Key Takeaways
- Devil May Cry offers arcade-like action perfect for button-bashing fans of Black Myth Wukong. A soft reboot with fun gameplay.
- Nine Sols provides a challenging 2D Souls-Like experience similar to Wukong. Focus on parrying in this Taoist epic.
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a tough but rewarding option for Wukong fans looking for a challenge. Precise combat is key.
Just in case you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t noticed the new monkey game blowing up on Steam. Black Myth Wukong is that game, and those numbers are no coincidence, as the game is a wonderful experience that offers a pseudo-souls-like experience that truly feels like a game-of-the-year contender.
However, you may be in the position where you have milked this new action RPG dry and are on the hunt for your next hack-and-slash fix.
Well, we intend to help with a handful of games that will offer an experience that fans of Black Myth Wukong will love. So, if you’re looking to fill the void, check out these superb options.
10 DMC: Devil May Cry
Hell Hath No Fury
We kick things off with a game that undoubtedly has a much more arcade-like, not to mention demonic, feel to the action. But nonetheless, Devil May Cry is hack-and-slash royalty, making it an obvious choice for this list.
Black Myth Wukong masquerades as a Souls-like at times, but at its core, it’s a game about button bashing and chaining combos. Two things that are staples for Dante and Vergil.
You could pick just about any game from the long list of options this series has on offer, but I want to give a little bit of love to the soft reboot, which I personally thought was great and deserves more love.
Sure, the story and writing are a little cheesy, but the gameplay is accessible, fast-paced, and fun. So, if you fancy giving the new-look Dante a chance, I assure you, you won’t regret it.
9 Nine Sols
A Tao Treat For Wukong Fans
Black Myth Wukong does a brilliant job of making you feel like a skill martial artist capable of just about any feat, and this is something that the recent Metroidvania Nine Sols does also.
This Taoist epic offers a 2D Souls-Like experience that feels challenging, has a wealth of systems to master, and has loads of interesting areas to explore.
Not to mention, much like Wukong, all of the bosses are meticulously designed to offer a stern test that simultaneously oozes cinematic flair.
The key difference here is that you’ll mainly need to focus on parrying rather than dodging in that one, but if you want a traditional Metroidvania with a twist, Nine Sols is just the ticket for Wukong fans.
8 God of War: Ragnarok
Watch The Prophecy Unfold
Several games have taken Arkham Asylum’s combat blueprint and built around it to offer a unique gaming experience, but I would argue that few do it quite as well as God of War: Ragnarok.
Not only does this game offer a huge world to explore, oodles of content, and a gripping story from start to end. It also has much better combat compared to the 2018 reboot, and this combat is a stone’s throw away from that of Wukong.
I’ll grant you that GOW’s combat is much more accessible and far less punishing, but all the core components are there, and it will almost certainly scratch the same itch.
Plus, if you want a comparable challenge to Wukong, you can always seek out harder fights in the form of God of War: Ragnarok’s Berserkers.
It’s a brilliant game, and just one wonderful exclusive in Sony’s ever-growing PS5 line-up.
7 Rise of the Ronin
The Way of the Samurai
Rise of the Ronin was a game that definitely failed to blow the gaming world away when it arrived earlier this year, mainly due to the less-than-stellar graphics and the fact that ‘it’s not Nioh.’
However, even if it’s not an all-time great, it’s still a samurai epic that’s well worth checking out. Not only because of the excellent story, side quests, and characters, but also because of the fast, frenetic combat.
It’s a game that feels a lot like Ghost of Tsushima in many ways, but with a more arcade-like feel and more variety to the combat styles on offer.
Wukong has a lot in common with samurai epics due to the setting and the ties to ancient Asian folklore, and this makes Rise of the Ronin an obvious choice for anyone looking for a similar experience.
6 Stellar Blade
Button Bashing Bliss
I was close to putting titles like Nier: Automata and Bayonetta on this list, mainly to get some female representation up in here, as well as offering an example of a modern hack and slash classic.
But, in the end, I simply couldn’t look past the new kid on the block, Stellar Blade. A game that offers style and substance in equal measure.
The game looks the part, which we all knew it would well before release, much like Wukong. But, again, much like Wukong, Stellar Blade backs it up with amazing cinematic showpieces, a cohesive and fluid combat system, and mountains of content to work through.
It’s gameplay that feels like thoughtful and challenging button-mashing, which will make Wukong fans feel right at home.
5 Nioh
Team Ninja’s Crown Jewel
Rise of the Ronin had its critics for simply not being like Team Ninja’s crown jewel, Nioh. But in the fan’s defense, it’s easy to see why being denied more Nioh would be a cause for outrage, as this title is a blast.
This strange blend of Souls-like difficulty and Diablo-esque loot collecting offers a very rewarding experience with plenty of interesting lore to get lost in.
However, the combat is quite far removed from the Dark Souls blueprint, instead feeling like a traditional hack-and-slash title where thoughtful combos, precise movement, and mechanical mastery are the keys to success.
It’s a lot tougher than Wukong, at least in my humble opinion, but if you’re up for a challenge, this could be the game to fill the void.
4 Sifu
Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting
If there’s one genre that feels like it’s cut from the same cloth as Hack and Slash games, it’s Beat-em-ups. Sifu is a game that feels like a love letter to old arcade classics like Streets of Rage and Double Dragon, but modernizes the formula to offer a much modern take on the beat-em-up blueprint.
You’ll enjoy various 3D levels, a variety of insane combos and techniques to unlock and master, and combat that feels like a blend of a traditional Souls game and a fighting title like Tekken or Street Fighter.
This game offers a quest for vengeance in a bid to take down your own flesh and blood who killed your father in cold blood. So, it goes without saying, it’s a story that’s been done to death.
However, the gameplay is the star of the show here, and even after several replays, you’ll feel like there is still so much to learn and master. Which is how learning martial arts should feel.
3 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Deflect and Counter
It’s fair to say that Wukong is a hard game, but definitely more accessible than most Souls games. Which is why I have to warn you that Sekiro is not a game that pulls its punches at all.
In fact, I would deem it the hardest FromSoft game of all. But regardless of that, I would still highly recommend it to anyone that loved Wukong, as the story, setting, bosses, and excellent combat all feel like close relatives of Black Myth: Wukong’s gameplay principles.
Sekiro, much like Nine Sols, is a game that relies on the player wholeheartedly embracing the game’s parry system, and those that treat this like a normal Souls game will have a bad time.
However, if you’re used to using Rock Solid in Wukong, and picking your moments to strike, this may just be right up your alley. It’s not for those with weak resolves, but if you’re willing to put in the work, Sekiro is a very rewarding experience.
2 Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty
Similar By Name, Similar By Nature
Our runner-up is a game that many people will mistake for Wukong at a glance, and honestly, that’s fair, as they practically have the same name. Wo-Long, Wu-Kong, same difference.
You would think the similarities would stop at the name, but these games are actually kindred spirits, as they offer similar combat systems, Asian folklore narratives that are riveting from start to finish, and challenging boss battles aplenty.
This one feels like a lovechild of two already-mentioned games, Nioh and Sekiro. It allows for more dynamic combat but also equally rewards precise deflections.
It’s a wonderful game that perhaps didn’t get the flowers it deserved, but it’s never too late to give a forgotten game some love.
1 Ghost of Tsushima
Bring Honor Back To Tsushima
Wrapping things up, we have the game that we feel is the ideal way for any Black Myth Wukong fan to fill the void after completing the Journey to the West inspired epic. This is because Ghost of Tsushima offers a brilliant narrative that Sony exclusives often do.
Despite technically being a last-gen game, it offers some of the finest visuals on the market and has surprisingly good combat.
Combat feels like a revamp of something you would find in modern Assassin’s Creed titles, but with a bit more polish, variety, and challenge if you up the difficulty level.
Plus, you have a vast open world to explore meaning that there is a wealth of content to keep you busy. It ticks all the same boxes that Wukong does and then some, making this a brilliant game to ease into after you roll credits on Black Myth Wukong.
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