BARCELONA — Black Myth: Wukong, a Chinese-developed video game, has surpassed the high expectations set by its initial 2020 trailer, according to leading Spanish video game expert Albert Garcia in an interview with Xinhua on Friday. The action role-playing game, considered the first “Triple-A” title from China, achieved remarkable success, topping sales charts and gaining significant international acclaim shortly after its release in August.

According to Namibia Press Agency, Garcia, who covers video games for major media outlets and teaches video game history at the University of Barcelona, praised the game for its competent design and successful adaptation to combat-style gameplay by Game Science, a studio previously inexperienced in this genre. Black Myth: Wukong’s appeal, he noted, lies in its unique take on Chinese mythology and its departure from the repetitive themes common in many action role-playing games.

The game quickly became a phenomenon, ranking as the most-played game on the Steam platform within an hour of its debut. Its sales soared to 18 million copies within the first few days, with a significant 25% of these sales occurring outside China. Garcia highlighted the game’s distinctiveness, attributing its global appeal to its fresh narrative and visuals based on the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West,” which features the adventures of the Monkey King, Sun Wukong.

Garcia also remarked on the broader implications of Black Myth: Wukong’s success for the video game industry. He suggested that the game’s popularity could pave the way for more high-budget, technically sophisticated games from China, shifting the industry focus from predominantly mobile games to premium, large-scale projects. This shift, he believes, could influence global gaming studios to target the vast Chinese market more aggressively.