Story Disappointment due to promotion of the game

[Adam__86]

I think the #1 reason some people are disappointed with the story is due to expectations from the promotional trailers. For example they heavily mentioned Journey to the West and showed footage that suggested a strong narrative focus. I confess, I entered expecting a retelling of The Journey to the West, but with epic duels. Unfortunately however its more a reimagining and presented fragmented which is not what some, including myself, expected

[Kamanira]

From what I'm gathering (having finished up to chapter 1 so far), this is less a retelling of Journey to the West and more a "sequel" of sorts. Taking place LONG after Journey to the West's events occurred and following the perspective of a "Destined One" who aspires to follow in the footsteps of Sun Wukong in a world that has long since fallen from its former glory.

It's very Dark Souls in its presentation. It gives you the most basic of basic introductions to Wukong and Chinese Mythology in the prologue before going on to tell its own story based of Journey to the West, but requires reading the in-game lore entries and taking clues from the world's visual storytelling to really -get- it. The classic Fromsoft presentation style of giving you a very basic gameplay-based story progression that's fleshed out by lore entries in both items and the in-game compendium.

[Adam__86]

Just to add, this doesn't make the game or story bad. It just means people came in expecting something different

[Adam__86]

Originally posted by Kamanira:

From what I'm gathering (having finished up to chapter 1 so far), this is less a retelling of Journey to the West and more a "sequel" of sorts. Taking place LONG after Journey to the West's events occurred and following the perspective of a "Destined One" who aspires to follow in the footsteps of Sun Wukong in a world that has long since fallen from its former glory.

It's very Dark Souls in its presentation. It gives you the most basic of basic introductions to Wukong and Chinese Mythology in the prologue before going on to tell its own story based of Journey to the West, but requires reading the in-game lore entries and taking clues from the world's visual storytelling to really -get- it. The classic Fromsoft presentation style of giving you a very basic gameplay-based story progression that's fleshed out by lore entries in both items and the in-game compendium.

True, but I didn't get that vibe from promotional material

[hwanzi]

how did u think this was journey to the west when it wukong by himself? journey to the west is a TEAM effort

[Potches]

They has as little exposition as any Souls game, but yet souls gets praise for their story telling

[Kamanira]

Originally posted by Potches:

They has as little exposition as any Souls game, but yet souls gets praise for their story telling

Souls games (and most non-AC Fromsoft titles in general) are praised for their worldbuilding and background narratives, not for the story you actually play through. As is the case in most Fromsoft games, the story is in the background because you're starting the game in a world that's already had its "major event" ages past, and you're walking through the dying ruins of what's left.
Just a case of this game not having the "Fromsoft Reputation". I'm liking it so far, for what it's worth.

[Eadmond]

It's not only that it's a re-imaging. It's actually based on their previous game and other author's re-image of the Journey to the west. So, it's basicly third or fourth time recreation.

That creates a problem obviously. Everybody in this game, kind of have Journey to the west background, and kind of not having that in the same time. In story telling, that's pure ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥, just like the reboot of many so called super hero stories.

And with that in mind, the game is also way to keen to create plot holes without enough explore to make them meaningful.

[Grendizer]

Originally posted by Adam__86:

Just to add, this doesn't make the game or story bad. It just means people came in expecting something different

Aren't expectations, especially here, just a "you- problem"? If you know the story, it doesn't really suggest that it's the retelling of it. I don't see any misleading here.

Also, most of the time, new stories about folklore often is heavily inspired of the main source.

[Adam__86]

Originally posted by hwanzi:

how did u think this was journey to the west when it wukong by himself? journey to the west is a TEAM effort

Probably because the trailers and promotional material said based on the Journey to the West mythology!

[Adam__86]

Originally posted by Grendizer:

Originally posted by Adam__86:

Just to add, this doesn't make the game or story bad. It just means people came in expecting something different

Aren't expectations, especially here, just a "you- problem"? If you know the story, it doesn't really suggest that it's the retelling of it. I don't see any misleading here.

Also, most of the time, new stories about folklore often is heavily inspired of the main source.

I never said its a game issue, I am just explaining why some people are disappointed with the story

[REhorror]

JttW knower here, this games makes me appreciate From storytelling, they at least have the beginning and the end, and the different endings mean you have choices and consequences.

This game plots ends where it begins actually you only become da Wukong at the end, which means the whole journey is you becoming someone else..

And yes, I'd say the story is straight out bad due to that.

It's honestly a hipster reason for me to not buy the game.

Hope the next game has more traditional storytelling.

[Grr. [SG CMD] Majah Lazah]

Originally posted by REhorror:

JttW knower here, this games makes me appreciate From storytelling, they at least have the beginning and the end, and the different endings mean you have choices and consequences.

This game plots ends where it begins actually you only become da Wukong at the end, which means the whole journey is you becoming someone else..

And yes, I'd say the story is straight out bad due to that.

It's honestly a hipster reason for me to not buy the game.

Hope the next game has more traditional storytelling.

All of this is a literal lie.

There is no "From Story" per Miyazaki's own words. He has an overview thesis written, designers sprinkle that throughout the in game flavor text for places and weapons and objects, none of it is ever meant to congeal by deliberate intention.

The bestiary tells you what happened after JttW, the game tells you what happens to the character that wukong is currently interacting with, the ending animations tell you how each chapter began and how and WHY it ended.

You not liking the style has zero objective tenets.

[REhorror]

Originally posted by Grr. SG CMD Majah Lazah:

Originally posted by REhorror:

JttW knower here, this games makes me appreciate From storytelling, they at least have the beginning and the end, and the different endings mean you have choices and consequences.

This game plots ends where it begins actually you only become da Wukong at the end, which means the whole journey is you becoming someone else..

And yes, I'd say the story is straight out bad due to that.

It's honestly a hipster reason for me to not buy the game.

Hope the next game has more traditional storytelling.

All of this is a literal lie.

There is no "From Story" per Miyazaki's own words. He has an overview thesis written, designers sprinkle that throughout the in game flavor text for places and weapons and objects, none of it is ever meant to congeal by deliberate intention.

The bestiary tells you what happened after JttW, the game tells you what happens to the character that wukong is currently interacting with, the ending animations tell you how each chapter began and how and WHY it ended.

You not liking the style has zero objective tenets.

Nope, From games clearly have a story.
Dark Souls 1/3/ER: The world is dying, you go get the Lord vessels/Ring shard/MacGuffin, and then decide the fate of the world (rekindle flame, put off flame, start another ages, yada yada). It's simple, but it's there.

Wukong: the Wukong is dead, you play as his avatar/descendant who collect the MacGuffin* to remake him again. This is very similar, except there's only one bad ending (where the next monkey reborns in the stone again), and the true ending is super vague (do you become the new Wukong, or Wukong reborns into you, or is it a combination)?

The enemies lore and stuff, while nice, are basically that, lore. The ending animations are basically side stories and what have happened, and not what's going on in the current plot.

[some guy]

Yeah if you don't like hitting things with a stick u prolly have more fun doing sth else

[Adam__86]

Originally posted by REhorror:

The enemies lore and stuff, while nice, are basically that, lore. The ending animations are basically side stories and what have happened, and not what's going on in the current plot.

Even those end animations are WTF and required me to stop playing the game to understand which is not a method of storytelling I enjoy outside of a mystery game