The Crown of Wu

This third-person action-adventure game (supported by the PlayStation Talents Program) is inspired by a classic Chinese novel that tells the tale of the monkey king: Sun Wukong. Put your reflexes, wits, and sense of exploration to the test through some incredibly ingenious puzzles that are never the same twice. The platform sequences are hard and demand pixel-precision.

Do you know the tale of Wu, the legendary monkey king of Chinese mythology (Son Goku in Japan and Dragon Ball Z)?

Well, here's a chance to experience his saga in a game that alternates between combat and puzzle sequences. It's an adventure game the combines traditional and hi-tech China, and one that sure worked its magic on us here at Blacknut...

We loved the game world and environments that evoke the floating wrecks of a highly advanced civilisation with its magnificent platforms.

The Crown of Wu recounts the adventures of this half-man, half-monkey god and his propensity for violence, corrupted by the crown that granted him extraordinary powers, but that slowly eats away at his humanity... His atrocities earned him severe punishment, kept bound and in a state verging on the unconscious for centuries! When Wu finally frees himself from this prison, he discovers a decadent world in ruin. He then needs to retrieve his stolen crown and help those he has offended so that he can both redeem himself and save the world.

We liked how the game alternates between combat, puzzle, and exploration sequences. It's really varied and you never get bored.

When it comes to exploration, you'll be making your way between floating islands, but take special care in timing your jumps unless you want to be sent right back to the start of the entire, expansive area. Nothing is automated, and it you don't stick the landing you've got a long way to fall.

Here's a tip to help you during these platforming sequences: there aren't any real consequences to failing and falling into a pit. You'll just reappear nearby and try again. As for the magic bar, you can give it a refill by striking the purple crystals found throughout the game.

The combat itself is easy to master, but with some of the bosses you'll need to take your time and formulate a strategy before you come out on top.

As you progress through the game, you'll earn more powers related to the four elements: earth, water, wind, and fire. They'll come in just as handy with puzzles as they do in combat.

And where The Crown of Wu really shines is with the puzzles. You'll often be taken down the wrong path, and then you'll need the elements to work their magic.

The puzzles are truly ingenuous and no two are the same.

The Crown of Wu is a tribute to classic adventure games that never tried to make life easy for the player, and it will go down well with anyone who's feeling nostalgic for the golden age of Tomb Raider and Soul Reaver.