The One Problem Everyone Has Starting Black Myth: Wukong

Gamers were excited to get their hands on Game Science's latest release, but no one realized just how much "Black Myth: Wukong" would blow everyone away. The game's player count on Steam skyrocketed the moment that it launched, quickly it peaking at over 2 million players. Not bad at all for a full-price single-player game from a relatively unknown studio.

As gamers started pouring into "Black Myth: Wukong," they quickly realized that although it has stunning graphics and engaging gameplay, it doesn't offer the most beginner-friendly experience in the world. "Black Myth" throws players into the deep end and doesn't give much direction in terms of how to progress your character or what your actual objective is. Many players are struggling to figure out how to really get going in the game's early hours, wandering around the intro forest area with no clue what they're doing. It's true that the game can be a bit opaque at first, but the good news is that everyone is making it more complicated than it actually is. Here's what you need to know up top.

The source material behind "Black Myth: Wukong" is part of the reason why so many players have a difficult time getting started. The story picks up where the classic Chinese novel "Journey to the West" ends, with the monkey Sun Wukong having completed his quest and been offered immortality. When he refuses the gods, they trap him inside a stone, and players are tasked with gathering six relics that represent Sun Wukong's senses in order to set him free. Outside of the vague notion of the relics' existence, the game doesn't tell players what to do when it drops them into the starting area. The dense forest can be tricky to navigate, and that can feel pretty frustrating when you aren't even sure what you're looking for in the first place. The actual goal here is to ring three bells, then make your way to a burning temple to fight a major boss: Black Bear Guai.

Ringing bells to get a journey underway probably sounds familiar to veterans of this particular subgenre. The original "Dark Souls" sends players out with a very similar goal, and getting the job done means fearlessly exploring the world and killing literally everything you encounter. You need to apply that same strategy in "Black Myth: Wukong." Aside from a few secrets and side bosses, the map is fairly linear. Keep charging ahead, and every time you defeat a boss, check the arena for a bell to ring and a path towards the next area.

Knowing where to go is only half the battle. "Black Myth: Wukong" is a bit more forgiving than a FromSoftware title, but the game's bosses still aren't messing around. If you aren't leveling up, or if your build is a total mess, then those bosses are going to feel like immense brick walls keeping you away from the rest of the game. Experience with other soulslike games might actually be a hindrance while playing "Black Myth: Wukong," because the leveling system works a little differently. While exploring and fighting enemies, you'll gain Will and Sparks. The former is currency that you can spend at shops, but the latter is this game's equivalent to experience points. Unlike most other games in this genre, dying won't cause you to lose Sparks, so you may grind away without fear.

"Black Myth: Wukong" offers a dizzying array of skill trees, upgrades, and abilities for you to sift through, but you don't need to worry about unlocking everything available to you in the early game. Instead, if you're struggling to stay alive, you should put your points into Robust Constitution in the Survival tree. If you aren't killing enemies fast enough, you should level up your stance abilities and unlock more attack stances. Experiment with all your abilities, but don't stress, because the game lets you respec at any shrine for free. "Black Myth: Wukong" can be overwhelming when you're just getting started, but it really is as simple as exploring, fighting, and leveling up.