Black Fantasy: Wukong is, as our overview stated, each confounding and spectacular. It’s an motion RPG soulslike that has loads of the style’s typical beats — XP and ability tree, checkpoints that save your progress whereas additionally respawning enemies — whereas additionally placing its personal distinctive spin on them.
Our Black Fantasy: Wukong newbie’s information will aid you begin your journey (to the West) because the Destined One with suggestions from our first 15 hours with the sport. We’ve obtained hints and recommendation on degree layouts, the (complicated) crafting mechanic, quick journey, and your tools.
There’s not likely a gameplay loop in Black Fantasy: Wukong. You’ll journey from shrine checkpoint to shrine checkpoint, dispatching enemy yaoguais (demons) alongside the way in which, however there’s not a lot of a grind. As a substitute, you’ll be extra targeted on getting from one boss combat to the following — there are a lot of bosses and boss-like enemies.
That linearity exhibits up in your armor and weapons as nicely. You don’t a lot unlock them as you simply attain a sure shrine and the crafting recipes for brand spanking new tools can be robotically unlocked (extra on this beneath). The identical goes for spells — they’re simply given to you after beating sure bosses.
That stated, you don’t need to simply dash from one shrine to the following as a result of…
It’s best to look ahead to facet paths
Whereas your total progress is sort of linear, the routes between the shrine checkpoints do have branching paths which can be nearly all the time price exploring. You’ll normally discover at the least a chest and even an optionally available boss combat.
These boss fights will even provide you with loads of XP and normally some uncommon improve supplies as nicely. If nothing else, you’ll discover some elements. Which can be helpful… ultimately.
You possibly can’t make drugs till chapter 2
As you play via the start of the sport, you’ll discover loads of elements like crops and mushrooms. Their descriptions will even say they “can be utilized to make medicines,” however you gained’t be capable of do something with them.
And that’s as a result of that’s a mechanic that doesn’t unlock till chapter 2, a number of hours into the sport.
Very early in Black Fantasy: Wukong, you’ll run into an enemy referred to as a Wandering Wight. The primary time you meet it, you may’t beat it. (Nicely, it’s potential, however it’s not going to occur.) The trick with that combat, although, is that the way in which ahead is previous that enemy. You simply should run previous it.
That’s not going to work for many fights, however it’s an essential lesson about how the sport works — you’ll get much more highly effective and have extra abilities to attract from as you progress (linearly).
When you hit a tough enemy or boss, you may all the time come again later when you’re a bit stronger. Which brings us to…
Quick journey is bizarre with no map
You possibly can (quick) journey from any shrine to another shrine you’ve beforehand visited. However there’s no map, so it’s slightly awkward at first.
Whenever you select to journey, you’ll simply get a listing of the names of shrines and their area. The names are descriptive sufficient, although, so it’s not too laborious to determine the place you’re going.
As you progress via Black Fantasy: Wukong and defeat bosses, you’ll unlock new tools to craft at shrines. You’ll solely ever combat with one weapon — varied variations of a employees — so these are straightforward sufficient to grasp. The garments — gear on your head, physique, legs, and arms — are a bit extra attention-grabbing.
Picture: Recreation Science by way of Polygon
Garments have distinctive results that you simply acquire whereas carrying them. These embrace issues like injury bonuses or velocity will increase. Some tools has a quantity subsequent to the distinctive impact — that signifies what number of items of that set of drugs it’s essential be carrying to activate the distinctive impact.
There are secrets and techniques (that grant rewards)
Whereas Black Fantasy: Wukong is generally linear, you’ll discover varied secrets and techniques off the crushed path. A few of these reward Vessels — equipment that grant useful perks. For assist in monitoring down a few of these early-game secrets and techniques, see our guides on the place to search out all hidden bell areas, the best way to assist the Yellow-Robed Squire, and the place to search out and ship all Buddha’s Eyes.