Black Myth Wukong: Every Chapter Ranked

Black Myth Wukong is a real treat for players who want bang for their buck, as the game is jam-packed with content, boss fights, and lengthy chapters that split up the game’s elaborate story.

And even then, if you’re not digging around, you’ll miss a lot of the secret areas and hidden goodies the game rewards the more perceptive players with.

Each chapter has something to offer that makes it worthwhile, and I would go so far as to say none are irredeemably bad. That being said though, some are definitely better than others.

For every cinematic boss that defines a chapter, there is a strange gimmick, a cheap boss fight, or a plodding story beat that can drag down the chapter as a whole.

So we thought it would be fun to look at each of the chapters, warts and all, and decide which one offers the best overall experience.

6 Chapter 6

If you’ve endured Black Myth: Wukong to the point that you have reached chapter 6, you’ll know how each chapter tends to play out and know what to expect.

You start slow, beat some bosses, meet some key characters, and then explore the various regions of the new land you inhabit. It’s a formula that, up until this point, had ensured a satisfying blend of exploration, random encounters, and boss-rush gauntlet action.

This is why Chapter Six marks a real fall-off for this otherwise phenomenal title, as, after the admittedly fantastic fight against the Supreme Inspector, the game decides to reward you with Somersault Cloud, which behaves much like Goku’s Flying Nimbus.

This is a fun novelty at first, but as you realize that the vast area you can explore is mostly empty, you’ll dart around aimlessly, trying to find the next boss to fight, which really takes you out of the experience entirely.

The chapter isn’t without its standout moments, but this change made the whole chapter feel more like a tech demo or proof of concept rather than a complete and fleshed-out finale.

5 Chapter 5

Generally speaking, due to the rather rushed feel of the last couple of chapters within Black Myth Wukong, it really feels like diminishing returns with each new chapter you work through, rather than building to a grand crescendo, and that drop-off really begins in chapter five.

Unlike the chapters that came before, this one feels like a much more linear experience, with fewer opportunities to go off the beaten track and much less variety in terms of the environments you explore.

But this could have been forgiven if the story, bosses, and moment-to-moment gameplay had stood out from the previous chapters. Sadly, though, the bosses of this chapter are easily the least interesting in terms of design and rarely offer any challenge at all.

It honestly feels like a filler chapter concocted out of obligation to tell a complete story in line with A Journey to the West, but in truth, if they had omitted this chapter entirely, I don’t think I would truly miss anything it had to offer.

4 Chapter 1

Thankfully for Game Science and the fans of this epic adventure, the game starts off on much more solid footing, offering a much more put-together and engaging initial chapter.

The appeal of this beginning chapter is the ambitious nature of the story, and your role in this world as you slowly piece together the core mechanics of this punishing title. But this leads to some impressive highs, and some minor fumbles.

The strength of this chapter is the initial ‘wow’ factor of the impressive visuals, and the fact that the player is grossly unequipped for the steep challenges the game has in store with very few items and pieces of gear to create bespoke builds.

However, the tentative start to the story and the slow introduction of the games’ core systems does make for a chapter that dines out on moments rather than a cohesive and engaging chapter from start to finish. It’s great, don’t get me wrong, but the other chapters far surpass this one.

3 Chapter 3

Chapter Three is a phenomenal showcase of what Black Myth Wukong is all about. It offers a fresh new frosty biome, introduces some intriguing characters, offers a wealth of cinematic boss battles, with the staggering battle against Kang-Jin-Loong on Mirrormere being a real visual treat, and also provides plenty of unique areas to explore away from the main path of progression.

In truth, you would think that this one would be a contender for the finest chapter of them all. However, there is one glaring issue that serves as a black mark against this chapter, and that’s the Pagoda Region.

Due to a series of laughably hard bosses with shoddy design, and a curse mechanic that drains your health every one and a half minutes like clockwork, it makes the middle of this chapter a chore, and while the latter half and Yellowbrow somewhat make up for it, the damage had already been done in my eyes.

2 Chapter 4

If you’re an arachnophobe, you probably won’t have had fun during the fourth chapter of Black Myth: Wukong, but if you could deal with all those hairy legs and beady eyes, you’ll likely have adored the Webbed Hollow and beyond.

This chapter has some wonderful highs, such as Zhu Bajie’s starring role and eventual boss fight and the beautiful secret area of Purple Cloud Mountain. Not to mention the large open areas after eventually ascending from Webbed Hollow, which offers some of the best items and goodies worth sourcing in the game.

It’s an incredible showcase of storytelling, and perhaps the most accessible and coherent contained narrative throughout the game. And there are some cinematic moments worth their weight in gold.

However, due to some annoying fights where environmental hazards impede your movement and a final boss who practically demands you complete the optional secret area to proceed, we think this one comes in at second best. It must be said that it was like splitting hairs at times.

1 Chapter 2

I could have given this chapter the win based on the oozing charisma of the headless musician alone. But that would be selling this chapter short.

Chapter Two which takes place in Yellow Wind Ridge is a joy to behold from start to finish, with the most striking biome of all, engaging and rewarding side quests, sublime bosses like the Tiger Vanguard and Fuban to name a few, and a much more open map design compared to the rest of the chapter’s offerings.

Chapter Two is truly Black Myth Wukong at its best and ticks every boss in terms of narrative, gameplay, and rewarding secrets for those willing to do the extra legwork.

It’s a little disappointing that this epic Souls-like could never match the brilliance of this chapter as the game progressed, but in Game Science’s defense, it would have been a tough ask, as this portion of the game is as close to perfect as you could ask for.