Even If Black Myth: Wukong Isn't a Soulslike, FromSoftware Has Changed Action Games Forever

ign.com:

It is a well-known trope that whenever a new action game is revealed that gets people excited, there is a tendency to also assume it’s a Soulslike game. It happened with both Stellar Blade and even Armored Core 6 earlier this year. The latest victim is Black Myth: Wukong. Search for the game online and you’ll find dozens of articles, Reddit threads, and game forum topics asking whether or not Black Myth: Wukong is a Soulslike, as well as follow-ups clarifying that, actually, no, Black Myth: Wukong isn’t a Soulslike game after all.

I want to go on record and say once and for all that Black Myth: Wukong is not a Soulslike. However, it is a great character action game that draws inspiration from Dark Souls, alongside many other great action games including God of War and Bayonetta.

What people mean by Soulslike can vary slightly (or sometimes significantly), but oftentimes they mean games with a risk-reward element, like losing Souls, XP, or resources upon death, difficult bosses, melee-focused combat, and limited healing. Dark Souls and Elden Ring creator Hidetaka Miyazaki actually defined the genre for IGN in an interview, calling them “Those dark fantasy third-person action games with a higher focus on melee combat and sense of accomplishment.”

Personally, I think the hallmarks of a true Soulslike games are defined by difficult boss fights, a leveling system dependent on defeating enemies — hence their need to respawn after each checkpoint — as well as an element of exploration. FromSoftware games all have complex map layouts, with shortcuts and routes that can double-back and connect with each other, like one big maze.

Black Myth: Wukong certainly ticks some of those Soulslike boxes – its boss fights are certainly challenging, it has a similar dodgeroll and melee attack combat style, plus the use of stamina bars and finite health items – but I’d say it actually has much more in common with a boss rush game, like No More Heroes. The level design is almost completely