Game Science has dropped the first proper gameplay look at its upcoming title, Black Myth: Zhong Kui, offering a clearer picture of the game’s new parry-focused combat and the journey of its titular character.
The hefty 15-minute-long gameplay trailer sees the titular Zhong Kui long before he becomes the ghost-hunting deity. Unlike the previous game, 2024’s Black Myth: Wukong, the game seems to place a larger emphasis on fights against regular enemies rather than its predecessor’s Boss-focused nature, with Zhong Kui facing off against a large group of humanoid ghouls.
Armed with a blade this time around, combat looks to be as fluid as ever, with Zhong Kui dispatching the group with a flurry of blows, alongside deflecting attacks with the game’s new parry system, which looks extremely seamless and satisfying, mirroring the one seen in Capcom’s own upcoming sword-fighting action game, Onimusha: Way of the Sword.
The game also showcases the special ability of the protagonist’s sword – the ability to absorb elements. In another sequence, Zhong Kui hurls what looks to be a fire bomb at his foes, engulfing a large area in flames. He then raises his blade and absorbs the flames, which doesn’t just look cool but also grants him a fiery special attack.
Zhong Kui then encounters a boss, a giant humanoid ghoul with clamshell-like wings. The fight occurs in two phases, with a mysterious ally appearing midway through to help out the protagonist, and at one point, he is also able to take direct control of said ally to unleash devastating blows, although this period of control seems to be on a short timer.
Once the boss is defeated, the trailer cuts to a montage of cutscenes from other parts of the game, including different bosses and creatures players will encounter, alongside an ending shot of Zhong Kui riding on the back of his tiger-like companion, hinting that the game will feature his journey to become the legendary ghost hunter.
While the gameplay trailer was pretty in-depth, Game Science has yet to announce a release date for Black Myth: Zhong Kui, nor has it shown any footage of gameplay when the protagonist is in his ultimate deity form, so that’s something to look forward to as it progresses further into development.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
Si Jia
