This August, Game Science released its first Chinese AAA game, “Black Myth: Wukong” which topped numerous gaming charts both domestically and internationally on its launch day.
“Black Myth: Wukong” marks the first global showcase of traditional Chinese culture, sparking a worldwide craze. However, due to cultural differences, many players have confusion about the characters, actions, settings, and props depicted in the game. Therefore, starting today, as a professional Chinese literary translation company, we will launch a series of special topics to provide an initial analysis of “Black Myth: Wukong” and its underlying cultural context.
The game is rooted in the ancient Chinese classic “Journey to the West.” The protagonist, Sun Wukong, was born from an Immortal Stone on Mount Huaguo in the Ao Lai Kingdom of the Eastern Continent of Superior Deity, after absorbing the essence of heaven and earth. He earned the title of “Handsome Monkey King” by leading a troop of monkeys into the Water Curtain Cave.
In pursuit of immortality and greater wisdom, Sun Wukong left Mount Huaguo to seek teachings from various immortals and eventually became a disciple of Patriarch Bodhi. Under Patriarch Bodhi’s tutelage, Sun Wukong mastered the Great Sage‘s Heavenly Spell, Seventy-two Transformations, and the ability to traverse the skies using his Somersault Cloud.
Upon mastering these skills, Sun Wukong returned home, unbridled and unruly, ruling over Mount Huaguo. He later seized the magical Ruyi Jingu Bang from the Dragon Palace, caused trouble in the Underworld by destroying the Book of Life and Death, and proclaimed himself the “Great Sage.” His rebellious actions led to the Havoc in Heaven, which provoked the wrath of one hundred thousand Heavenly Soldiers and Generals.
During the Havoc in Heaven, Sun Wukong, with his powerful magic spell and strength, engaged in fierce battles with the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, and even Erlang Shen found it difficult to subdue him. Ultimately, Tathagata Buddha intervened, pinning Sun Wukong under Mount Wuxing, where he was trapped for five hundred years.
After being imprisoned under Mount Wuxing for five hundred years, Sun Wukong was rescued by Tang Seng, whom he then acknowledged as his master. He vowed to protect Tang Seng on his journey to the West to retrieve sacred texts. To prevent Sun Wukong from acting rashly, Bodhisattva Guanyin had Tang Seng make Sun Wukong wear a Golden Hoop. Whenever Tang Seng recited a spell, the hoop would cause Sun Wukong’s head to split with pain. Along the journey, Tang Seng also subdued White Dragon Horse, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing as disciples. Together, the group bravely overcame numerous challenges and monsters, facing eighty-one trials before successfully escorting Tang Seng to obtain the scriptures and achieving the title of Victorious Fighting Buddha.
The story that unfolds in the game takes place after the journey to the West, when Sun Wukong resigns his Buddha Position and returns to Mount Huaguo.
In the opening CG of the game, Sun Wukong once again faces Erlang Shen Yang Jian, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Giant Spirit God, and many Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, just as he did over five hundred years ago. At a critical moment in the battle, the Golden Hoop, which had vanished, reappears, causing Sun Wukong to be defeated by Erlang Shen and ultimately perish. His physical body turns into a stone egg, and his soul splits into six Root Instruments, named the Six Roots: eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind, corresponding to the Buddhist concept of the Six Roots of Purity.
Players will assume the role of the Destined One, embarking on a quest to uncover the true story of the past, seeking the lost Root Instruments, and retracing the steps of the legendary journey to the West.
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