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Blasting through our Black Myth: Wukong review has predictably dug up a hatchet I can't seem to bury: what is a Soulslike? It is not Black Myth: Wukong, as I said in that review and as a representative for the developers at premier monkey business exporter Game Science told me at Summer Game Fest. Instead, the devs simply call Wukong an action RPG, and after beating the game I see why.
Black Myth: Wukong does have a few ideas and mechanics commonly associated with Soulslikes. There's a stamina bar, but it isn't doesn't severely limit your actions, and after a few upgrades it barely matters at all. Checkpoints respawn enemies, but that's usually how checkpoints work. There is notably no penalty for death, and XP (for level-ups called Sparks) is separate from money (called Will). You don't level up traditional RPG stats like Strength or Dexterity, either; instead, power mostly comes from craftable, rarity-assigned equipment and new unlocks on your skill tree. Levels are big, but they're mostly linear and don't connect or loop back in interesting ways like you'd expect from a Souls-inspired game. There are tons of bosses, but combat doesn't have the deliberate weight associated with Soulslikes, and it feels very forgiving overall. Soulslikes demand; Wukong offers.
The clearest bit of Soulslike overlap is this: your main source of healing in Black Myth: Wukong is an upgradable flask that's replenished at checkpoints, and by a few collectibles out in the world. For my money, this is where Wukong actually pulls ahead of some loud-and-proud Soulslikes on a mechanical level. It has one of the coolest and most customizable healing items I've ever seen in a game, and it feels like a meaningful evolution of the Estus Flask system codified by Dark Souls. Minor equipment spoilers for Black Myth: Wukong ahead.
Make it a double
FromSoftware itself has gone back and forth on healing items. Demon's Souls told players to touch grass and Bloodborne made us suffer through blood vial farming, but the Dark Souls games and Elden Ring have all used a similar system of upgradable flasks. "This is your juice box," these games seem to say. "You can strengthen it to get more sips, and more health or mana per sip, using items found around the world." This turns healing into a system of progression and motivation to explore, and Black Myth: Wukong takes this much further.
In Wukong, you heal by taking a swig of your trusty gourd. Two things go into that gourd: drinks and soaks. The drink is what you'll be frantically chugging during boss fights, and you can think of soaks as little flavor bombs sitting in your drink like teabags. There are also several different gourds, and all of these components affect your ability to heal in fascinating ways that can alter your play style.
Some gourds come with bonus effects but also limit how many times you can heal before a refill. One gourd might make you briefly immune to fiery terrain, for instance, while another can increase your attack for a short duration after a sip. Some gourds can be upgraded to increase their maximum uses, while others are locked at a fixed number. This actually makes it more exciting to find new gourds since you don't always have to start back at square one with upgrades.
Drinks are more varied still. At a baseline, all drinks recover a certain percentage of your maximum HP – an important distinction, as this naturally favors high-health builds whereas FromSoft flasks generally recover a set amount of health. Some drinks go as low as 25% per sip, while the classic drink can be upgraded to heal more than 50%. Beyond more healing, upgrading drinks can also unlock more slots for soaks.
Gotta get my morning brew
Drinks themselves can grant a bonus to your next attack, a mana discount or effect boost for specific spells, or even an added shot of mana or Focus (used for heavy attacks). Soaks torque this customization to 11. Some soaks temporarily boost stats like defense or damage reduction. One regenerates a bit of extra health over time. Another has a chance to let you take a drink of your gourd without actually using any juice, allowing you to stretch your healing with a bit of luck. My favorite soak dramatically increases the healing received if you take a drink when your health is in the red. I was also fond of the soak that applies a weak poison effect to you, as it unlocks bizarre synergy with a specific armor set. To top it all off, you can change your gourd at any time, and you can swap drinks and soaks at any checkpoint.
The potential to find new gourds, drinks, and soaks was one of the main things driving me to check every path, chest, and even enemy, as some unassuming baddies drop valuable brewing items. That's on top of the materials you need to upgrade your gourds and drinks. The right brew can carry you through otherwise tough encounters, and as rewards this makes these items every bit as compelling as new weapons and armor. Every time I found one, I'd immediately think about how I could fit it into my build or, thanks to Black Myth: Wukong's freewheeling respec system, how I could instead build around it.
Elden Ring played with this idea a bit through spells and talismans that buff your flasks or nerf them as a cost for another beneficial effect, but upgrading the flasks still basically boils down to making the numbers bigger. That isn't a bad thing, and it works well for that game, but with Black Myth: Wukong you still have that core power curve of making your juice box better and there's more room for discovery and buildcrafting. You could argue this system is a bit messy, but I like that your gourd is more than a healing flask; it's an integral part of your build that can bring multiple, stacking effects. It's fun to experiment with, and it's something I'd love to see in more games, Soulslike or otherwise, going forward.
