How Black Myth: Wukong Utilizes the Six Senses of Buddhism

The following contains spoilers for
Black Myth: Wukong
.

Game Science’s action RPG Black Myth: Wukong is a game that is steeped in the rich tapestry of Eastern mythology, with its primary influence being the 16th-century Chinese novel by Wu Cheng’en, Journey to the West. As such, just as is the case with Journey to the West, Black Myth: Wukong has strong roots in Chinese Buddhism and Buddhist folklore, with a significant emphasis placed on the six senses of Buddhism — sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and mind.

As the story in Black Myth: Wukong revolves around the Destined One’s journey to retrieve all six of Sun Wukong’s Relics, this is where the six senses of Buddhism are realized in gameplay form. With the completion of each chapter, players acquire a Relic with various gameplay benefits inspired by these six senses that can be a tremendous help in Black Myth: Wukong‘s unforgiving boss fights. This is just one of the many ways Game Science has brought the spiritual elements of Journey to the West and Chinese Buddhism to life in the world of Black Myth: Wukong.

The Unwritten Rules of Black Myth: Wukong

There are quite literally a few things that Black Myth: Wukong doesn’t tell players outright, and knowing these unwritten rules can lead to success.

How Black Myth: Wukong’s Relics Realize the Six Senses of Buddhism

The Sight Relic — Craving Eyes

The first Relic players acquire in Black Myth: Wukong, Craving Eyes, represents the sight sense of Buddhism in that it allows players to see things they couldn’t see before. Specifically, the Craving Eyes Relic grants players the passive ability to see which yaoguais bear Black Myth: Wukong‘s Spirits. In terms of gameplay, this means that any yaoguais that contain an absorbable Spirit will emit a blue flame-like wisp from their body. These foes are generally heartier versions of Black Myth: Wukong‘s rank-and-file enemies, but the reward for defeating them is worth the hassle.

Black Myth: Wukong‘s Craving Eyes Relic also grants players the choice between one of three additional passive Great Sage Talents, with the freedom to change them at any time at a Keeper’s Shrine. These abilities are as follows:

Opportune Watcher — Considerably increases Focus gained upon consecutive successful Light Attack hits.
Eagle Eye — Upon a successful hit with Unveiling Strike, the Cooldown of this spell is massively reduced.
Keen Insight — Considerably increases Critical Hit Damage.

The Hearing Relic — Fuming Ears

Fuming Ears is the Relic players obtain after defeating the final boss in Yellow Wind Ridge in the second chapter of Black Myth: Wukong. This Relic represents the hearing sense of Buddhism, but how that translates into Black Myth: Wukong‘s gameplay is unclear. The description of the Relic reads, “Echoes of the past can be found where karma lingers.” It could be that, like Craving Eyes, Fuming Ears allows players to hear things they might not have been able to hear otherwise. However, it’s difficult to tell. At the very least, Fuming Ears offers three unique and worthwhile Great Sage Talents, of which players can choose one. They are the following:

All Ears — Slightly extends invincibility duration of the first move of all Varied Combos.
Sound as A Bell — Narrows the window of Rock Solid Deflection, but returns half of the Mana cost of the spell upon a deflection.
Whistling Wind — Temporarily increases Attack after a Perfect Dodge.

The Smell Relic — Hubris Noise

The third Relic players can acquire in Black Myth: Wukong is obtainable after defeating Yellowbrow in Chapter 3. The Relic in question, Hubris Noise, represents the smell sense of Buddhism by allowing players to “smell” hidden ingredients in the wild. More specifically, this Relic enhances players’ ability to spot plants from greater distances in Black Myth: Wukong. As Black Myth: Wukong‘s medicines play a huge part in its combat, finding the ingredients to craft them is especially important. In addition to this passive ability, players can choose one of Hubris Noise’s following three Great Sage Talents:

Lingering Aroma — Gains a moderate Damage Bonus for a short time after casting a spell.
In One Breath — Focus Points can be charged up to 4 within the Ring of Fire.
Hold Breath — Moderately extends Dodge invincibility duration.

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The Taste Relic — Envious Tongue

Following their completion of the fourth chapter in Black Myth: Wukong, players will obtain the Envious Tongue Relic. As it symbolizes the taste sense of Buddhism, Envious Tongue naturally extends the duration of all medicine effects, so having it in tandem with Hubris Noise is a match made in heaven. However, one of the Envious Tongue Relic’s Great Sage Talents buffs an incredibly useful spell in Black Myth: Wukong, Immobilize, which just so happens to also be the first spell players learn in the game. They are as follows:

Refreshing Taste — After consuming medicine, increases the Critical Hit Chance of the next attack.
Spread the Word — Immobilize affects all enemies around the target.
Tongue of a Connoisseur — Each equipped Soak slightly increases the health recovery of the Drink.

The Touch Relic — Grieved Body

The Relic symbolizing the touch sense of Buddhism in Black Myth: Wukong is the Grieved Body Relic, which players can acquire once they’ve defeated the final boss at the end of Chapter 5. The Grieved Body Relic encapsulates the touch sense of Buddhism by massively reducing the damage players might take from falling too far in Black Myth: Wukong, which might not happen often but can be fatal when it does. As the “touch” Relic in Black Myth: Wukong, Grieved Body comes with some of the best passive defense upgrades in the game, including:

Nimble Body — Massively reduces the Stamina cost of all charged Heavy Attacks.
Everlasting Vitality — Considerably increases Maximum Health.
Divine Safeguard — Considerably increases Four Banes Resistance.

The Mind Relic — The Destined One

The final Relic players can acquire in Black Myth: Wukong represents the mind sense of Buddhism. However, this Relic is vastly unlike the others. Whereas every other Relic in Black Myth: Wukong is an obtainable item, it is eventually revealed that the Destined One is the sixth Relic — specifically, that he is the mind of Sun Wukong. After Wukong’s passing, five of his six senses were taken by the Yaoguai Kings who players battle at the end of each of the game’s chapters. His mind, on the other hand, was lost, due to the mind being the sense that is unique to every life and therefore passing away when a life ends. This is ultimately why the Destined One has such a name, as he is destined to carry on the name and nature of Sun Wukong.

Game Science has clearly done its due diligence to ensure that the depths of Eastern mythology and Buddhism are brought to life, not just in the world and story of Black Myth: Wukong, but also in its gameplay. As players progress through each chapter, they will acquire one of the six senses of Sun Wukong, each of which represents a sense of Buddhism and offers unique gameplay benefits that will help players throughout the remainder of their journey.