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Black Myth: Wukong developer Game Science just calls this game an action RPG.
It specifically doesn’t call it a Soulslike, and I kind of see what it means.
But is that all that defines a Soulslike?
I would say no,partly because a lot of game developers have told me as much.
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It is, however, a fascinating place.
Characters of all shapes and sizes bend reality as readily as you or I would make a phone call.
It’s the best kind of magic: surreal and varied, not just fireballs and lightning bolts.
Still, it took some getting used to.
There’s no real parry; it’s all dodging all the time.
You don’t have heavy attacks in the traditional sense.
You have charged attacks and combo breakers which should only be used in certain ways.
I got the sense that you aren’t supposed to do this at all.
There’s a great tempo to it.
Reader, I did not regret this decision.
Bosses forced me to play differently.
Some were humanoid and unleashed long weapon combos that forced me to dodge repeatedly.
Others were lumbering giants that wield Herculean strength capable of devastating AoE attacks that demand careful positioning.
These were all superbly animated, with clear tells.
And we haven’t even really gotten to progression.
I leaned more on the passive bonuses, but I did dabble in staff actions a bit.
Open with charged attacks, sneak in light combos, and spend my energy on combo breakers.
Energy attacks heal you a little bit, too, which is nice.
you’ve got the option to use that stored energy to land heavy slams with much greater reach.
Freeze them, walk behind them so they whiff when they unfreeze, and get in some free hits.
This feels like cheating, and you get to do it all the time.
This is the first spell in the game!
And it doesn’t even cost much mana!
There are four slots for spells, and I’m told multiple spells will eventually compete for each slot.
Absorbing damage for free while dealing meaningful damage yourself gives transformation spells powerful utility.
Other loadout decisions include which bonus to add to your healing gourd, like curing poison or extra healing.
It’s the most-wishlisted game on Steam and one of the most-hyped games of the year.
After playing it for two hours, I’d say its reputation is largely deserved.
This is good stuff, maybe even great.
