Parents' Guide to Black Myth: Wukong

Anyone looking to take on this challenging adventure will need a bit of tenacity and patience in order to see it through to the end. Black Myth: Wukong is part of the tradition of extremely difficult third-person action role-playing games that attempt to foster a sense of satisfaction through hard-earned accomplishments. Central character the Destined One encounters dozens of boss-style foes, many of which are likely to require multiple attempts to beat, with players learning a little more about what does and doesn't work each time until they figure out a way to put together a successful strategy for that particular creature. To make matters worse, the minions players fight between major battles are generally easy to defeat, so when a boss finally appears, it can feel like going from a sprint straight into a wall.

If you get past the spikes in difficulty, though, there's plenty to like. The creature design is wildly imaginative, blending elements of the natural world into nightmarish hybrids whose strange beauty provides at least some small consolation as they repeatedly beat the Destined One to death. And while the narrative is somewhat vague and might have benefited from a more vocal hero, it still does a great job conjuring the mystery and marvels of Chinese mythology, and could help launch an interest in learning more about the history and cultures of East Asia. Black Myth: Wukong isn't particularly forgiving to inexperienced players, but it boasts a unique personality in the world of action role-playing games and can be exceptionally rewarding when things are going well.