Info about Black Myth: Wukong:

Official game description:
Digital Deluxe Edition
======================
The Black Myth: Wukong Digital Deluxe Edition includes:  
\- Black Myth: Wukong Full Game  
\- Weapon: Bronzecloud Staff  
\- Equipment: Folk Opera Mask, Folk Opera Almsgiving Armor, Folk Opera Leather Bracers, and Folk Opera Buskins  
\- Curio: Wind Chimes  
\- Selected Digital Soundtrack  
※ The included weapon, equipment, and curio can be claimed from the Trailblazer's Gift menu at the Keeper's Shrine (Respawn Point) during the early stages of the game.  
※ By activating "Music Library" on the game's Title Screen, or downloading "Black Myth: Wukong Soundtrack Selection" through the platform, you can enjoy a curated list of tracks from the game. We highly recommend that you first experience these pieces as you journey through the game as the Destined One, then return here to relive them to your heart's content.
About the Game
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Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology. The story is based on Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. You shall set out as the Destined One to venture into the challenges and marvels ahead, to uncover the obscured truth beneath the veil of a glorious legend from the past.  
• Explore a Land of Vast Wonders
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_"A world unseen, where wonders gleam,  
And with each stride, a new scene streams."_  
Enter a fascinating realm filled with the wonders and discoveries of ancient Chinese mythology!  
As the Destined One, you shall traverse an array of breathtaking and distinctive landscapes from the classic tale, composing an epic of adventure that is seen anew.  
• Confront Mighty Foes, Old and New
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_"Heroic Monkey, might and fame,  
Adversaries rise, to test his name."_  
One of the major highlights of Journey to the West is its diverse cast of adversaries, each with their unique strengths.  
As the Destined One, you will encounter powerful foes and worthy rivals throughout your journey. Fearlessly engage them in epic battles where surrender is not an option.  
• Temper Your Mastery of Varied Spells
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_"Spells unbound, talents in play,  
Unleashed abilities seize the day."_  
Spells, transformations, and magic vessels of all manifestations, in which some counteract while others amplify, have long been iconic combat elements of Chinese mythology.  
As the Destined One, aside from mastering various staff techniques, you can also freely combine different spells, abilities, weapons, and equipment to find a winning strategy that best suits your combat style.  
• Discover Heartfelt Tales Behind Every Facade
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_"Within all souls, both wild and tame,  
There thrives a tale of life's fierce flame."_  
Beneath the ferocity and craftiness of your foes lies an engaging tapestry of their origins, personalities, and motivations waiting to be revealed.  
As the Destined One, you will uncover the stories behind a variety of characters, delving beyond your battles with them to taste the love, hate, greed, and fury they once held and still carry within.

Release date: Aug 19, 2024

Categories: Action RPG, Soulslike Combat, Character Progression, Boss Fights, Exploration, Story-driven Gameplay, High Difficulty, Chinese Mythology

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 10; verdict: Fair; summary: The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions and complete content availability without additional purchases. However, there are mixed feelings about the pricing and the value of the DLC. Some users find the game overpriced, while others believe it is worth the cost, especially if on sale.
- Mods: score 30; verdict: Buggy but Playable; summary: The game has several performance and graphical issues that users frequently address with mods from NexusMods. While the base game is playable, community fixes are often relied upon to enhance performance, graphics, and gameplay mechanics. However, there is no widespread consensus that the game is unplayable without mods, and many issues are related to preferences and enhancements rather than critical bugs.
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Needs Improvement; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals significant issues with the game's design and user experience. The primary complaints revolve around the lack of guidance and hidden content, which forces players to rely heavily on external resources such as wikis and guides. Map design and navigation issues are also frequently mentioned, with users expressing frustration over invisible walls and confusing layouts. Additionally, the difficulty of boss fights and the overall game is a common theme, with users desiring better hints or guidance during challenging sections. Inventory and crafting management are noted as areas where players struggle without external help. Lastly, the game's exploration and completion aspects are criticized for poor design choices, making it difficult to fully enjoy the game without relying on external guides.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback for the Steam Deck experience of the game reveals several key issues. Performance problems, including stuttering and crashes, are frequently mentioned, particularly during boss fights. Optimization and compatibility issues are also significant, with users noting improvements over time but still requiring tools like FSR for better performance. Control and input issues are another common complaint, with users finding the initial control scheme problematic. Lastly, while the visual quality is praised, the reliance on upscaling technologies like DLSS and FSR can lead to visual artifacts and reduced image quality. These issues collectively impact the user experience, making it less seamless and more frustrating at times.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Stunning Visuals and Graphics (weight 0.97): The game is widely praised for its breathtaking visuals, detailed environments, and beautiful landscapes. Players appreciate the high-quality graphics and the artistic design that brings the game world to life.
- Engaging and Challenging Combat (weight 0.54): The combat system is highly praised for being fluid, challenging, and satisfying. Players enjoy the depth and engagement of the combat mechanics, which are well-balanced and thoughtfully designed.
- Rich Chinese Mythology (weight 0.46): The game is noted for its deep integration of Chinese mythology, which adds a layer of cultural richness and educational value. Players appreciate the detailed and respectful adaptation of Chinese myths and folklore.
- Impressive Boss Fights (weight 0.43): The boss fights are highlighted as some of the best features of the game, with unique, challenging, and cinematic encounters. Players enjoy the variety and creativity in boss designs and mechanics.
- Deep and Immersive Story (weight 0.38): The game features a rich and detailed story that is deeply immersive. Players appreciate the narrative depth and the meaningful moments that make the story engaging and enjoyable.
- Enjoyable Gameplay Mechanics (weight 0.34): The gameplay is described as fun, engaging, and addictive. Players enjoy the solid mechanics and the overall enjoyable experience of playing the game.
- Detailed Enemy and Environment Design (weight 0.2): The game features highly detailed and interesting designs for enemies, weapons, and environments. Players appreciate the attention to detail that enhances the overall visual and immersive experience.
- Excellent Sound Design and Music (weight 0.11): The sound design and music are noted for being beautiful and flawless, enhancing the overall gaming experience. Players appreciate the high-quality audio that complements the visuals and gameplay.

Common complaints:
- Invisible walls disrupt gameplay (weight 0.5): Players frequently encounter invisible walls that hinder exploration and break immersion. These walls are poorly implemented and make navigation confusing.
- Difficulty and control issues (weight 0.41): The game has a high difficulty curve with no option to change difficulty settings. Controls are also problematic, with issues in sensitivity and button response.
- Poor optimization and performance (weight 0.33): The game suffers from significant optimization issues, including poor performance, frame rate drops, and lag. These problems affect the overall gameplay experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Frequent and detailed boss fights (weight 0.21): The game features a high frequency of boss encounters that can be learned through repeated attempts. The boss fights are well-designed and require specific combos and movesets.
- Souls-like combat mechanics (weight 0.21): The combat mechanics are compared to Souls-like games, involving stamina management and unique mechanics. The combat system is praised for its practicality and visual appeal.
- Story requires interpretation (weight 0.09): The game's story requires player interpretation and reading to fully understand the narrative structure.
- Dodge and combat strategies (weight 0.08): The game emphasizes dodging and using special items to avoid attacks. Players need to master extreme dodging and countering red projectiles.
- Detailed and interactive scenery (weight 0.08): The game features detailed scenery based on real landscapes and includes interactive paintings that tell the story of the lands and history. There are meditation spots to appreciate the environment.
- Exploration and backtracking (weight 0.05): The game encourages exploration and backtracking, allowing players to discover hidden paths and secrets.
- High difficulty level (weight 0.05): The game is known for its challenging gameplay and high difficulty level, similar to other Souls-like games.

Performance notes:
- Severe performance issues (weight 0.52): Many players report unbearable stuttering, poor optimization, and performance issues making the game unplayable. This includes frequent frame drops, crashes, and general instability.
- Graphical problems (weight 0.27): Players experience various graphics issues such as poor graphics quality, visual glitches, and problems with environmental lighting. Specific issues include black spots on cutscenes and problems with light and shadow transitions.
- Hardware and settings issues (weight 0.21): The game requires high-end hardware and has issues running on higher settings. Players report that high settings cause FPS drops and the game runs best on medium settings.
- Troubleshooting steps (weight 0.15): Some players have suggested various troubleshooting steps to resolve issues, such as verifying file integrity, fixing C++ runtime libraries, and reinstalling the game or Steam.
- Specific platform performance (weight 0.09): The game runs well on Linux with Proton and has been played on Steam Deck. Some players report good performance on specific setups.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended game (weight 0.14): The game is highly recommended and worth purchasing, with many players encouraging others to try it.
- Recommended for souls-like fans (weight 0.12): The game is particularly recommended for fans of souls-like games and those new to the genre, but not for those tired of it.
- Consider other action games (weight 0.05): Some players suggest there are better action games available, but this game is perfect for those who enjoy repeated challenges.
- Hope for more content (weight 0.05): Players hope for more exploration, dungeons, and DLCs to continue the journey.
- Edition purchase advice (weight 0.05): Players advise buying the standard edition if short on money and the deluxe edition if you have the budget.
- Refund advice (weight 0.05): Players suggest trying the game for less than two hours to decide whether to keep or refund it.
- Recommended for unique challenges (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for those who enjoy challenging and unique experiences.
- Good value for playtime (weight 0.03): The game offers good value for the amount of playtime it provides.
- Must-buy for cinematic experience (weight 0.03): The game is described as a must-buy for an absolute cinema experience with a strong, dramatic story.
- Guides for new players (weight 0.03): New players are advised to look up guides to help them through the game.
- Caution for NVIDIA users (weight 0.03): NVIDIA users are advised to proceed with caution or wait for a patch.
- Repurchase after fixes (weight 0.03): Some users mention they will repurchase the game once the issues are fixed.
- Supports domestic development (weight 0.03): The game is noted for supporting domestic game development.

Other player notes:
- Performance improvement on OS change (weight 0.03): An update mentions that the game no longer stutters after changing the operating system, indicating a performance improvement.
- Enjoyment in boss revisits (weight 0.03): Players enjoy the feature of revisiting bosses, suggesting that this is a popular and well-received aspect of the game.
- Refund issues reported (weight 0.03): Some players have reported issues with getting refunds for the game.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.39): Players are frustrated primarily due to the game's combat mechanics, which are described as complex, unfair, and unresponsive. Additionally, technical issues such as stuttering, frame skips, and game crashes contribute significantly to this frustration. Other causes include repetitive gameplay, lack of guidance, and difficulty in navigating the game world due to invisible walls and poor map design.
- Disappointment (weight 0.28): Players feel disappointed due to the game's lack of depth and unfulfilled potential, with many noting that it did not meet their expectations compared to other AAA games. Specific criticisms include poor optimization, lack of variety in weapons and skills, and a lackluster combat system. The game's linearity, lack of enemies, and repetitive gameplay also contribute to this disappointment.
- Anger (weight 0.05): Players express anger due to the game's poor optimization and performance issues, which significantly hinder the gaming experience. Additionally, the game's design, which forces players to replay minor enemies after death, and the perceived unfairness of combat and bosses, contribute to this anger.
- Boredom (weight 0.02): Players experience boredom due to the repetitive nature of the gameplay and a story that fails to engage. The lack of variety and repetitive tasks make the game feel monotonous and uninteresting.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Players feel excited because the game is interesting and entertaining. The unique gameplay mechanics and engaging content contribute to this excitement.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Players admire the game's attention to detail and its challenging nature. The masterclass in storytelling and amazing visuals, along with great music, contribute to this admiration.
- Excitement (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the unique parry system and the realization of the Monkey King dream. The amount and quality of boss fights also contribute to this excitement, along with the hope for future games from the developer.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.02): Players enjoy the overall good game experience and the feeling of accomplishment after defeating bosses. The engaging gameplay and rewarding mechanics contribute to this enjoyment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Players feel satisfied with the combat and boss battles, as well as achieving no-hit completions. The challenging and rewarding nature of these battles contributes to this satisfaction.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Players feel satisfied with the effective learning through guides and repeated attempts, as well as the accomplishment of beating bosses. The game's rewarding mechanics and challenging content contribute to this satisfaction.
- Sadness (weight 0.02): Players feel sadness due to the narrative events involving Wukong and the denial of refunds. The emotional story and personal disappointments contribute to this sadness.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Players feel frustrated due to multiple attempts to fix the game failing and difficulties with navigation and map quality. The persistent issues and lack of solutions contribute to this frustration.
- Relief (weight 0.01): Players feel relief after finishing challenging boss fights and overcoming obstacles that allow them to continue their progress in the game. The sense of accomplishment and progression contributes to this relief.
- Gratitude (weight 0.01): Players feel gratitude towards the game's development team for providing a way to cope with life's pressures. The game's positive impact on their well-being contributes to this gratitude.
- Approval (weight 0.01): Players approve of the combat mechanics, which are praised for rewarding strategic play. The well-designed and engaging combat system contributes to this approval.
- Frustration (weight 0.01): Players feel a sense of setback due to the difficulty of boss battles. The challenging and often frustrating nature of these battles contributes to this feeling of setback.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Players feel hope for future improvements and sequels. The potential for future developments and enhancements contributes to this hope.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.01): Players like the interesting perspective and story. The engaging narrative and unique viewpoint contribute to this liking.
- Frustration (weight 0.01): Players feel a sense of suppression due to the early game experience. The initial challenges and difficulties contribute to this feeling of suppression.
- Dread (weight 0.01): Players feel dread at the thought of encountering another boss within a short time. The anticipation of challenging and potentially frustrating boss battles contributes to this dread.}