To examine the transformation of Journey to the West from classical Chinese literature into the interactive narrative of Black Myth Wukong.

Abstract

This literature-based study examines the transformation of Journey to the West, one of the foundational works of classical Chinese literature, into the interactive narrative of Black Myth: Wukong (2024). The study focuses on how a traditional literary narrative, its mythology, characters and cultural symbolism are reconstructed through contemporary digital game technologies. Particular attention is given to the transformation of Sun Wukong, the restructuring of narrative temporality, the representation of mythological worlds, interactive storytelling and the changing relationship between narrative and audience. Drawing upon scholarship on literary adaptation, game studies, digital storytelling, Chinese cultural heritage and recent research on Black Myth: Wukong, the study interprets the game as a process of cultural and narrative transformation rather than a direct reproduction of the classical source. The analysis demonstrates that the game retains recognisable elements of Journey to the West while substantially modifying their narrative functions through exploration, combat, environmental storytelling, character development and player participation. The transformation enables mythological and literary elements that were traditionally experienced through reading to become spatial, visual and interactive experiences. The study further considers how the game contributes to the contemporary circulation of Chinese cultural memory by combining traditional mythology with globally established videogame conventions. Black Myth: Wukong consequently illustrates the continuing adaptability of classical literature and demonstrates how interactive media can simultaneously preserve cultural continuity and generate new interpretative possibilities