The power of the literary legacy of a novel that marked an era and a nation can be such
as to echo even in new modern media: beyond the historical significance
of a work, characters and settings, if taken up with care and plenty of
creativity, are capable of creating hype
around a video game title as has rarely happened.
It is the case of Black Myth: Wukong, an action video game
with role-playing elements, also coming to PlayStation 5 thanks to Game
Science, a Chinese development studio that announced the release for August 20, 2024, after many vicissitudes and
delays.
Fonte of inspiration, as I mentioned at the beginning, is the famous novel Journey
to the West, which, as those most devoted to the works of the late Akira Toriyama
will know, is the work that inspired the mangaka to create the character
of Goku, although the differences between the Saiyan and the Monkey King are many. In
the title by Game Science, the protagonist will therefore be Wukong, a monkey warrior
endowed with supernatural powers and abilities and who has appeared in various versions
in paintings and illustrations, TV series (mostly famous in his homeland) and with
many references in other works belonging to different media.
The aura of legend surrounding the Destined One, as he will in fact be
called at first during the game, has always been a source of inspiration both
for the allure evoked by his figure and for its inclusion in Chinese mythology,
made up of fascinating stories and myths whose roots lie in the vast depths of
Eastern culture: from the game’s published images, we have already been able to
see how well done Wukong’s movements are and how absolutely spectacularthe choreography will be with which we will find ourselves facing
powerful bosses and enemies who will fiercely stand between us and the search
for truth.
In the trailer, the dragon’s magnificent appearance on the scene alone is worth the price of admission and provides a level of exhilaration equal to a hypothetical clash between Goku and Vegeta against Sheron, just to stay on theme.
The game’s development was
kept under wraps for many years, and the main plot that will drive the
Monkey King’s steps has also only been partially revealed, maintaining a hazy veil of
mystery on the part of the developers: could this be a marketing strategy to send
hype levels soaring?
Come we know, the game makes use of the graphics engine Unreal Engine 5,
an evocative name and just as powerful in the video game industry as
Wukong is for the Chinese and their thousand-year history: the graphics appear
detailed and seem to hold up well under the numerous clashes and changes in perspective that
a game focused on action and fierce combat must absolutely emphasize.
Non sappiamo se Wukong manterrà esattamente le caratteristiche
della sua controparte cartacea: considering that it is said he could even move
two mountains with the strength of his mighty shoulders, it is hard for us to think
that such an ability could be integrated into a talent development wheel:
what is certain is that the literary stature of a character so important for Chinese
culture constitutes no small responsibility for those at Game
Science: if the promises suggested by the high-adrenaline and
spectacular trailers are kept, we will find ourselves in the presence of a killer application capable of moving
mountains for real... in copies sold and hours and hours of gameplay for those who seek
a demanding challenge with the flavor of Myth.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
Simon Larocca
Mi chiamo Simon Larocca, e sono un videogiocatore, collezionista e amante della cultura pop in tutte le sue forme. Vado al cinema ogni volta che posso, leggo da quando porto gli occhiali, quindi da sempre, e ho la passione per lo storytelling in tutte le sue forme, così dirompente da farla diventare una professione. Ma come direbbe Doc di Ritorno al Futuro, non ci sarebbe presente se non si guardasse al passato con rispetto e ammirazione, ed è il Simon bambino di più di trent’anni fa, anno più anno meno.
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