CNA Explains: How a video game with a mythological monkey god has taken China and the world by storm

SINGAPORE: It took six years but the highly anticipated Black Myth: Wukong has set the video game industry alight. 
Inspired by Journey to the West – one of the four great classical novels in Chinese literature – the game was launched on Tuesday (Aug 20) for PC and PlayStation 5, by Hangzhou-based studio Game Science. 
Black Myth: Wukong follows the Journey to the West character known as the Monkey King or Sun Wukong, as he goes on a quest to reclaim six magical relics.
Other figures in the tale – the monk Tang Sanzang, his fellow disciples Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing, the Bull Demon King – also appear in the action role-playing game. 
China’s state-owned People’s Daily newspaper described it as “a heroic saga rich in emotion, blending traditional Chinese cultural elements with a distinctive Eastern aesthetic, while also appealing to international sensibilities”. 
It said the game “not only represents a significant achievement in game development, but also acts as a bridge in cultural storytelling, introducing elements of a treasured Chinese narrative to a global audience”. 
A 2020 trailer on Chinese video platform Bilibili racked up more than 58 million views. The game’s final trailer on its release day also gained more than 14 million views. 
More than 4 million people added the title to their wishlists on Steam prior to its launch, making it the most “wishlisted” game on the digital platform in early 2024. 
Physical editions Black Myth: Wukong were sold out within seconds on Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com.
The game then reached more than 2.2 million peak concurrent users (PCCU) on digital platform Steam within its first 24 hours, making it the most popular single-player game by that metric on the platform’s history, according to video game research firm Niko Partners.
It ranks second among all types of games by PCCU, coming in just behind battle royale game PUBG which peaked at 3.2 million.
Major Chinese brands and tourist spots have seized the chance to capitalise on the buzz around Black Myth: Wukong.
Coffee chain Luckin has begun offering drinks with special handbags and promotional gift cards, while bike-sharing service Didi is rolling out a batch of specially decorated bicycles.
China’s Shanxi Province also announced an official collaboration after players expressed their desire to experience the same travel route featured in the game, state-owned Global Times reported. 
On review aggregator Metacritic, the game has garnered a score of 81 out of 100, indicating “generally favourable” reviews from both critics and users.
Many have praised its visual brilliance and production quality, Sixth Tone magazine reported.
On Steam, customer reviews – numbering more than 260,000 – have been “overwhelmingly positive”. 
Video game site IGN gave Black Myth: Wukong an 8 out of 10, commending its “fantastic combat, exciting bosses, tantalising secrets and a beautiful world” despite some “frustrating technical issues”. 
Niko Partners attributed the game’s success to its “high-end graphics, transformation gameplay” and cultural connection resonating strongly with Chinese gamers. 
Another reason for its popularity is China’s absence from AAA games, one analyst told the South China Morning Post.
The classification refers to games with higher development and marketing budgets than others.
“As the world’s largest gaming market and (home to) the richest gaming company (Tencent), there were no products that were truly recognised as AAA games globally. This has become a pain in the hearts of Chinese game developers and players,” said CBJ Think Tank’s Zhang Shule.
“This is also the reason why Black Myth: Wukong was so highly anticipated.”
According to reports, high-profile reviewers given advance access to Black Myth: Wukong were asked to avoid certain topics while livestreaming the game.
A Google Doc provided by Hero Games, the Beijing-based company responsible for the game’s marketing, told reviewers not to use “trigger words” such as “quarantine”, “isolation” and “COVID-19”. 
They were also not allowed to discuss politics, “feminist propaganda” and “other content that instigates negative discourse”; nor China’s gaming industry policies.
Four years before the game’s release, developer Game Science’s CEO Feng Ji had also come under fire for sexist remarks. 
Internet sleuths in China also unearthed a pattern of lewd and offensive job postings by Game Science, dating back to 2015. 
A piece published on The Conversation platform on Thursday indicated as much.
“Soft power refers to the ability to influence others subtly via ideas and values. China has engaged in this process for decades through sports, infrastructure, educational exchanges and even through leasing pandas to other countries,” wrote Jacqueline Burgess, a lecturer in International Business at University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia.
“Until now, video games have been an untapped soft power resource in China. But the rise of Black Myth: Wukong suggests this is going to change.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning also mentioned the game on Wednesday, saying that its success “speaks to the appeal of the Chinese culture”.
Another state-owned news agency, Xinhua, said Black Myth: Wukong has “allowed people to appreciate exotic Chinese traditional culture in addition to the fun and joy of playing the game”.
“Of course, a game is a game,” it added. “China will always welcome travellers from around the world who want to explore and learn more about its profound culture.”