Black Myth: Wukong Graphics Change Has Fans Completely Split

Chinese developer Game Science made waves in 2020 when it released a 13-minute trailer for its first AAA game, "Black Myth: Wukong," which already boasted some of the most impressive graphics anyone had ever seen. Four years later, the studio finally released "Black Myth: Wukong," and it blew everyone away. The next-level graphics are a major part of the game's appeal, but once fans started comparing the released game to the demo Game Science showed off years ago, they noticed some pretty big differences.

When Game Science first revealed "Black Myth: Wukong," the game was still in a pre-alpha stage, which only made the visuals even more impressive. The devs aimed to prove that they could design a game for next-gen consoles, and though the Xbox version of "Black Myth: Wukong" has been delayed, that's exactly what they did. "Black Myth: Wukong" is one of the few games that makes full use of the PlayStation 5's hardware, but according to some fans, that might actually be a problem. Videos showing  a detailed comparison between the original demo and the retail version of the game has started a debate among fans: Did Game Science have to downgrade "Black Myth: Wukong" in order to release it?

Of course, "Black Myth: Wukong" was always going to change over the course of development, but fans have pointed out a few areas where the demo seems to look better than the final version of the game. In the earliest segment of the comparison video, the Destined One is transformed into a cicada and flies through the forest before encountering some enemies. Both versions look undeniably spectacular, but fans spotted a significant difference between the two.

"Demo had wind blowing [leaves] everywhere," one YouTuber commenter pointed out. "Looked cinematic. Retail has almost no wind on trees whatsoever." The trees and leaves in the release version of "Black Myth: Wukong" definitely still move, but the wind affects have been noticeably toned down. That isn't going to ruin anyone's gameplay experience, but it does make the forest feel a little less alive than in the demo.

Fans also spotted a small change made to Lingxuzi, a wolf boss in the first chapter of the game. "The wolf's fur looks much better in the demo," wrote one commenter. Another put the same observation a bit more artfully, writing, "'Tis a shabby dog now, not a glorious wolf [as] it was before." It's true there appears to be significantly less fur on the wolf in the final release, and all that hair blows around a little less majestically. Other fans have complained about the game's color palette being muddy and less vibrant, while others have praised the devs for veering into more realistic tones over the course of development. This all begs the question, though: If the devs had already perfected the graphics years ago, what happened?

There's a good reason why many of the little graphical details that fans loved in the demo version of "Black Myth: Wukong" aren't present in the final release. As many commenters on the aforementioned comparison video were quick to point out, the demo was almost certainly running on the best-performing PC that Game Science had available, but the retail version is built to run on a PlayStation 5. "I think the demo was showing the Unreal Engine using EVERYTHING," wrote one viewer. "Then they realized the average person can't afford it and the PS5 can't handle it." While some fans have complained about the apparent downgrade, others rushed to defend Game Science by pointing out that a high-end modern PC can still make "Black Myth: Wukong" look much like the demo. Some fans also insist that the release version looks better than the original demo, with one fan specifically writing, "I like the retail wolf boss better! ... He looks rough, evil, wild!"

The PS5 version of the game might be missing some details, but the hard work that made "Black Myth: Wukong" look so incredible is still evident. Game Science used motion capture software and painstaking animation techniques to bring bosses like Tiger Vanguard to life, and all the characters in the game look distinct and fascinating, regardless of your hardware. The graphical changes have certainly rubbed some the wrong way, but many players saw them as a non-issue. "Let's just admit, there was a little graphical downgrade in the release version," wrote another commenter. They added, "But this game remains a masterpiece."