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2024/12/04 Wed ☀️
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Last month, I spent about 100 hours playing "Black Myth: Wukong," an ARPG developed by the Chinese studio Game Science. From my gaming experiences, I've found that my favorite genre is ARPGs, particularly soulslike games.
APRG stands for Action Role-Playing Game, also known as Action RPG. It is a type of RPG that combines and emphasizes real-time combat with traditional RPG elements. Players have direct control over their characters to battle NPC enemies. As they defeat more foes, characters gain additional strength and abilities to take on tougher challenges.
I haven't been playing games for long since I didn't have my own console or PC when I was young. I only occasionally played classic games like Super Mario, Tetris, and Battle City.
The first ARPG I played was "Bloodborne" on PS4, which remains one of my favorites. However, at first glance, the game felt too difficult for me to continue, so I gave up after an hour. Later, after watching some gameplay videos online, I learned how to approach this type of game. It became clear that you can't just attack at your own pace; you need to pay attention to enemy actions and remember that they are all stronger than you—if not much stronger as a boss.
Afterward, I restarted the game with guidance from those videos and began to appreciate its mechanics. Each time I defeated a tough enemy, the sense of accomplishment was incredible and lingered for a long time.
Since then, I've played all the ARPGs from "From Software," including "Demon's Souls," "Dark Souls" (except II), "Sekiro," and "Elden Ring." These titles are highly recommended if you're into this genre. One thing to note is that Sekiro plays quite differently from the others; it emphasizes action more heavily with less focus on character progression while encouraging more active engagement during combat. It's definitely worth trying!
In addition to From Software's works, other ARPGs I've enjoyed include "God of War (IV)" and both versions of "The Legend of Zelda" ("Breath of the Wild" and "Tears of the Kingdom"). While The Legend of Zelda is more like a traditional RPG in many ways, it incorporates action elements that require practice to overcome enemies.
Overall, I find this game to be good but not exceptional. The graphics are stunning, the modeling is impressive, and the combat effects are strong. However, it feels reminiscent of many other titles; you can see influences from games like Sekiro, Nioh, God of War, and other soulslike games. While drawing inspiration from others isn't necessarily bad, it lacks creativity and surprise when so many elements feel familiar. Nevertheless, I still recommend it as one of this year's standout games.
Some believe this could be the Game of the Year for 2024. Personally, I don't think it's good enough to win, but I'm not sure if any other game deserves it either; perhaps "Astro Bot" has a better chance.