Black Myth: Zhong Kui vs Genshin Impact

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: Mythological Tang Dynasty China
• Platforms: PC and all other mainstream console platforms
• Release Window: TBA (Estimated 2028 or later)
• Unique Feature: A new entry in the 'Black Myth' saga based on the Chinese mythological figure Zhong Kui, the 'demon queller', promising a unique blend of historical setting and ghost-style horror combat.

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: 4-Player Online Co-op
• Setting: Fantasy World of Teyvat
• Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, iOS, Android, Xbox Series X/S
• Unique Feature: A deep, elemental reaction-based combat system combined with a vast, constantly expanding open world, delivered as a free-to-play live service game.

• Tiger: The teaser trailer shows Zhong Kui riding a tiger, suggesting that he may have an animal companion for traversal and possibly combat.
  Mythical Animal
• Captured Demons (Speculative): As a 'ghost-catching god,' it's possible that Zhong Kui could temporarily command the demons he has captured to fight alongside him.
  Demonic

• Paimon: The Traveler's constant non-playable companion. She serves as the main navigator, provides narrative exposition (as the player character is mostly silent), and manages the in-game menu and shop.
  Unknown Magical Being
• Party Members: In single-player mode, the other three characters in your party are your companions, allowing you to switch between them at will. In co-op, up to three other players can join your world as their chosen character.
  Human, Adeptus, etc.

• Captured Souls: Defeated ghosts and demons. These could serve as a currency for upgrading abilities or as lore entries in a bestiary.
• Calligraphy Scrolls: Hidden scrolls showcasing Zhong Kui's mastery of calligraphy. These could provide lore, unlock new skills, or offer buffs.

• Oculi: Elemental orbs (Anemoculus, Geoculus, etc.) found scattered throughout each nation. Offering these to the Statues of the Seven increases the player's stamina and provides other rewards.
• Viewpoints: Specific scenic locations in the world. Finding them unlocks a short description in the in-game travel log and contributes to exploration progress.
• Primogems: Earned from almost every activity in the game: quests, chests, events, achievements, etc. This is the primary currency used to acquire new characters and weapons.

• Chinese Mythology
• Dark Fantasy
• Soulslike
• Action RPG
• Folklore
• Supernatural
• Horror

• Fantasy
• Open World Exploration
• Anime
• Elemental Magic
• Gacha
• Adventure
• Story Rich
• JRPG
• Live Service

• The Underworld Sword: Magical Sword
  Zhong Kui's signature weapon, bestowed upon him by Yama, King of Hell. It is forged in the fires of the underworld and is capable of vanquishing powerful demons.
• Martial Arts: Unarmed
  Zhong Kui is a master of martial arts, suggesting that unarmed combat and various hand-to-hand techniques will be a viable part of his moveset.

• Swords: One-Handed Blade
  A balanced weapon type with moderate attack speed and damage. Used by a wide variety of characters.
• Claymores: Two-Handed Blade
  Large, heavy swords that deliver slow, powerful attacks capable of breaking through enemy shields and staggering foes.
• Polearms: Spears and Halberds
  Weapons with a long reach and fast, multi-hit attack sequences.
• Bows: Ranged Weapon
  Allows for precise, aimed shots at enemy weak points and can be charged with elemental energy.
• Catalysts: Magical Tomes/Orbs
  Magical weapons that allow the wielder to deal constant elemental damage with their basic attacks.

• Scholar's Robe: The iconic attire of Zhong Kui, representing his past life as a scholar. Players will likely be able to find and equip different sets of armor inspired by the Tang Dynasty and mythological designs, providing various defensive stats and bonuses.

• Artifacts: The primary way to build characters. Each character can equip five artifacts (Flower, Plume, Sands, Goblet, Circlet). These items provide base stats and can have up to four random sub-stats. Equipping 2 or 4 pieces from the same set grants powerful set bonuses that are crucial for character builds.

• Historical & Mythological Attire: Players can be expected to unlock and equip various outfits for Zhong Kui, from his traditional scholar's robes to more ornate, divine armor befitting his role as a demon queller.

• Character Outfits (Skins): Purely cosmetic outfits that change the appearance of specific playable characters. These can be purchased with premium currency, earned through in-game events, or offered as part of collaborations.

As a Soulslike ARPG, players can expect a deep progression system. Zhong Kui's abilities will revolve around his mastery of martial arts and his new demonic powers. Upgrades will likely be tied to his magical sword, forged in the underworld, and his ability to see and capture different types of ghosts and demons.

Character progression is deep and multi-faceted. It involves leveling up characters with EXP materials, leveling their unique Talents, and ascending them at level caps using boss materials. The most significant progression comes from farming and leveling a five-piece set of Artifacts, which provide major stat boosts and powerful set bonuses. Weapons are also leveled and ascended separately.

The game will take place across both the mortal realm, specifically Tang Dynasty China, and the underworld (Hell). The structure of the world has not yet been detailed but is expected to feature a mix of historical locations and mythological realms.

The open world of Teyvat is vast and continually expanding. Currently accessible nations include the German-inspired Mondstadt (Anemo), Chinese-inspired Liyue (Geo), Japanese-inspired Inazuma (Electro), Middle Eastern/South Asian-inspired Sumeru (Dendro), and French-inspired Fontaine (Hydro). The upcoming nation of Natlan and the new region of Nod-Krai are slated for future updates.

• Zhong Kui: Playable Protagonist
  A brilliant scholar with a fierce appearance who, after a tragic end, becomes a powerful deity tasked with hunting ghosts and demons.
• Yama: Key NPC / The King of Hell
  The judge of the underworld who recognizes Zhong Kui's righteous soul and grants him his new powers and purpose.

• Traveler (Aether/Lumine): Playable Protagonist
  The main character of the story. Has the unique ability to switch between different elements (Anemo, Geo, Electro, Dendro).
• Raiden Shogun: Playable Character (5-Star)
  The Electro Archon of Inazuma. An extremely powerful and popular character who can provide massive energy recharge for her team and deal immense burst damage.
• Nahida: Playable Character (5-Star)
  The Dendro Archon of Sumeru. An exceptional support character who enables powerful Dendro-based elemental reactions from off-field.
• Kaedehara Kazuha: Playable Character (5-Star)
  An Anemo samurai from Inazuma. One of the most sought-after support characters due to his ability to group enemies and provide a significant elemental damage bonus to the entire team.
• Xingqiu: Playable Character (4-Star)
  A young nobleman from Liyue. Widely considered one of the best characters in the game, providing incredible off-field Hydro application that enables powerful reactions like Vaporize.

• The Journey of Zhong Kui
  A cinematic campaign that will retell the classic folk story of Zhong Kui, from his life as a brilliant but scorned scholar in the Tang Dynasty to his transformation into a powerful guardian of the mortal and spirit realms.

• Archon Quests
  The main storyline that follows the Traveler's journey across the nations of Teyvat in search of their lost sibling. These are long, cinematic quests that are added with major version updates.
• Story Quests & Hangout Events
  Character-specific quests that delve into the backstories of the various playable characters. Hangout Events are branching dialogue-based quests with multiple endings.
• World Quests
  Optional quests found by exploring the world and talking to NPCs. These range from simple tasks to long, elaborate quest chains that reveal deep lore about Teyvat's history.
• Domains
  Repeatable dungeons that reward players with essential character and weapon progression materials, such as Artifacts, Talent Books, and Weapon Ascension Materials. Requires a currency called 'Resin' to claim rewards.

The game supports online co-op for up to four players. Players can invite friends into their world to tackle domains, bosses, and some events together. The main story quests must be completed solo, and exploration progress only saves for the host.

The game operates on a live-service model with major, free content updates approximately every six weeks. These updates add new characters, weapons, story quests (Archon Quests), limited-time events, and sometimes entirely new regions to explore, such as the upcoming Nod-Krai in Version 6.0.

• Q: What is Black Myth: Zhong Kui?
  A: It is the next single-player action RPG from Game Science, the developers of Black Myth: Wukong. It is a new story in the 'Black Myth' saga, focusing on the Chinese mythological figure Zhong Kui, the demon queller.
• Q: Is this a sequel to Black Myth: Wukong?
  A: No, it is a completely separate game with a new protagonist and story. However, it exists within the same universe of Chinese mythology. The developers have suggested that a Wukong sequel or DLC could still happen in the future.
• Q: When will it be released?
  A: There is no official release date or window. The game was just announced at Gamescom 2025 and is in very early development. It is not expected for at least three to four years.
• Q: What kind of gameplay can we expect?
  A: It will be a Soulslike action RPG, similar to Black Myth: Wukong, but is expected to feature 'horror or ghost-style combat' and new mechanics centered around Zhong Kui's role as a vanquisher of evil spirits.

• Q: Is Genshin Impact free to play?
  A: Yes, Genshin Impact is completely free to download and play. It is supported by an optional in-game gacha system for acquiring new characters and weapons, and a seasonal Battle Pass.
• Q: Is Genshin Impact a multiplayer game?
  A: It is primarily a single-player experience, but it supports online co-op for up to four players. Players can invite friends into their world to tackle domains, bosses, and some events together. The main story quests must be completed solo.
• Q: What is the 'gacha' system?
  A: It is a monetization model where players use a currency called 'Primogems' (earned in-game or purchased) to make 'wishes' on banners. Each wish grants a random weapon or character, with 5-star characters and weapons being the rarest and most powerful.
• Q: How often is the game updated?
  A: The game receives a major version update with new content approximately every six weeks, following a consistent and reliable schedule.

• ENTIRELY SPECULATIVE SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. As the game is in very early development, these are hypothetical projections for a future next-generation title built on Unreal Engine 5. They do not represent official information.
• Laptop Performance Note: A future title like this would demand a high-performance gaming laptop. Actual performance would vary significantly based on the final game's optimization and the laptop's specific hardware configuration.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features of Unreal Engine 5, such as Lumen and Nanite.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Next-gen games will require laptops with cutting-edge cooling solutions to prevent thermal throttling and sustain performance during intense, visually-demanding boss fights.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI of demonic entities and the physics of a detailed world.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus would be a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance and responsiveness in the skill-based combat.
• Game Name: Black Myth: Zhong Kui

• OFFICIAL PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. These specifications can change with major version updates. An SSD is strongly recommended for a better experience.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop performance will vary based on the specific model's cooling and TGP. The game's open world can be CPU-intensive, and a stable framerate is important for the action-based combat.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Total Graphics Power (TGP) is critical for laptop GPU performance. A higher TGP allows the GPU to perform closer to its desktop equivalent.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich environments and elemental effects can be demanding. A robust cooling system is essential to prevent thermal throttling and maintain consistent performance.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A strong mobile CPU is important for handling the game's open-world streaming and physics calculations without bottlenecks.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is beneficial for reducing input latency, which is helpful for the game's fast-paced, character-switching combat.
• Game Name: Genshin Impact

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP for the laptop's GPU would be essential to handle the advanced graphical features of Unreal Engine 5, such as Lumen and Nanite.
• Cooling Thermals: Next-gen games will require laptops with cutting-edge cooling solutions to prevent thermal throttling and sustain performance during intense, visually-demanding boss fights.
• C P U Power Limits: A powerful multi-core mobile CPU will be critical for handling the complex AI of demonic entities and the physics of a detailed world.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus would be a critical feature for reducing latency and ensuring the best possible performance and responsiveness in the skill-based combat.

• G P U T G P: Total Graphics Power (TGP) is critical for laptop GPU performance. A higher TGP allows the GPU to perform closer to its desktop equivalent.
• Cooling Thermals: The game's visually rich environments and elemental effects can be demanding. A robust cooling system is essential to prevent thermal throttling and maintain consistent performance.
• C P U Power Limits: A strong mobile CPU is important for handling the game's open-world streaming and physics calculations without bottlenecks.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is beneficial for reducing input latency, which is helpful for the game's fast-paced, character-switching combat.