Following the massive success of their previous work, Game Science has released a new 6-minute in-engine special for Black Myth: Zhong Kui to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The video showcases incredible visuals and gives us another look at the world and characters we can expect to see in the final game.
Fans Are Excited for Zhong Kui
The special features Zhong Kui, a popular figure from Chinese mythology known as the “King of Ghosts.” For a lot of players, seeing him and other fan favorites like Nezha in high detail is even more exciting than the original Wukong reveal.
Non-Canon Cooking
One thing to keep in mind is that this video is not actually part of the game. Game Science confirmed the footage is a standalone piece meant for entertainment and to celebrate the Year of the Horse. The clip shows a character preparing a feast using ingredients from various monsters, which serves as a massive technical showcase for their lighting and physics.
Even though it is not gameplay, it shows that the studio is pushing the level of detail even further than they did with Wukong. Fans in the community have joked that the devs are literally and figuratively “cooking” right now. Emphasis on cooking, as the special is clearly all about preparing a delicious meal. Yum!
The Soulslike Debate
Although the visuals are complimented left and right, the community is currently split on how to label the gameplay. Most players are starting to feel a bit of “Soulslike fatigue” and are hoping that Zhong Kui will do its own thing or try something different.
At this point, fans argue that the game, similar to the first, is likely more of a hybrid between a traditional hack-and-slash and a Souls game. Even though it features checkpoints and a stamina bar, a lot of players like to point out that Black Myth feels closer to the recent God of War games in terms of flow and difficulty. The consensus among those following the project is that it seems more forgiving than a typical FromSoftware title, focusing more on cinematic combat than punishing death penalties.
Unreal Engine 5 Performance
The video has also triggered a debate regarding Unreal Engine 5. Yes, the game looks stunning, but there are some technical discussions that have surfaced regarding performance. Players are debating if the final product can maintain this level of visual quality without the stutters and frame time issues that have plagued other recent UE5 releases. However, examples like Tekken 8 and The Finals are being used as proof that the engine can run beautifully when optimized correctly.
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