Black Myth: Wukong offers a diverse array of skill trees where you can invest Spark Points to enhance your abilities. Investing wisely in these skills is crucial for achieving success in the game. While the order of upgrading should align with your personal play style, we’ve compiled a list of skills that most players will find beneficial in the early stages. By focusing on these skills, you can gain a significant advantage and navigate the challenges of the game more effectively.
Recommended Skills for Early Investment
Robust Physique
Tree: Survival
Investing in Robust Physique increases your maximum health with every point spent. We recommend allocating at least three Spark Points to this skill early on. In the initial stages of the game, as you become familiar with its mechanics, you may encounter challenging battles. The extra health provided by Robust Physique can significantly enhance your survivability, especially when dodging and avoiding damage. This additional health will make a noticeable difference in your ability to withstand attacks and stay in the fight longer.
Swift Engage
Tree: Martial Arts
Swift Engage is a skill that should be prioritized early in your progression. It extends the range of your light attacks, which are often your primary means of initiating combat. Without this skill, your light attacks may leave you vulnerable, requiring you to manually close the gap between you and your enemies. By investing two Spark Points into Swift Engage, you’ll automatically shorten the distance between you and your foes with each light attack, allowing you to maintain pressure and stay engaged in combat more effectively.
Simian Agility
Tree: Endurance
Simian Agility is another essential skill to invest in early. Each point spent in Simian Agility reduces the stamina cost of dodging, allowing for more efficient movement on the battlefield. At the beginning of the game, you’ll still be learning how to manage stamina for various actions, so having more stamina available is always beneficial. Additionally, investing in Simian Agility unlocks several other useful abilities within the Endurance tree, further enhancing your combat capabilities.
Deft Evasion
Tree: Endurance
Once you’ve invested in Simian Agility, you’ll gain access to Deft Evasion. This skill is invaluable in the early stages as it increases the distance of your initial dodge. This is particularly useful when facing enemies or bosses that perform wide-range attacks, as it allows you to maintain a safe distance and avoid damage more effectively. The increased dodge distance will make a significant difference in your ability to avoid attacks and stay out of harm’s way during intense combat encounters.
Composure
Tree: Endurance
If you’ve already invested in Simian Agility and Deft Evasion, you’re well on your way to unlocking Composure. To obtain this skill, you’ll need to invest one point each into Endurance and Everlasting Vigor. Composure is a valuable skill that allows you to continue chaining attacks even after dodging. Since chaining attacks is a crucial aspect of combat in Black Myth: Wukong, having Composure will greatly improve your efficiency in battle. By dodging enemy attacks and immediately resuming your attack chain, you’ll be able to maintain consistent pressure on your foes and deal more damage overall.
Additional Tips for Getting Started in Black Myth: Wukong
Experiment Without Penalty
One of the benefits of Black Myth: Wukong is that respec-ing skills incur no penalties. This means you can freely experiment with different builds and stances to find what works best for you. If you decide to reallocate your Spark Points, simply visit any Shrine and select the “Rekindle Sparks” option under the “Self-Enhancement” tab. Early experimentation can help you discover the most effective strategies for your play style and adapt your build as needed.
Collect All Materials
As you explore the game’s open areas, you’ll come across various flowers and herbs scattered throughout. Be sure to pick them up! While you might not find immediate use for these materials in the early hours, they will become valuable for crafting useful potions and items later on. Gathering materials early will ensure you have a stockpile of resources when you need them most, making it easier to craft items that can aid in your battles and exploration.
Don’t Worry—Death Has No Major Consequences
In contrast to traditional Souls-like games, Black Myth: Wukong does not impose significant penalties for death. Instead, you’ll be sent back to the nearest Shrine with all enemies respawned. This means you won’t lose experience points or face other major consequences for dying. You’ll retain all the will you’ve acquired and be ready to try again. This design choice allows you to focus on learning from your mistakes and improving your skills without the added stress of losing progress.
Return to Wandering Ghosts Later
The Wandering Ghost, a boss located on the right side of the Forest, can be a challenging foe. While you might be able to defeat it with patience and practice during your first encounter, it’s often easier to face it later in the game. Upgrading your staff and gear, possibly by the time you reach the Black Wind Cave, will make the battle more manageable. Returning to this boss with upgraded gear and enhanced abilities will boost your chances of victory and make the fight more rewarding.
Prepare Before Facing Lingxuzi
Lingxuzi may not be an extremely difficult boss for seasoned players of the Souls series, but if you’re still adjusting to the game’s unique combat mechanics, he can be a formidable challenge. Aim to reach level 9 or 10 before confronting him. Invest in at least the first three health upgrades in the Survival tree and craft the Pilgrim’s Armor at a Shrine to boost your defenses. With additional health and defense, you’ll be better equipped to handle Lingxuzi’s attacks and engage him more effectively in battle.
Take Advantage of Health Boosts After Defeating Lingxuzi
After defeating Lingxuzi, you’ll gain access to a nearby temple. While it might be tempting to rush through the temple to reach the nearby Shrine for rest, be sure to explore the temple thoroughly first. Inside, you’ll find a Celestial Herb on the left side of the inner hall. This herb significantly enhances your health, improving your ability to handle future threats and making subsequent encounters easier.
Maximize Mana Boosts in Black Wind Cave
Following the defeat of certain bosses, you’ll enter the Black Wind Cave. As you navigate the first section of the cave, look for a path on the left leading to a wooden platform with a meditation point. Nearby, you’ll find another Celestial Herb that greatly increases your mana reserves. This boost will allow you to use your spells more frequently, providing a tactical advantage in battles and helping you overcome challenging enemies.
Don’t Overlook Spirit Skills
Early in the game, you’ll encounter an NPC who can upgrade your gourd to absorb the souls of certain bosses. This ability grants you their soul skills, allowing you to temporarily transform into them and perform powerful actions after accumulating enough Qi. These skills can deal significant damage, especially to bosses, and provide passive bonuses such as increased defense. Additionally, you can upgrade these spirits by selecting “Cultivate Spirit” under the “Self-Enhancement” tab at Shrines, although some upgrades require special items found during your adventures.
By following these tips and focusing on key skills early in Black Myth: Wukong, you’ll be well-prepared to tackle the challenges that lie ahead and enjoy a successful and rewarding journey through the game.
