In recent days, a domestically produced game based on the Chinese mythological tale “Journey to the West” has surpassed ten million in sales, sparking a craze for all things related to the “Journey to the West” narrative. The Chinese Communist Party’s official media, in a rare move, has heaped praise on the game, seen as attempting to bolster its own image and divert domestic attention by leveraging the game for propaganda purposes.
The internet company GameScience officially announced on the evening of August 23 that their game “Black Myth: Wukong” had achieved over 10 million sales in just three days since its release (as of 9:00 p.m. on August 23) across major platforms, with a peak simultaneous online player count of 3 million. On Weibo, on August 28, “Black Myth: Wukong” surpassed 900 million reads.
“Journey to the West” is a mythological tale of the journey of characters like Sun Wukong and his master to the Western Heaven to attain spiritual enlightenment, and “Black Myth: Wukong” is a reimagined adaptation of this classic. Reviewing the game’s storyline, it is found that the story begins with Sun Wukong rebelling against the Heavenly Court, renouncing his Buddha status to return to his home at Flower Fruit Mountain, only to be defeated by heavenly soldiers. Therefore, a successor is needed to carry on his legacy, and this chosen successor, known as the “chosen one,” must gather six of Sun Wukong’s relics to complete the game.
The game relies on locations such as the Guanyin Temple, Spider Cave, and Banana Cave from the original text, while adapting the storyline and designing corresponding challenging combat levels.
Some players have commented that, “After spending over 40 hours, I finally completed the game.” Many felt that some character designs were unattractive and shared their “ugly photos” online, saying “Why does this Wukong look so ugly?” But others remarked, “With a phoenix feather golden crown on his head, a golden armor of locks on his body, lotus silk cloud-stepping shoes on his feet, and the magic wish-granting golden hoop rod in his hand, how did the ancients come up with such cool equipment names? They sound so poetic.”
According to reports in mainland Chinese media, due to budget constraints, many scenes in the game were created through real-world scans and incorporated into the game. The presence of ancient architectural elements in the game enhances the visual impact and realism. The game’s art director, Yang Qi, stated, “This is a way of showing respect to our ancestors.”
As the area with the most filming locations, Shanxi Culture and Tourism promptly launched a Black Myth themed tourism route. A Black Wukong statue erected at the Qingyuan Water City scenic area became a popular spot for visitors to take photos, with one person even accidentally breaking its arm while posing.
Notably, at a time when Beijing authorities are tightening regulations on the gaming industry, this AAA game has received rare praise from Chinese official media. However, numerous live streamers and ordinary gamers have faced severe crackdowns, with content related to politics, religion, and epidemics subject to scrutiny.
On August 20, the official party media Xinhua News Agency published an article stating that behind “Black Myth: Wukong” lies the concept of “using world-class quality to tell Chinese stories.” On August 21, the official WeChat account of the Nanjing municipal government posted, “The game’s art director, Yang Qi, is from Nanjing. Nanjing moms are proud of you.” The spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maoning, also mentioned during a press conference that “the global popularity of the game reflects the attractiveness of Chinese culture.” Even the spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, Wu Qian, on August 29, responded to the so-called South China Sea issue involving the Philippines using lyrics from “Journey to the West”: “Treading on rough roads to build a wide way, after overcoming hardships, we set off again.”
Ironically, just three years ago, official media specifically criticized games like “Honor of Kings” as “electronic drugs” and “spiritual opium,” even labeling them as threats to the Communist Party and national security. For example, when Sun Zhengcai, the former Party Secretary of Chongqing, was ousted, it was revealed that he was addicted to playing the game “Honor of Kings,” refusing to leave his car until finishing a game.
There are reports indicating that similar to officials, the phenomenon of playing “Honor of Kings” has also become prevalent among military personnel. Even guards in concentration camps in Xinjiang were not exempt, leading to the Xinjiang military banning “Honor of Kings.” The Liberation Army Daily directly criticized “Honor of Kings” for its addictive nature. Commentaries suggest that the intricate bureaucratic and military structures of the Communist Party have easily succumbed to a mobile game.
Recently, Li Yang, the founder of “Crazy English,” publicly criticized that “all games are bad games.” He expressed that the popularity of “Black Myth: Wukong” reflects a national sorrow, emphasizing the importance of returning to a normal life and raising children to be decent individuals.
“With so many people choosing to lie flat and engage in games aimlessly,” he remarked, “we no longer have high expectations. We only wish for children to live normally, get up and sleep at regular hours, eat properly, interact with parents normally… We don’t aspire for grand achievements, such as becoming scientists or poets; we just hope for children to live well, reduce pollution on Earth, and minimize harm to others.”
“Black Myth: Wukong” has been exposed as a very challenging game. Players on online platforms share their experiences, with comments like “The completion rate of ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ on Steam platform is only 14%.” “My family members are all stuck at that level.” “The tigers are really hard to beat.” “For those who played ‘Black Myth: Wukong,’ before: I was the Great Sage Equal to Heaven; after: I am Sun Shangxiang (a female character).” “The frame rate on console cannot keep up, and there is input delay.” “I am exhausted, finally did it…”
Some gamers have realized that “On the road of life, each of us is a pilgrim. We must break free from desires, escape emotional prisons, proceed boldly, and face destiny head-on.”
Interestingly, the incorporation of Sun Wukong into games is not a new phenomenon. In the film “Scraping Fortune” released in 2001, the successful male protagonist based the lead character of a game he was marketing for the U.S. market on Sun Wukong, winning a major game design award. In court, a male lawyer from a children’s welfare institute explained Sun Wukong as having violent tendencies to provoke the main character, Xu Datong.
Qin Peng, a specialist on Chinese matters, stated in an interview with Epoch Times that the Communist Party excels at using various opportunities to promote itself, distorting the hard work and achievements of the Chinese people as its own savvy decisions. In reality, this game has little to do with the Party, and without the Communist Party, the Chinese people are capable of creating even better art and games, with their moral values and artistic appreciation far surpassing the current state.
“The ‘Journey to the West’ is a culmination and stellar representation of traditional Chinese culture and has no affiliation with the Communist Party that has been destroying Chinese culture for over seventy years. The sincerity, spirit, courageousness, and devotion to the master and Buddhist teachings represented by Sun Wukong are completely at odds with the evil and deceit of Communist Party culture,” he remarked.
A report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on August 29 stated that the fervor surrounding “Black Myth: Wukong” aligns with the Chinese (Communist) government’s efforts to boost its soft power and enhance cultural exports. The Communist Party has always sought to balance the influence of foreign cultural products within China.
Qin Peng believes that the Communist Party is now vigorously promoting this game not only out of habit to use various trending events for self-promotion but also for a hidden agenda. As the Party’s misguided policies have led to economic downturns, widespread business closures, and soaring youth unemployment rates, resulting in increasing dissatisfaction among the populace, the entire Chinese society is brewing with discontent and desires for change. Instead of resolving fundamental economic and social issues, the Party seeks to divert domestic focus through game promotions and propaganda.