure needs. 

Refract Gaming Indigo Pre-Built PC

Explore Black Myth: Wukong with the Refract Gaming Indigo. This elite-tier pre-built gaming PC is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D CPU, boasting Zen 4 architecture and 3D V-Cache for an optimised gaming experience. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Super GPU wields third gen RTX innovations, such as AI-enhanced DLSS and real-time ray tracing. Together with the high-speed DDR5 RAM, the Indigo is going to run with great efficiency, near zero-latency, and output your games with buttery smooth frame rates. 

As one of our pre-built PCs, the Refract Indigo is fully tested and ready to ship. All you have to do is plug in and play! Better yet, should a fault occur, it is covered by our three years parts and labour warranty – for that extra peace of mind. 

MSI Vector 17 HX Gaming Laptop

Take Black Myth: Wukong on your own adventures, with the MSI Vector 17 HX. This gaming laptop is packed with premium hardware to deliver immersive gaming wherever you are. The Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU boasts eight P and sixteen E-cores, working together with Intel Thread Director to ensure the best core is assigned to your workload at any given time. Both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU and FHD+ 165Hz display work together to bring Black Myth: Wukong and all your favourite action RPGs to life in stunning detail. Plus, with 16GB DDR5 RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD, you can say goodbye to latency and slow loading times. 

The MSI vector 17 HX is kept cool by Cooler Boost 5 technology. With larger fans and an increased diameter on the heat pipes, this solution efficiently draws heat away from the CPU and GPU. As a result, this vital hardware stays at optimum temperature, even under heavier gaming loads. 

Infin8 Toxicity Water-Cooled Gaming PC

With the Infin8 Toxicity, you’ll be able to take on powerful bosses in style. This water-cooled gaming PC pairs titan-class hardware with a jaw-to-the-floor, stunning aesthetic. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X CPU has been tuned with PBO, ensuring optimum performance out of the box. To render Black Myth and all your favourite games, this PC harnesses innovative Ada Lovelace architecture with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080. Sporting the latest developments in ray tracing and AI DLSS, this GPU has been crafted to do games like this justice.

The thermal solution is as efficient as it is beautiful, providing more than enough headroom for you to make some upgrades to the spec! The Infin8 Toxicity is one of our configurable gaming PCs, providing customisation options for the CPU, GPU, four storage drives, and operating system. 

Looking for More Stunning Games?

Our gaming libraries are filled with amazing games that feature beautiful graphics, support for ray tracing, and more. Check out this selection we’ve talked about on the Overclockers UK blog. 

Are You Looking Forward to This Game? 

Let us know in the comments if Black Myth: Wukong is absolutely on your radar and what hardware plan on using to play it. 

PC specs are subject to change.