I postponed my internship to play Black Myth: Wukong
I grew up watching a monkey fight demons with a magical staff, so it was only natural that I played Black Myth: Wukong the moment it was released.
I even requested for my internship to start at a later date to give myself time to finish the game.
Set as a sequel to the famous tale Journey To The West, the role-playing game presented familiar characters and events.
The player takes on the role of the Destined One, who sets out to retrieve six relics to follow Sun Wukong's footsteps and along the way fights bosses and encounters all sorts of creatures.
Every chapter ended with a cut scene in differing animation styles, giving a deeper insight into a character or theme.
Thanks to the deep lore and how crazily interconnected the characters are, I got that satisfying "ooh" moment each time I learnt their story.
With over 100 amazingly designed bosses, including optional and secret ones, I found myself tested in skill (and patience) with each encounter. I could be up against a deranged swordsman on a bridge or come face to face with two giant heads that breath fire and wind.
Each fight becomes a visual spectacle like those over-dramatised fight sequences one can find in an anime.
For example in Chapter 1, the big bad is the Black Bear Guai. But there is the secret boss Elder Jinchi gamers can unlock.
In the novel, he tried to burn the monk Tang San Zang, only for his attempt to be foiled by Sun.
Out of guilt, he ends his own life, only to be resurrected by his friend Black Bear Guai. He mistakes you for Sun and starts attacking you in hopes of surviving the encounter.
Unsurprisingly, Sun is my favourite boss – and also the boss that got me closest to smashing my controller.
Although immensely enjoyable, the game is not without flaws.
Despite being an open-world game, there are invisible barriers scattered around. While these are meant to prevent players from wandering off, at times they deceive how big the area actually is and makes it easy to get lost.
The game also does not have a map, making it even more annoying to navigate.
At times, the camera tracking is questionable, clipping through the boss, locking on too slowly or not at all, turning the challenging fights into frustrating tussles as my attacks hit miles away from the boss.
But I could forgive all that.
The lore kept me glued and Chapter 3 was my overall favourite, with its enormous temple ground against the backdrop of snowy mountains. In the chapter, I got to meet Zhu Bajie and one of the most memorable villains, Yellow Brow.
Was this game worth putting my internship on hold?
Maybe not, as enjoyable as it was.
As a single-player game with a replayable campaign, I can take my time with it and play it at my convenience.
This game is to be savoured, not rushed through.
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