Experts say "Black Myth" did not respond to ZZZQ or could also be a global hit

Goku: Beyond cultural nuance, going global

China's first AAA-rated game, Wukong, will be released in the near future. The game, which originated from the classic Chinese classic Journey to the West, has attracted worldwide attention in internal ads. It breaks through the barriers of cultural nuance and combines Sun Wukong, an iconic figure in Chinese culture, with advanced gaming technology, which has attracted the expectations of many overseas players.

The game, which took six years to develop and was the first in China to receive an unofficial triple A rating from the industry, has not been smooth sailing, however. Some overseas gaming media have questioned the game's developers for a misogynistic workplace culture and criticised the lack of female characters in the game.

However, with the official release of the game, well-known game media such as IGN have given positive comments, praising its beautiful graphics and high fluency, and confirming that female characters will be added to the final version.

Zou Sheng, an assistant professor of journalism at Hong Kong Baptist University, believes that the repetition of classic characters can bring freshness and attract more audiences. "Wukong" builds on traditional stories with newly choreographed music, action scenes and plots. He also pointed out that Chinese games have a long tradition of incorporating martial arts elements, but it remains to be seen whether local developers will continue to explore "Chinese characteristics" as Chinese games globalize.

As Chinese game developers increasingly explore overseas markets, they also face different cultural elements. Zou Sheng believes that audiences are paying more and more attention to elements such as gender and orientation, and it is difficult for developers to ignore these issues.

Chi Zhang, associate lecturer in international relations at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, says Chinese game developers have an economic interest in being sensitive to "globally accepted norms" and believes the lack of overt political elements in Goku could be an important factor in its overseas success.

Cao Xuenan, an assistant professor of cultural studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, pointed out that it was not unique for Chinese games to be criticised for their mismatch with US "political" values. She believes that these criticisms stem from the cultural hegemony of the United States.

Goku is a global game that caters to a focus on "political correctness" in the US, while potentially succeeding elsewhere. Mr. Cao points out that the game's audience is mainly young, so developers may not have really considered the whole category of "political correctness". Cultural misunderstandings are inevitable, which is where things get interesting.

While it remains to be seen whether "Goku" intends to follow the "political trend", the mainstream overseas media has generally praised the game favorably. The VGC called it "crazy, hardcore, and visually stunning", and GamesRadar's critics praised it as "one of the best and most visually stunning action RPGs ever played in recent years".