TAIPEI, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) — While Taiwanese gamers are not immune to the infectious appeal of action video game “Black Myth: Wukong,” the China-developed “Triple A” title currently taking the gaming world by storm, it is not the promise of an exotic adventure that captivates them.
“I can play with characters I’ve known since childhood, it’s just great,” said a Taipei-based video game veteran nicknamed A Xian.
A Xian picked up a copy as soon as it was released on August 20th, and after several days of playing, in addition to saying that “the game is too hard to beat,” he raved about the “distinct Chinese style of music, architecture, and game strategy.”
Taipei-based United Daily News wrote in a commentary that the success of “Black Myth: Wukong” was largely due to its high-quality production, innovative technologies, deep cultural heritage and effective marketing strategies.
As a game based on the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West” and its main character Sun Wukong, it not only highlights the charm of traditional culture, but also revitalizes it through modern expressions,” the article wrote.
On the popular Taiwanese gaming forum gamer.com.tw, ”Black Myth: Wukong” has dominated the forum’s comments section for several days. Many players have shared their gaming experiences and strategies. An article titled “Traveling Shanxi with Wukong — An In-Game Guide to Tourist Spots” invites players to “follow Wukong’s itinerary” in real life.
“The game is really well made. I always thought Chinese mythology was cool and captivating, as fascinating as Western mythology,” commented a netizen, identifying himself as being connected to Taiwan-based Chengchi University, on social media platform Dcard. The user also expressed hope for more such games in the future, and his post garnered hundreds of likes.
The game showcases the beauty of Chinese culture to the world, which will likely prompt consumers to travel in person to experience it or purchase merchandise, said Lai Yueh-chien, a local opinion leader.
Besides its popularity among gamers, the game has already had a positive economic impact on the island, as its smooth animations run best on high-end graphics cards.
Shares of Taiwan’s graphics card companies surged Monday, with second-tier makers such as TUL Corporation and Leadtek hitting the daily limit. Top-tier makers MSI, Gigabyte and ASUS also saw gains ranging from 4% to 9%.
While the game has sold millions of copies worldwide, it is still not available for purchase in Taiwan’s PlayStation Store, forcing many local players to switch platforms or sign up for an account in the company’s Hong Kong store.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials blamed the delay in the game’s release on “incomplete procedures.” But local politician Jaw Shaw-kong criticized the move, calling it not only an inconvenience to players but also a missed financial opportunity driven by “ideological stupidity.”
The DPP authorities’ cultural policies have been heavily criticized for deliberately uprooting China’s traditional cultural heritage and putting the island’s cultural industry at risk of losing its cultural identity.
The development team at Game Science, developer of “Black Myth: Wukong,” noted in a recent interview that the game’s success was “a gift from our ancestors,” referring to the story and characters borrowed from “Journey to the West” written during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
A Xian, born in the 1980s, recalls playing Taiwan-developed games in his youth that featured elements of traditional Chinese culture such as classic novels and mythology. “Unfortunately, in recent years, there have been no new creations, which is regrettable,” he said.
“Monkey King” is not the first mainland cultural production to be popular on the island in recent years. “Genshin Impact,” an open-world adventure game, and a number of popular dramas have also won over local audiences.
The resonance of “Black Myth: Wukong” among Taiwanese gamers is a testament to the ability of Chinese culture to connect the minds of people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, said Su Heng, chairman of a Taiwan-based cross-Strait exchange association. ■
