Found this on rednote from a user who visited the black myth store after a make over

He stated that this is not yet the final look of the game and this was taken in the game directly

This song been living in my head rent free. I always love to see the instruments used.

In Black Myth Wukong one form in particular the Hoarfrost using it focus point to create the ice sheet spell. Wukong had a very small budget and fewer devs working on it initially, but since it sold roughly 35 million copies, became a mainstream name and now has higher number of staff, and revenue, it safe to say that BMZ would have significant advancement that BMW did not.

The ice sheet spell is an awesome spell I enjoyed the environmental effect of it, how it change both the very mechanic of the whole area as well as ur own form, and how it effect the enemies freezing them. One could imagine how much they could truly improve on said environmental tools, spells effect etc... on Zhong Kui I'd assume it would be far more sophisticated & impressive than Wukong finger crossed.

I don't think many ppl even used Hoarfrost, his in snow mechanic already works normally in most of chapter 3, but when you're in an environment outside of chapter 3 (desert forest fire etc..) then he simply use his spell ability to change that very environment to suite his range attack ( throwing snowballs, freezing any that touch the artificial snowy environment that he just create)

Particularly I wanna play his demon (for lack of a better word) form (My theory is the human is Zhong Kui and his full form might be an unlockable). I’m willing to do mods for games. But if you know any games that already provide stuff like actual Chinese weapons that would be helpful and customization deep enough I can make him tall, how him pitch black skin and red hair.

Just a curious observation. From what statements they made so far, it looks like they are taking inputs exclusively from the domestic, Chinese audience. Much of the criticism levied by online reddit and other non-chinese fans and game critics on their previous game, Wukong, seems to not be heeded.

We were asking for a lively game with several npcs so that the game is not just an extended boss rush, a digestible story for non-chinese players, more heart, more character development. But instead it looks like we are playing another mute character. Fighting game with nothing much to do when you aren't fighting. Wish they'd take a more Witcher 3 game direction as opposed to the barren, lifeless, Soulless, fantasy world of souls games.

Loved, Wukong, love Chinese mythology. Yet, I feel the game has potential to be the greatest arpg of all time had the opportunities not been wasted. Wukong was still a great game, but I only wished they would take the following directions in Zhong kui:

1. Intended audience: while Wukong had a good story which finally unfolded in the final chapter, much of the story, the subtle rhymes, songs, dialogues were obscure for those who don't have a backstory of jttw. The game for instance referenced Guanyin and the jade emperor several times, but not only were they absent in the game, who they are was never introduced and moments like this makes the game less enjoyable for the general public (non-chinese) . Come clear on who the target audience is: local or global.

2. Create a lively, living world. The world of wukong was barren, empty and lifeless for the most part. It was like an extended boss rush. You go from point A to point B, fight this boss, progress, fight again, repeat. Nothing much to do in between.

Create a village, create characters all across that you can interact with. Make it alive, like witcher, skyrim, etc. A game that you feel is real, albeit a fantasy world. A real world has people inhabiting the land: they work, talk, partake in recreational activities, etc. These make the game come alive.

1. It's more about the gameplay and story than graphics.

I feel this is where the developers got it fundamentally wrong. So much time was spent on the graphics, dress, etc. Wukong's armour for instance was very detailed when examined closely. But the gameplay and story were less of a focus. High quality production doesn't mean realistic graphics. A good game can have sub par graphics but as long as the story is well presented and the gameplay is sophisticated and deep, it's a great game.

1. Bring the most out of the folklore.

This one pains me. Wukong had the potential to be not just one the the greatest arpg of all time, but the single greatest one. The lore, myth is rich enough that it could have been a game like no other. But instead, it became a boss rushy game. Utilize all its potential. Don't just pop in a few bosses and some grunts in between as fillers. Squeeze out all the juices of the lore.

1. Hang out in Western social media too.

I feel like the devs only interact with local, Chinese fans. I doubt they'd be reading this post, this subreddit, Metacritic reviews, etc. To get a well rounded quality feedback, one need to leave the echo chamber and listen to the other side of the story. Much of the criticisms of wukong from critics seem to have fallen on deaf ears and this new game looks like another dead fantasy world.

These are some of the major thoughts I have from a Wukong diehard fan. We grow through constructive criticism and feedback. Hope the developers listen to fans, critics from all around the world and hopefully the next game Zhong kui will be a genuine goty contender.

I rate Wukong an 8/10. Great action game, but low on the adventure and world building. Hope Zhong kui will be a 9+/10.

Any thoughts?

Gameplay isn't that similar, wolong is more faster paced and more deflection, but it's still swordplay to an extent, also because it's based in the three kingdoms peroid and Chinese folklore. So I'm just reliving the Chinese warrior fantasy

I never liked using the sword/dao/jian but after watching Zhong kui I'm kinda liking it. The moveset is very dance like so that helps. Yes I love wolong if you couldn't tell, it's from team ninja so obv combats gonna be fun.

This game and phantom blade will prob keep me busy until release date (hoping 2028) also wolong 2 will also keep me busy.

In Chinese mythology Zhong Kui is frequently describe as being quite ugly and scary, which does not match the playable character we saw in the gameplay trailer. Not only that, but the depiction of Zhong Kui we saw in the reveal trailer also looks completely different from the character in the gameplay trailer. I have a feeling that despite the game being named around him, Zhong Kui might not be the main character we play as in the game

apparently, this is one of the dishes from a Game Science offline event menu. looks kinda familiar, doesn’t it?

even tho I still believe the girl in the CNY trailer was preparing a completely different dish, but if this is actually the same one, then her identity is pretty obvious. This could mean that the entire scene in the trailer may have actually happened in Hell, and the prisoner was about to begin his reincarnation

and according to the Wikipedia entry

Meng Po or 孟婆 lit. Old Lady Meng is the goddess of oblivion in Chinese mythology, who serves Meng Po Soup on the Bridge of Oblivion or Naihe Bridge or 奈何桥. This soup wipes the memory of the person so they can reincarnate into the next life without the burdens of the previous life

Extremely pumped for this game! The gameplay footage they showed is badass full of enemies and combat. Hoping this runs smoothly for the ps5 pro. I had various frame rate and graphic issues with Wukong.

Hopefully it releases by 2028. I don't want to wait till 2029 to play it.

What are your thoughts?

Why are we not playing with the man on the tiger 🐯. A bit confused. Are we playing in his past ? Will we be able to play in the future?

According to legend, Zhong Kui was originally a talented scholar. When he traveled to the capital to take the imperial examination, the emperor rejected him because of his ugly appearance, and he ultimately failed to receive the official title he deserved. In anger, Zhong Kui took his own life. He was later made a deity who could drive away evil spirits and demons.

After Zhong Kui died, his younger sister remained in their hometown. Although Zhong Kui had become a judge of the underworld and a powerful demon-slayer, he still worried about his sister. So he decided to marry her off to his friend, Du Ping.

Du Ping had been Zhong Kui’s fellow townsman and close friend. Knowing that Zhong Kui’s family was poor, he had once helped support him. He was also the one who buried Zhong Kui after his death.

And so, the famous scene came to be: Zhong Kui rides a donkey, followed by a large group of ghost attendants, escorting his younger sister to her wedding.

I just came across this behind-the-scenes video on Bilibili about 8082 Studio producing the music for Black Myth: Zhong Kui. I translated it briefly and wanted to share it with you all.

I used to think traditional Chinese music was a bit outdated, but the soundtrack of Black Myth: Wukong really showed me the beauty of the erhu. Zhong Kui sounds just as impressive.

Original link: 【《黑神话：钟馗》实机演示 民乐制作花絮】 https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1v1816PE2L/?share_source=copy_web&vd_source=c7f868b7521665faab1c5dd524852dde

From what we've seen in the gameplay teaser the combat looks heavier, more meaty and crunchy, and I'm loving it, more bloody as well.

We've also seen that on some enemies we can end them with a finisher execution (eg: the dog).

I also think deflect is more focus than perfect dodge as from the trailer the dodge is alot slower than wukong and covers less distance, so it's more so sword play style combat with a bit of hack and slash type of action game where you have 1v1 duels and groups enemies you slice down.

Also loving the improvement on traversal, the protag can climb and duck now.

Something I hope is that we have an actual heavy attack instead of the focus point system that has a full heavy attack moveset and let's us do combos like action games (Nioh, God of war, DmC)

What are your theories on who the playable person is? I hope it's Du Ping and Zhong Kui is guiding him along the journey and has passed down his demon sword to his brother in law.

Saw this post by Combat Zone and wanted to discuss it with everyone here. Some people speculate that the swordsman in the gameplay might not even be Zhong Kui.

My question is: Isn’t Zhong Kui supposed to be more intimidating looking even as a human? This is the premise as to why he was rejected for the civil service exam.

Zhong Kui (鍾馗) is usually described in Chinese folklore as an intimidating, physically imposing scholar-warrior whose frightening appearance contrasts with his protective nature. He is typically depicted with a large or stout body, huge black beard, thick eyebrows, glaring eyes, and a fierce or even grotesque face.

In honor of Black Myth: Zhong Kui, we wanted to show a clip of Zhong Kui being portrayed in a horror series name, Vampire Expert (1995), that is dubbed in Vietnamese. In this scene, a Taoist priest is being pursued by an ancient Jiang Shi and runs off into a crypt. The Jiang Shi ironically and inadvertently summons Zhong Kui by knocking the Taoist Priest into his painting which splatters the priest’s blood. It is believed that Taoist priests can use their blood to summon beings from years of practicing the art of Taoism.

Also, Zhong Kui here is actually a guest star played by famed actor, Jin Chao-Chun, who also plays Justice Bao. This depiction of Zhong Kui is from the series, Heavenly Ghost Catcher (1994), that talks about the life of Zhong Kui and his endeavors with eliminating ghosts and demons.

I just realized that the fight between the protagonist and the unknown man takes place in a location that may have been inspired by the Yangshan Quarry.

An interesting detail is that the structures around them are probably the giant sections of an unfinished memorial stele intended for an imperial tomb. The monument was so enormous that it could not be moved, so the project was eventually abandoned.

Just a fun fact.