Is Black Myth: Wukong a Soulslike?

Black Myth: Wukong has been highly anticipated since its first trailers four years ago, and with the release just around the corner, questions about what exactly it is are more pertinent than ever - especially queries relating to whether it's a Soulslike or not.

FromSoftware popularised this subgenre with their Dark Souls games and the massive Elden Ring, but other devs have contributed to the canon with Nioh, Wo Long, and Lies of P to name a few.

I'll answer what exactly makes a Soulslike, and whether Black Myth fits into the definition.

Is it a Soulslike?

While Black Myth: Wukong doesn't meet all the typical tenets of what makes a game a Soulslike, it has enough that you could call it one.

I would propose the term Souls-lite to be more fitting, however, as it blends aspects of the subgenre with more traditional third-person action RPG design.

What is a Soulslike?

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Souslikes are specifically a subgenre of the action RPG where a large focus is put on high difficulty, boss fights, and environmental - sometimes cryptic - storytelling. 

There are other key factors such as melee-focused stamina-based combat systems, sparse save points, losing experience when dying, and mastery of the game world through repeated deaths.

Black Myth: Wukong doesn't hit all of the above. For example, the narrative is more conventional and straightforward, and while the game is said to be challenging, it doesn't have the punishing difficulty associated with the subgenre. It's also more linear than even the most direct Souls games.

However, many of these features are baked into the core of the game. There are reportedly over 80 boss fights to take part in when playing, and Shrines serve as checkpoints for you to save progress and restore health. 

You also lose some XP from dying, forcing you to recover it, and most enemies respawn along paths you've already visited.

Essentially, if you're coming into Black Myth: Wukong expecting a standard Soulslike, you might be disappointed with what you find. On the other hand, if you don't enjoy the typical Soulslike, this might be different enough to engage you.