Can it run “Black Myth: Wukong”? Graphics cards on the verge of collapse, but lots of gaming fun

1 - Intro, technology and gameplay 2 - Benchmarks, critical points, map and conclusion

“Black Myth: Wukong” is an ambitious action role-playing game from Chinese developer studio Game Science that brings the legend of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, into the modern video game world in an impressive way. The game is based on the classic Chinese tale “The Journey to the West”, which has been adapted many times before, but Game Science takes this adaptation to a new level, both narratively and technically. yes, it’s not quite my genre, I admit, but it still captivated me surprisingly quickly.

The development of “Black Myth: Wukong” is deeply rooted in Asian mythology, with the game depicting the epic battles and mesmerizing world with a gritty, almost realistic aesthetic. The game owes much of this visual splendor to the Unreal Engine 5, developed by Epic Games. This engine allows the game to offer an unprecedented level of detail and vibrancy in the environments. In particular, the lighting effects, textures and character animations benefit enormously from the power of this advanced engine. The engine not only supports high-resolution textures, but also advanced physics simulations and dynamic lighting, which makes the gaming experience even more intense and quickly pushes the graphics hardware to the edge of insanity.

Technical details

An essential part of the graphical excellence of “Black Myth: Wukong” is the integration of NVIDIA technologies that take the game to a new level. The use of DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling) allows players to maximize resolution and image quality while maintaining a high frame rate. This technology uses AI-powered upscaling to produce razor-sharp images at high performance, which is particularly beneficial in a game as graphically demanding as this one. NVIDIA’s ray tracing technology is also used to create realistic lighting and shadow effects. Ray tracing calculates the behavior of light rays in real time and thus creates a true-to-life representation of reflections and shadows, which significantly increases immersion. These effects are particularly important in the dark, mystical environments of “Black Myth: Wukong”, as they enhance the atmosphere and the feeling of danger and adventure. The use of NVIDIA’s ReSTIR GI (Reservoir-based Spatio-Temporal Importance Resampling) ensures a realistic calculation of light and shadow, which is particularly evident in scenes with dense vegetation and complex lighting conditions. In addition, the image quality is improved by caustics that simulate the refraction of light in water surfaces and thus ensure even more realistic reflections.

RTX ON

RTX OFF

Without and with Raytracing (Source NVIDIA)

In addition to ray tracing, conventional techniques based on non-NVIDIA-specific technologies are also used to display light and shadows. A central component is the use of Lumen technology from Unreal Engine 5. Lumen is a dynamic global illumination solution that makes it possible to display realistic light and shadow effects in real time without resorting to ray tracing. This technology provides impressive lighting by simulating the behavior of light in different environments, including indirect lighting created by bouncing light rays off surfaces. Lumen uses a method based on image space and scene data to calculate shadows and lighting. This method enables a high quality of light representation, especially in scenes with complex geometry and many light sources. An example of this technology is the way the game illuminates environments such as forests or caves, where the light hits objects realistically and creates shadows depending on the position of the light sources.

In addition to lumens, there are also traditional techniques such as Cascaded Shadow Mapping (CSM), which is often used in games to display sharp and detailed shadows, especially with light sources such as the sun. This technique segments the scene into different areas (cascades) to vary the quality of the shadows depending on the distance to the camera, allowing for efficient shadow calculation.

It is also important to note that the game not only exclusively supports NVIDIA technologies such as DLSS and ray tracing, but is also compatible with AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) and Intel’s XeSS. These broad supports allow the game to run powerfully on a variety of hardware configurations while providing impressive visual quality. The performance of the game varies greatly depending on the upscaling technology used and the graphics options selected. NVIDIA’s DLSS provides the best image quality, especially at higher resolutions such as Ultra HD, and ensures that the game runs smoothly even with ray tracing enabled.

AMD’s FSR 3.0 also shows solid results, but with a slightly lower image quality compared to DLSS, especially at high resolutions. It still provides a significant performance boost, making it a good choice for gamers with AMD graphics cards. Unfortunately, there are reports of problems with the implementation of FSR, which can occasionally lead to visual artifacts, especially in scenes with fast movements or complex lighting conditions.

Intel’s XeSS is also available as an alternative and offers a good balance between performance and image quality, but lags slightly behind DLSS in overall quality. For gamers with Intel graphics cards or systems that don’t support NVIDIA graphics cards, XeSS is a viable solution to improve frame rates without sacrificing too much visual quality. Unfortunately, I was only able to use an A750, which seems to be slightly overtaxed with this game if you want to enjoy more than Full HD in handsome splendor.

Gameplay and input devices

The player is offered intense and challenging gameplay that is heavily inspired by classic action role-playing games and Soulslike titles. The game puts the player in the role of Sun Wukong, the legendary Monkey King, who must fight his way through a dangerous and mystical world. The battles are fast, tactical and require precise timing and clever evasive maneuvers from the player. Enemies are often powerful and can kill the player with just a few blows, making the use of parries, blocks and skillful dodging essential. The game places great emphasis on learning attack patterns and mastering your skills, making it a satisfying yet challenging experience.

A central element of the gameplay is the transformation of Sun Wukong into different forms, each bringing unique abilities and fighting styles. This mechanic allows the player to adapt flexibly to different combat situations and offers a variety of strategic options. The world of “Black Myth: Wukong” is dense and atmospheric, full of hidden paths, dangerous enemies and imposing bosses that test the player’s stamina and skills. There are numerous opportunities for exploration, and the rewards for curious players are often valuable resources or powerful items that make it easier to progress.

The difference between playing with a controller and using the keyboard and mouse is noticeable and can have a significant impact on the experience, depending on the player’s preferences. With a controller, the game feels smoother and more natural, especially when moving and dodging in battles. The button mapping of a controller allows for intuitive control, which is particularly beneficial in hectic battles. The analog sticks also offer finer control over movement and the camera perspective, which is particularly important in a game with lots of close combat and fast movements.

On the other hand, keyboard and mouse controls offer more precise handling, especially when moving the camera and aiming abilities. The mouse makes it possible to adjust the camera quickly and precisely, which can be an advantage in chaotic combat situations. The keyboard also allows a greater number of key assignments, which makes it easier to manage skills and items. However, the keyboard and mouse controls can be a little more cumbersome in some situations, especially when performing quick dodges or complex combos that are more intuitive on a controller. You have to weigh it up for yourself, but I got on well with both options.