Black Myth: Zhong Kui vs Monster Hunter Wilds

• 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: The Forbidden Lands (New World)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Unique Feature: A fully seamless open world with dynamic, transforming environments and a versatile new mount, the Seikret, for enhanced traversal and utility.

• 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

• Palico: A customizable cat-like companion that actively assists the hunter in combat. It can deal damage, draw monster aggression, use supportive gadgets to heal or place traps, and gather extra materials after a hunt.
  Felyne
• Seikret: The player's new, versatile mount. The Seikret is used for fast traversal, gliding, and climbing specific surfaces. It also allows the hunter to use their slinger, sharpen their weapon, access their item pouch, and carry a secondary weapon while riding.
  Bird Wyvern (Mount)

• 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.

• Endemic Life: Small creatures scattered throughout the environment. Capturing them allows players to place them as pets in their personal room or use them as temporary buffs/tools during a hunt.
• Ancient Relics: Hidden relics and murals from an ancient civilization that provide lore about the history of the Forbidden Lands and its inhabitants.

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

• Hunting
• Exploration
• Open World
• Dynamic Ecosystem
• Survival
• Crafting
• Action RPG
• Cooperative Gameplay
• Monster Ecology

• 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.

• Great Sword: Heavy Blade
  A massive sword that delivers slow but devastating charged attacks. Rewards careful timing and positioning.
• Long Sword: Technical Blade
  A fluid, combo-heavy weapon focused on filling a 'Spirit Gauge' to unleash powerful 'Spirit Blade' attacks and counters.
• Sword & Shield: Balanced Weapon
  A fast and versatile weapon that allows for quick attacks, blocking, and using items while unsheathed.
• Dual Blades: Rapid Attack Weapon
  Focuses on relentless, fast-paced attacks, allowing the hunter to enter a 'Demon Mode' for increased damage and mobility at the cost of stamina.
• Hammer: Blunt Weapon
  A heavy weapon designed to deal massive impact damage to a monster's head, capable of stunning them.
• Hunting Horn: Support Weapon
  A blunt weapon that can play melodies to provide powerful buffs to the entire hunting party.
• Lance: Defensive Weapon
  Features a massive shield for unparalleled defensive capabilities, allowing the hunter to block and counter even the most powerful attacks.
• Gunlance: Explosive Weapon
  A lance fitted with a cannon, blending defensive pokes with explosive shelling attacks.
• Switch Axe: Transforming Weapon
  A weapon that can switch between a long-reaching Axe mode and a fast-hitting Sword mode, which can unleash an elemental discharge.
• Charge Blade: Technical Transforming Weapon
  A complex weapon that combines a sword and shield, which can be charged with energy and then combined into a massive axe for powerful elemental discharges.
• Insect Glaive: Aerial Weapon
  Allows the hunter to vault into the air for agile aerial attacks. Accompanied by a 'Kinsect' that can harvest extracts from monsters to provide buffs.
• Light Bowgun: Ranged Weapon (Mobile)
  A ranged weapon focused on mobility and firing various types of status-inflicting ammunition rapidly.
• Heavy Bowgun: Ranged Weapon (Power)
  A heavy, powerful ranged weapon that can be loaded with devastating ammunition like Wyvernheart (minigun) or Wyvernsnipe (piercing shot).
• Bow: Ranged Weapon (Technical)
  A mobile ranged weapon that rewards stamina management and allows for various coatings to be applied to arrows for different effects.

• 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.

• Forged Armor Sets: The core armor system. Players craft full armor sets (helm, mail, braces, coil, greaves) from monster parts. Each piece provides defense and specific skills. Equipping multiple pieces from the same set can unlock powerful 'Set Bonus' skills.
• Decorations: Jewels that can be slotted into weapons and armor to add or enhance specific skills, allowing for deep customization of 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.

• Layered Armor: A cosmetic system that allows players to wear the appearance of any armor set they have crafted over their statistically relevant gear. This allows for full fashion customization without sacrificing skills or defense. Cosmetic DLC packs offer more options.

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.

The core progression of hunting monsters to craft stronger gear returns. A new 'Wounding' system allows players to create temporary weak spots on monsters by repeatedly attacking a specific part. The new 'Focus Mode' helps in targeting these wounds for massive damage. All 14 signature weapon types return, each with new moves and abilities. A 'Dual Weapon' system allows players to carry a secondary weapon on their Seikret mount.

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.

Monster Hunter Wilds features fully seamless open-world maps that are approximately twice the size of those in previous titles. Known regions include the Windward Plains (savanna/desert), the Scarlet Forest (dense jungle), the Oilwell Basin (vertical caves/swamps/volcanoes), and the Iceshard Cliffs. These zones have dynamic weather and seasons that alter terrain and monster ecology.

• 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.

• The Hunter: Playable Protagonist
  A member of the Avis Unit of the Research Commission, a skilled and fully customizable hunter sent to explore the Forbidden Lands.
• Alma: Handler
  The hunter's assigned handler from the Hunter's Guild. She is responsible for managing quests, documenting findings in her journal, and providing support.
• Palico: Companion
  The hunter's loyal Felyne companion. The Palico assists in combat with its own small weapons, provides healing and buffs, and gathers materials.
• Nata: Mysterious Child
  A young boy encountered in the Forbidden Lands who joins the expedition. He seems to have a unique connection to the world and its phenomena.
• Gemma: Smithy
  A member of the Avis Unit and the commission's smithy. She is responsible for crafting and upgrading all of the hunter's weapons and armor.

• 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.

• Assigned Quests
  The main story quests that guide the player through the narrative, introduce new regions and monsters, and unravel the central mystery of the Forbidden Lands.
• Optional Quests
  Side quests that can be repeated at any time. These are the primary way to farm specific monsters for parts to craft weapons and armor.
• Investigations
  Special quests with randomized conditions, such as a shorter time limit, fewer player faints allowed, or enhanced monster aggression. They offer better rewards, including rare materials and decorations, compared to optional quests.
• Event Quests
  Limited-time quests, often part of seasonal festivals or collaborations (like the Street Fighter 6 event). These quests provide unique rewards like cosmetic layered armor or special equipment.

Capcom has announced a robust roadmap of free Title Updates. Title Update 1 (April 2025) added the Mizutsune, a new social hub, and Arch-Tempered monsters. Title Update 2 (Summer 2025) is confirmed to add the Lagiacrus and Seregios. Seasonal events like the 'Festival of Accord: Blossomdance' also provide limited-time quests and cosmetic gear.

• 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 Monster Hunter Wilds a fully open world?
  A: Yes, unlike previous titles which had segmented zones, Monster Hunter Wilds features large, fully seamless maps with no loading screens between areas.
• Q: How is the world more dynamic?
  A: The maps feature changing weather and seasons. This dramatically alters the landscape, monster behavior, and available resources. For example, a dry riverbed can become a raging river in the monsoon season.
• Q: Do all 14 weapon types return?
  A: Yes, Capcom has confirmed that all 14 signature weapon types from Monster Hunter: World and Rise are present in Monster Hunter Wilds, each with new moves and features.
• Q: Does Monster Hunter Wilds have cross-play?
  A: Yes, the game supports full cross-platform multiplayer between PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

• 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 AND EXTRAPOLATED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for Monster Hunter Wilds. This information is based on official PC specifications from Capcom, adapted to the requested JSON structure. As a demanding open-world title on the RE Engine, the requirements are notable, especially for higher resolutions. Laptop and future-generation GPU listings are extrapolated based on performance benchmarks and technical analyses.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop versions of the listed desktop GPUs require comparable performance, which is highly dependent on the laptop's TGP (Total Graphics Power) and thermal design. For a CPU and GPU intensive game like Monster Hunter Wilds, a high-TGP GPU and a robust cooling system are essential for a stable framerate in dense environments and during chaotic hunts.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A high TGP is crucial. A low-power variant of a recommended GPU will likely struggle to maintain target framerates, especially when many monsters and particle effects are on screen.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The RE Engine can heavily tax both the CPU and GPU in open-world settings. A high-performance cooling system is necessary to prevent thermal throttling during long hunts and in populated hub areas.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: The game features a complex, living ecosystem, making a strong laptop CPU with good power delivery vital for maintaining stable minimum framerates and reducing stutter.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended to minimize latency and ensure the GPU's full performance is utilized, which is critical for the game's fast-paced, precise combat.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: The game supports a full suite of upscaling technologies, including NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS. Frame Generation is also supported and mentioned in the official requirements as a way to reach 60 FPS on recommended hardware. The game also supports Microsoft DirectStorage for faster asset loading on compatible systems.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Performance will be most affected by settings like Volumetric Fog, Shadow Quality, and overall model detail. The game's dynamic weather and dense ecosystems will also be demanding, particularly on the CPU in certain scenarios.
• Game Name: Monster Hunter Wilds

• Upscaling Tech: The game supports a full suite of upscaling technologies, including NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS. Frame Generation is also supported and mentioned in the official requirements as a way to reach 60 FPS on recommended hardware. The game also supports Microsoft DirectStorage for faster asset loading on compatible systems.
• Key Settings Impact: Performance will be most affected by settings like Volumetric Fog, Shadow Quality, and overall model detail. The game's dynamic weather and dense ecosystems will also be demanding, particularly on the CPU in certain scenarios.

• 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: A high TGP is crucial. A low-power variant of a recommended GPU will likely struggle to maintain target framerates, especially when many monsters and particle effects are on screen.
• Cooling Thermals: The RE Engine can heavily tax both the CPU and GPU in open-world settings. A high-performance cooling system is necessary to prevent thermal throttling during long hunts and in populated hub areas.
• C P U Power Limits: The game features a complex, living ecosystem, making a strong laptop CPU with good power delivery vital for maintaining stable minimum framerates and reducing stutter.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended to minimize latency and ensure the GPU's full performance is utilized, which is critical for the game's fast-paced, precise combat.