Black Myth: Wukongis an incredible action game that lets you take the role of the Destined One, a monkey looking to earn the title of the new Monkey King. Since this game is based on the Chinese novel Journey to the West, you can expect a lot of hidden details about that tale.
Yet, not all secrets are about that story since the game ended up being bigger than anybody could have anticipated. With so many corners to hide things in, the game is filled with story beats, secret areas, and even movesets tucked away, waiting for you to find them.
7The Arena Changes During The Keeper Of Flaming Mountains Fight
Pay Attention To The Water
During your travels in Chapter 5, you’ll encounter the Keeper of Flaming Mountains while he tries to convince Rakshasi to escape with him. His efforts are in vain since it turns out he wasn’t talking to Rakshasi at all, but our friend Zhu Bajie in disguise; this angers the Keeper, initiating the boss fight.
The Keeper is very much intertwined with the concept of Yin-Yang, something expected since his second phase involves summoning the Yin-Yang Fish. Yet this is mainly shown in his arena: it is filled with water, first white, then black when he is in low health, and finally, the water becomes the Yin-Yang symbol as you fight the fish.
6You Can Avenge The Snow Fox
She Dies During The Chapter 2 Animated Cinematic
Each chapter in Black Myth: Wukong ends with a beautiful cinematic, usually depicting something relevant to the overarching story or at least about the characters that you met during your travels. Chapter 2 is the exception to this since that stop-motion animation depicts a traveler saving a white fox, only to kill it due to a strange nightmare he had.
The Snow Fox is highly likely a Yaoguai now, but we don’t know if this was always the case or if she became one in death.
Now, we don’t know if the nightmare was a premonition or simple paranoia, but what we do know is that you canmeet both characters during Chapter 3.The Snow Fox will task you with finding her killer, called Non-Void, and they both reference all that happened in the earlier cinematic; if you felt bad for the poor animal, now is the time to bring some justice.
5The Hidden Zodiac Village
Crucial Hub That Not All Players Find
Black Myth: Wukong has plenty of elements reminiscent of soulslike games, like bonfire-esque checkpoints and respawning enemies. It also has the classic hub town where many friendly NPCs can be found and where the player can buy items and upgrade their equipment.
This hub is the Zodiac Village, but since it isn’t required to beat the game, clearly, not all players have found it. You need to be in Chapter 3, and once you free Zhu Bajie, you may then completeChen Loong’s questline, which will give you access to the village and to the game’s only blacksmith, Yin Tiger.
4The Turtle Mourns His Fallen Comrade
He Used To Be Friends With The Snake
This little detail isn’t all that related to Wukong or Journey to the West since, in the original novel, the characters mostly dealt with the giant turtle. But if you beat the Apramana Bat boss during Chapter 3 and then interact with the skeleton of a giant snake, the turtle will roar and shed a single tear.
This is a reference to the Chinese constellation, specifically the Black Turtle-Snake. There are many myths linking turtles and snakes, but this one in particular has them as companion generals, born as demons but vowing to repent as they protected their respective mountains.
3Zhu Bajie And The Violet Spider
Their Relationship Isn’t Obvious In The Novel
In Chapter 4, you encounter an entire clan of spiders led by the Violet Spider, an old but cunning woman who knows of Wukong and, more importantly, of Zhu Bajie. This alone is already a reference to the novel, where the heroes had to protect their master from the Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master, but there is more to it than that.
The Violet Spider treats Zhu Bajie as a former lover, something that wasn’t explored by the novel but was suggested. The moment of their union is even shown during the Chapter’s final cutscene, as we see Bajie transform into a fish to spy on the spider-women bathing (that part did happen), only for them to connect and join in both human and beast forms (that would be the part that we don’t know if it happened).
2Secret Spear Moveset
Like A Staff But With Pointy Ends
Players can findmany weapons on their journey, be able to craft them, and even upgrade them if they unlock the Zodiac Village. Yet all of these weapons share a moveset, since they are all technically quarterstaves, but there is another weapon type: the spear.
Yet spears are hard to find in the game, and the most popular one is given by Erlang Shen once you defeat him during the Secret Chapter, but that’s just too late in the game. A more available option is the Chu-Bai Spear, which can be acquired as a reward for completing the Third Prince’s questline.
1The Final Boss Can Steal Your Drink
He Takes A Sizable Gulp, Too
No matter what ending you’re aiming for, the final boss of the game remains the same: the original Wukong, or at least the remnants of his mind, fights you as a Rock Monkey first and as the Great Sage second, using most if not all the skills available to you.
Yet he can do even more things, like taunting you during grabs, or stealing your gourd. Yes, if you’re not careful during the fight, healing when there isn’t really an opening, Wukong will simply steal your drink, denying you of any healing opportunities and regaining some health for himself in the process.
