Unlocking the Secrets of Black Myth: Wukong – What the Game Doesn’t Tell You

Discover essential tips and hidden secrets of Black Myth: Wukong that the game doesn’t tell you.

As you dive into the Black Myth: Wukong, you’ll quickly discover that not everything is spelt out for you. Hidden mechanics, secret strategies, and unspoken tips can make or break your experience. Here’s a comprehensive guide to some of the things Black Myth: Wukong doesn’t tell you, helping you navigate the game’s complexities and unlock its full potential.

1. The Evolving Keeper Shrines

At the beginning of your journey, Keeper Shrines might seem like simple save points where you can rest and recover. However, as you progress, these shrines evolve, offering a variety of functions that become crucial to your success. By defeating bosses and collecting unique crafting materials, you can unlock new recipes for weapons and armour at these shrines. These recipes won’t appear immediately after a boss fight but will be available once you return to a shrine.

As you advance, the shrines expand further, allowing you to craft medicines, upgrade your gear, and purchase items from stores. It’s important to note that the items available in shrine stores differ from chapter to chapter, so always stock up before moving to a new area. Additionally, secret areas in the game may have exclusive items not found elsewhere, so thorough exploration is key.

2. NPC Interactions Are Vital

In Black Myth: Wukong, NPCs aren’t just background characters—they play a significant role in your progression. Skipping conversations or side quests can result in missed opportunities to upgrade your abilities, acquire key items, or unlock new crafting options. For example, speaking to NPCs early on can lead to crucial upgrades for your Gourd’s healing abilities.

Most NPCs remain in the area where you first encounter them, making it essential to revisit them in later chapters. Merchants might have new stock, or characters you’ve met previously may offer new quests or services. Make it a habit to backtrack and check in with NPCs regularly to ensure you’re not missing out on any important content.

3. Skill Resets Are Easy and Free

If you ever find that the skills you’ve chosen aren’t working out, don’t worry—Black Myth: Wukong makes it easy to reset your skills at no cost. By visiting a Keeper’s Shrine and accessing the Self-Advance menu, you can choose the “Reignite the Sparks” option to recover all your Sparks and redistribute them as you see fit. This flexibility allows you to experiment with different playstyles and adapt to new challenges without penalty.

You can also reset individual skills if you only want to tweak certain aspects of your build. This feature is particularly useful after boss fights, where you might want to adjust your strategy based on the new abilities or relics you’ve acquired.

4. Unlock New Combat Styles

The standard Smash Stance you start with is just the beginning of your combat options in Black Myth: Wukong. As you progress, you can unlock additional stances, such as the Pillar Stance and the Thrust Stance, by investing in Sparks. Each stance offers unique advantages, whether it’s dealing damage from a distance, nullifying ground-based attacks, or hitting multiple enemies with a single strike.

Experimenting with different stances can give you an edge in tough battles. For instance, the Smash Stance is great for interrupting enemy attacks, while the Pillar Stance allows you to charge powerful AOE attacks. Don’t be afraid to switch between stances mid-combat to adapt to your enemies’ tactics.

5. Missed Spirits Can Be Collected Later

Early in the game, you might encounter spirits that you’re unable to collect because you haven’t yet acquired the necessary Gourd upgrade. Fortunately, any spirits you miss can be picked up later at Keeper Shrines once you have the right equipment. This means you don’t have to worry about missing out on valuable resources—you can always go back and collect them later.

This mechanic encourages exploration and revisiting of previous areas. As you gain new abilities and items, you’ll be able to access parts of the game world that were previously off-limits, uncovering hidden secrets and resources.

6. No Penalties for Dying

One of the more forgiving aspects of Black Myth: Wukong is that there are no penalties for dying. You won’t lose any items or Will (the game’s currency), and you won’t face any permanent consequences. When you die, you’ll simply be transported back to the last Keeper’s Shrine you interacted with, ready to face the challenge again.

This design choice allows players to experiment and take risks without fear of significant setbacks. It also encourages learning from mistakes and mastering the game’s combat system, as you can retry tough battles without losing progress.

7. Hidden Dangers in Collected Items

While collecting items is crucial for crafting and progression, Black Myth: Wukong throws in a twist—not all items are what they seem. Sometimes, when you’re gathering materials, you might find an enemy lying in wait, ready to ambush you. These surprise encounters keep you on your toes and add an element of risk to exploration.

This feature adds depth to the game’s world, making every action a potential risk-reward scenario. It also emphasizes the importance of being prepared for combat at all times, even when you’re focused on foraging for materials.

8. Keep an Eye Out for Blue-Outlined Enemies

As you explore, you’ll occasionally spot enemies with a bright blue glow around them. These foes drop spirits when defeated, which can be collected and equipped to provide various benefits in combat. These spirits can be crucial for bolstering your abilities and giving you an edge in tougher encounters.

Tracking down and defeating these enemies can be a rewarding side activity, as the spirits they drop often offer unique and powerful enhancements. Make it a point to engage these enemies whenever you see them, as the rewards are well worth the effort.

9. Backtracking Can Reveal Hidden Secrets

Black Myth: Wukong is filled with secrets, and one of the best ways to uncover them is by backtracking through previous areas. After gaining new abilities or items, revisit old locations—you might find new paths, secret bosses, or hidden items that weren’t accessible before.

Backtracking also allows you to fill in any gaps in your notebook, ensuring that you don’t miss out on any lore or important information. Additionally, some NPCs or shrine stores may update their stock with new items or services, providing further incentive to revisit earlier chapters.

10. Meditation Spots Offer Skill Points

Scattered throughout the game are Meditation Spots, where you can take a moment to reflect and gain Sparks. These Sparks are crucial for unlocking new skills, making it worthwhile to seek out and use every Meditation Spot you find.

These spots not only provide a moment of calm in the midst of your journey but also serve as a valuable resource for powering up your character. The more Sparks you collect, the more flexible and powerful your build can become.

11. Understanding Heavy Attacks

Heavy attacks in Black Myth: Wukong works differently depending on whether they’re used in or out of combos and depending on your chosen stance. When charged, they can deal massive damage, especially when used strategically within combos. Each stance offers unique heavy attack options that can dramatically change the outcome of battles.

Learning how to effectively use heavy attacks, especially within the context of your chosen stance, is key to mastering combat in Black Myth: Wukong. Whether you’re focusing on single-target damage or crowd control, there’s a heavy attack option that can suit your needs.

12. Quick Access to Photo Mode

Capturing the beauty of Black Myth: Wukong is made easy with its Photo Mode. While you can access this feature from the pause menu, there’s a quicker way to snap those perfect in-game shots. Holding down the right trigger and pressing the corresponding button allows you to enter Photo Mode without pausing the game.

This quick access feature is great for capturing spontaneous moments or for creating stunning visuals without interrupting gameplay. Whether you’re showcasing a victorious battle or the game’s breathtaking environments, Photo Mode lets you document your journey in style.

13. Permanent Upgrades with Celestial Medicines

As you progress to Chapter Two, you’ll unlock the ability to craft Celestial Medicines, which provide permanent boosts to various stats like health, mana, and stamina. These upgrades are made using Mind Cores, and while they’re consumable, you can refund them at any time. This system allows you to customize your character’s stats to suit your playstyle, providing flexibility and long-term growth.

Crafting and managing Celestial Medicines becomes essential to character development, giving you the tools to tailor your build for specific challenges or to create a well-rounded warrior ready for any situation.

^{Source: IGN}