Illustration: Liu Xiangya/GT

As one of the creators of Black Myth: Wukong,MKS sports I still feel a surge of emotion when I reflect on this game's journey from concept to reality. Every step - from the first spark of inspiration to its unveiling before players - embodies the tireless dedication of our team.

Consider the Minor Western Heaven chapter, a testament to our commitment. Crafting its map, shaping its characters, and refining its plot demanded immense time and effort. Our aim was to create a seamless narrative space, guiding players from sweeping vistas to intricate details, and ultimately bridging the game with the real world.

The fictional Buddha statues and other elements in this chapter weave in classic Buddhist tales of idols and real body, making it rich with layered meanings. The creative inspiration came from the Shuilu'an Temple in Lantian, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province. 

The religious sculptures created by hundreds of folk craftsmen and believers over 100 years describe mythological stories that are a fusion of Confucianism, Buddhism and Daoism. These allowed us to imagine what it would be like to run around there and helped complete the initial design of the environmental narrative of the Minor Western Heaven.

In storytelling, we took bold steps by weaving emotional arcs, such as Zhu Bajie's tale and Pingping's plot, setting us apart from typical action games. Rather than forcing a love story, we sought to humanize the experience and steer clear of purely grand narratives. This approach struck a chord with players, who found resonance in these emotional threads, reinforcing our resolve to infuse humanistic elements into the game.

Besides the game itself, we have been committed to building an open source material library of Chinese geography and humanities, which we hope to open to the public for free in the future. 

When scanning protected cultural relics for the game, we encountered many difficulties, as many places were not open to the public. Fortunately, many people gave us great trust and support, enabling us to recreate these precious cultural heritages in the game.

In the past, most of the single-player games we came into contact with had exotic cultures and Western perspectives. We hope to fill the gap in this area and bring more high-quality games to players who love single-player games as much as we do. 

Over the past decade, China's game industry has thrived across diverse genres. If we can enrich the single-player landscape in the years ahead, the gaming ecosystem will grow even stronger. We're proud to play a part in that evolution.

Early data showed that about 30 percent of the players of Black Myth: Wukong were overseas, exceeding our expectations. Though unfamiliar with its cultural roots, overseas players connected with the game through its logical storytelling and universal human experiences. The game's striking Chinese elements sparked their curiosity, broadening its global reach.

The games industry is undergoing a profound transformation, fueled by advanced tools and shifting perspectives. Artificial intelligence is reshaping how we create, impacting certain roles, yet it also opens extraordinary possibilities. We've watched game art evolve from a misunderstood craft to a flourishing field. Perhaps we'll be the last generation of "manual craftsmen" in this digital era, but we see AI not as a threat, rather as a unique opportunity to evolve.

We were fortunate to build on a strong foundation. Black Myth: Wukong draws from the timeless Journey to the West. Many creators, however, are not as fortunate and so have weaker scripts. 

In those cases, the path is clear: either hone your skills as a storyteller to elevate the material or use every tool at your disposal to mask its flaws and bring it vividly to life. 

Complaint isn't an option. Aspiring filmmakers, for instance, should study every nuance of cinema, amassing knowledge to one day transform a flawed script into a masterpiece.

While Black Myth: Wukong isn't flawless, it reflects our team's passion and charts a path forward. 

We'll keep pushing the boundaries, eager to deliver even more remarkable experiences in our future works.

Yang Qi, the artistic director of Black Myth: Wukong, speaking at the West Lake Art Symposium held by the China Academy of Arts in Hangzhou. Complied by Xu Liuliu