Why Black Myth Wukong is a Genius Work of Art
Table of contents
- Embrace the unfamiliar; true discovery happens when you approach new experiences with an open mind and a sense of curiosity.
- This game isn't just entertainment; it's a transformative journey that challenges our understanding of life and art, urging us to reflect on our existence beyond mere consumerism.
- Finding peace in chaos is possible; sometimes, you just need to turn a corner to discover a new perspective.
- Rawness in music connects us on a deeper level; it's the honest human story that resonates, reminding us that the path ahead is right under our feet.
- Life is a journey of unexpected paths; embrace the twists and turns that lead you to your true voice.
- Art challenges us to see life through different lenses, revealing beauty in loss and hope in despair.
Embrace the unfamiliar; true discovery happens when you approach new experiences with an open mind and a sense of curiosity.
One of the most beautiful things about my career in opera was that I was constantly meeting new people or experiencing new things. I feel like a fairly cultured person; my career took me to places that I never thought I would go. For instance, my last gig was in France, where I remember singing an opera with somebody who literally spoke Russian and did not speak English. During that time in France, I also encountered a situation where I didn't speak French, and one of my castmates was Italian. The only way to communicate was to learn French, which I did, or to speak with my Italian colleague, with whom I could converse in Italian. It was fun, but the sense of isolation that you can experience when you're on these gigs or away, or when you're exploring a new culture, a new environment, or a new place, can be really overwhelming.
What I think this game does so well is that ideally, you embrace something that's new and feels foreign to you. For a long time, I was studying and practicing Buddhist principles and ideals. I learned about Confucianism, Taoism, and Daoism in history, and at one point, I wanted to be a history teacher. To see Buddhist principles or talk about the Buddha or the enlightened one and the celestial core was really beautiful. The only exposure I've really gotten to this in a similar way was with Genshin Impact, particularly with its representation of Chinese culture and Beijing Opera.
What I feel is really amazing about this game is that if you go into it thinking about it with some sensitivity and consider it as a piece of art and literature, you come away with a renewed sense of desire for discovery. I think that this is what a lot of people tend to get wrong about gaming in general, especially in 2024, but certainly about this game. If we look at it from a video game perspective, I don't think it's so innovative; there are stances, combat, and the typical mechanics we would find in any game. However, what's different about this game is the artistic value it provides, more so than a lot of other titles that come out now.
We could say that many video games are works of art in general, and I would always agree with that statement. However, this game made me feel like I was also learning, and that was the thing that kept me wanting to play. Every single time I would enter a new area, I didn't know what I was going to get, which kept me interested and engaged. There was always some sort of mythology or lore that intrigued me, prompting me to read more about it. This aspect reminded me of Aesop's Fables or Grimm's Fairy Tales, which are things we are exposed to in the West. However, what's really interesting is that we are not exposed to much of this when it comes to embracing other cultures.
Growing up in a multicultural home, I didn't have the standard life experience that a lot of my peers did in high school and middle school. I grew up in an Italian home, where everyone was talking about sports, while I was speaking Italian, discussing Italian food, and listening to music. My dad didn't grow up in an All-American high school; he grew up in Italy, and my mother grew up in a small town in Italy. Therefore, to me, the cultural impact of this game cannot be underestimated.
What tends to happen is that we look at this from a very shallow, consumeristic perspective, thinking of it merely as a game. However, it is so much more than that and requires a little bit of open-mindedness. As a society, whether it's East or West, I can't really speak to the East, but certainly in Western society, particularly in the United States, I feel that as time goes on, the conversation around gaming and art becomes much more consumeristic. What this game does, if you allow yourself to take the time, is to encourage you to think about the landscape of what it means to engage with art and culture.
This game isn't just entertainment; it's a transformative journey that challenges our understanding of life and art, urging us to reflect on our existence beyond mere consumerism.
The cultural impact of this game can't be underestimated. I think what tends to happen is that we look at this from a very shallow consumeristic perspective, where we say to ourselves, "this game is a game," right? However, it is so much more than that. It requires a little bit of open-mindedness. As a society, whether it's East or West—I can't really speak to the East—but certainly in a Western society like the United States, I feel that as time goes on, the conversation around gaming and the conversation around art becomes much more consumeristic.
What this game does, if you allow yourself to take the time, is that it allows you to think about the landscape of what it means to appreciate a journey. Not to be parabolic, but Journey to the West allows you to go on a trip where you can experience new things and emerge on the other side, hopefully with your life perspective a little bit different. This is the problem: in a society that values consumerism, money, and spending, what we lose is the overwhelming sense that life is actually way bigger than just playing something on a controller in a video game and then moving on to the next thing.
What Black Myth: Wukong does is it connects us not only to a different culture but also to a deeper meaning. Now, some of the stories may be hard to follow if you don't necessarily know Journey to the West, but I would also argue that you don't need to know it to take away some sort of moral or conversation about what's happening in these stories. For instance, I'm thinking about the end of chapter 4, especially the end of chapter 3, and how it reflects on humanity and the ideals of humans—how humans can be easily manipulated or what it means to even exist in the world.
There's also something I found really interesting—spoilers ahead! As we approach the end of this game, there's a phrase that suggests you can't really go back; you have to go on the journey. As long as you're born and you choose to just go, that's life, right? We often get hung up on little things all the time, but what this game does is, if you allow it to, it will actually change your mental perspective. That's really exciting to me because we move away from just something that we're doing to waste time. I mean, everything we're doing here is just wasting time, you know what I mean? Playing video games, going to work—what is it all about? What is this YouTube channel for? What is it all for?
It's the stuff that we're doing to get by, and I think a game like this can really make you stop. When you play it for 40 to 50 hours—consider that, 40 to 50 hours of a life, and we only get so many hours in a lifetime. To sit down and commit to this and come away with it thinking, "Oh, what a fun game," is way bigger than that. Now, of course, it is a fun game, so you wouldn't be wrong to think that, but there’s such depth. Everyone wants to shy away from talking about the real stuff, but in my mind, this is the goods.
This game will make you think about what it means to be alive or certainly what it means to have action and do things in life. In my experience with studying a little bit of Buddhism—I had a meditation coach at one point because I had a lot of anxiety in my opera career, which is partly the reason why I quit opera to begin with. For those of you that don't know, I was a former opera singer. I quit because the anxiety was eating me alive, and finding ways to be centered and strong internally was really hard. Meditation was a way that I did it.
To find meditation spots in this game, where you can have a calm moment of peace to reflect on the journey or perhaps just take a little bit of a break, was really special. Again, every time you turn a corner, you're encountering some new mythological creature to experience—whether it's Wolf People, a giant Green Man with a huge head, or whatever. The bosses are all really intriguingly designed, and there is so much to discover.
Finding peace in chaos is possible; sometimes, you just need to turn a corner to discover a new perspective.
The reason why I quit Opera to begin with, for those of you that don't know, is that I was a former opera singer. I quit because I couldn't handle the anxiety; it was like eating me alive. Trying to find ways to be centered and strong internally was really hard. So, in my search for peace, meditation became a way for me to cope. Finding meditation spots in this game, where we are in a calm moment of peace to reflect on the journey or perhaps just to take a little bit of a break, was really special.
Every time you turn a corner in the game, you encounter some new mythological creature to experience. Whether it's Wolf People, a giant Green Man with a huge head, or the intriguingly designed bosses, there was not one moment in this game where I was bored. Each new place you enter delights you with a new visual experience. This ties into the idea of art being bigger than the sum of its parts. You walk into an experience and think, "Holy crap, look at this tiger in a pool of blood with a Buddha statue behind it!" When do you ever see that in modern gaming?
In conclusion, Black Myth: Wukong is not just a game; it's a literal lived experience. You can approach it like a game and enjoy it for what it is—absolutely, it's a good game. However, the reason why it is so good is not just because of the game mechanics; it's good because of the storytelling. There’s clearly passion involved, and the music is interesting.
Let’s listen to some of this music. Musically speaking, there was a lot of terrific content in this game. The fact that the developers included a music player within the game itself shows how much they respect the importance of music. This is a music channel, for those of you that don't know, so we must discuss how meaningful the experience is because of the music.
Overall, with my 50 hours spent in the game, I felt the music was pretty sparse. However, I found it interesting that they used traditional Chinese instrumentation like the Guang pipa, along with Chinese lyrics. I have plenty of friends involved in a program called Iing Beijing, where people go and sing in Chinese. One of my friends has been in Chinese opera, and I was friends with a really talented Chinese opera singer named Y Lee. He was a terrific singer, and it was always a pleasure to hear him and others speak Chinese to each other.
Chinese is a surprisingly easy language to sing in due to its abundance of vowels, despite the challenges posed by consonants and pitch inflection. The first thing I want to do is listen to "Where Lies the Path Ahead," which was the alternate ending that I didn't hear. It almost starts like the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven.
As I listen, I am struck by the beauty and somberness of the music. This song, I feel, represents innocence lost. The use of a child singer, likely around five to nine years old, adds to the purity of the sound quality. It feels so innocent and raw; there are no flaws in that sound. It’s not affected, and there’s no real pitch emphasis—it's just raw. In that rawness is what makes it human.
Sometimes, when we listen to music, if it’s too affected, we don’t connect to it as much as we do with something that has this raw quality. Listening to this music evokes a deep emotional response.
Rawness in music connects us on a deeper level; it's the honest human story that resonates, reminding us that the path ahead is right under our feet.
In the realm of music, there exists a unique quality that resonates deeply with us—the rawness of a performance. There is no operatic vibrato, no real pitch emphasis; it is simply raw. This rawness is what makes it human. Often, when we listen to music that feels overly affected, we find it difficult to connect with it. Instead, it is the raw quality that fosters a genuine connection.
As we delve into the emotional landscape of music, we encounter profound moments that can hurt the soul. For instance, the combination of deep percussion and poignant lyrics can evoke a powerful response. A young child's voice begins with lyrics that speak of a journey: "In the distant land we've journeyed far, with lights we knew of dawning and dusk. Harsh trails we walked turn to paths; now another peril won't stop us." This youthful confidence contrasts sharply with the mature voice that follows, reflecting on the passage of time: "Seasons have approached and passed; we've come through unbent. Through hard, where lies the path ahead? It is right under your feet."
The transition from a youthful to a sagely sound is significant. The baritone voice carries a sense of knowledge and wisdom, akin to a spiritual advisor guiding us. The mature voice asks, "Where lies the path ahead?" with a depth that resonates differently than the earlier confident tone. The aged quality of the baritone, perhaps from someone in their late 50s or early 60s, adds layers of awareness and presence to the message.
Imagine the beauty of an 83-year-old singing poignant lyrics: "In the distant land we've journeyed far, grand lands and lakes witnessed our scars. Lightning and rains only strengthened our art; we've kept our word from the start." The emotional weight of such lyrics, especially when sung by someone who has lived through many experiences, is profound. At 37, the impact of these words can already be overwhelming, so one can only imagine the depth of feeling at 83. The power of music is undeniable; it transcends mere words and creates a visceral experience.
The melody itself is gentle, asking, "Where lies the path ahead?" before transitioning to a more pronounced declaration: "It is right under your feet." This contrast between gentle inquiry and emphatic proclamation adds to the emotional intensity of the piece. The music fades away, leaving a lingering sense of honesty and humanity in the story being told.
Ultimately, this is a reflection of all of us. The lyrics remind us that all we've got is this moment. Life can take unexpected turns; one may start as an opera singer but find themselves sharing thoughts on music with thousands online. The journey is powerful, and the intensity of music can encapsulate the myriad experiences we encounter along the way.
Life is a journey of unexpected paths; embrace the twists and turns that lead you to your true voice.
Strings we like fade away. That's so good, that's so stunning, you guys. But this is what I'm talking about; this is like an honest human story. This is all of us. Where lies the path ahead? It is right under your feet. All we've got is this. I didn't know I was going to become a YouTuber and be able to talk about music to thousands of people a day. I was going to be an opera singer. What was I doing when I was an opera singer? I was trying to be an opera singer. You can do so many things in this life; that's so powerful. But I want to see another game that includes stuff like this. It doesn't happen.
I love the intensity of this piece. It feels so heroic. There’s some really nice counter movement there with the trombones and the other brass, all sharp rhythm. All we have is spinning in the strings, right? And then we go back to very light. I love this percussion so much; tons of brass there, and the strings are doing... I love the spinning here we get in the strings. It feels like spinning moves. I love the re-emphasis of that melody there, and this is all building to a big swell into the end. I mean, what a sick piece! There are a couple like that in this game.
Let's listen to it; it will fit me just as well. Super, super rhythmic and percussive here. Sick! I mean, using chant like this in a game, I’ve never heard it before. It’s crazy as it swells and increases in volume. Then we kind of reset with just the rhythmic elements. It's such a unique soundscape. The chant is essentially a call and response, like a shadow element in the soprano female voices with that strong dominant chant sound. This is from the Amitabha Sutra, an actual Buddhist chant. But it's... I mean, it's so visceral, isn't it? Fantastic stuff.
So now we have more long, long singing, chanting in the background, and it's all like IND dissonance. Strong! And that's cool because it's a big heavy beat, and then the chant. I mean, that's such an intense thing that we again don't really hear. We don't really hear that in modern times, really. I want to listen to "Flames Have Paved My Way," and this is like, "Let's get started! Let's get going!" It almost feels like tuning too, because we're just stacking. There’s our melodic motif. Obviously, we have electric guitar and stuff in here, which is really cool. It’s nice to have a real old sound mixed in with a modern sound.
That's really nice, and it just repeats, and that really helps it get itself into... oh, it's actually increasing in dynamics here. What a fun mix! A fun fusion! Fusion is so cool. Nice shift into the electric guitar, a new melodic idea. Nice response there. Here, nice horns used here.
Art challenges us to see life through different lenses, revealing beauty in loss and hope in despair.
It's cool to have a real old sound mixed in with a modern sound. This combination is really nice, and it just repeats, which helps it get itself into a groove. Interestingly, it is actually increasing in dynamics here, creating a fun mix—a fun fusion. The shift into the electric guitar introduces a new melodic idea, and there’s a nice response with the horns used here, adding a layer of dissonance.
As the piece progresses, it resets into a somber sad quality, pulling all the way back in the dynamics, leaving us with feelings of desolation and loss. The single French horn descends, creating a bleak and broken sound. However, there is a little bit of hope in there, as that sound has a hopeful quality to it, culminating in a crescendo. Yet, it ultimately transforms into a mourning piece, reflecting on loss and death—where do we go from here? There seems to be nowhere to go.
The music swells into a sublime stillness, repeating that melodic idea from before, almost like simmering below the surface. This track is one of the more unique ones, and we see similar elements in other games like Dynasty Warriors. The fusion of different cultural instrumentation is a really cool aspect that will never get old. Here, we are mixing piano with traditional instruments, and I think the GU Jang is stunning. It creates a beautiful romantic atmosphere, almost like a ballad.
The singing is so tender and exposed, creating a peaceful ambiance. The lyrics mention "running as the flow," and you can hear how it flows like a river—this technique is called word painting, and it is very powerful. It's so beautiful to hear a male voice go up into a higher register, which is not often seen in classical Western writing where typically the female voice ascends. This occurrence also appears in The Prayer by Andrea Bocelli. When a man sings in a higher register, it conveys a more tender approach, which I find quite nice.
The conversation in the music is gorgeous, featuring almost jazz-like piano and elegant string writing that supports the singers beautifully. The lyric "How can there be a future looking at the wrong hope?" is profoundly sad. It’s fascinating how they sing the exact same melody but with changed lyrics, creating a strophic song structure. This means the music remains the same while the lyrics change, emphasizing different meanings.
The way the male voice ascends is beautiful, and we are left with the conversation as the piece concludes. This technique is known as rubato, where the music does not resolve in a traditional sense. Instead of providing a resolution, it leaves us with a sense of uncertainty, reflecting the story's themes where things don't go the right way.
In conclusion, I find it incredible that this game is such a work of art. We have listened to several tracks that contribute to its artistic value, making playing through it a worthwhile experience. It allows us to unravel not just a game but also what it means to be alive, to see things differently through a new perspective. While this discussion may have sounded like a deep dive into themes of religion, life, and death, that’s what art is supposed to do—it challenges us to think. This game excels not just because the gameplay is decent but because it offers a profound exploration of life and cultural understanding. It serves as a bridge, allowing us to experience something new. If you enjoy this kind of content, there is more on the channel. Feel free to like and subscribe, and as always, thanks a ton, and I’ll talk to you later.