‘The player is already losing before I could tell what’s going on’: SM Lee confesses to watching Black Myth: Wukong playthroughs

SM Lee speaks about Black Myth: Wukong at FutureChina Global Forum 2024

‘Black Myth: Wukong’ has arguably been one of the most popular games to release in 2024.

As the game takes the world by storm, even Senior Minister (SM) Lee Hsien Loong has caught wind of it.

Speaking in Mandarin at the FutureChina Global Forum 2024 on Friday (18 Oct), SM Lee confessed to watching video playthroughs of the game.

However, he found the gameplay “dizzying” and said there would be “absolutely no hope” if he were to play as the game’s main character.

SM Lee admits to watching Black Myth: Wukong gameplay walkthrough

SM Lee was posed the question during a fireside chat at the forum.

Towards the end of the interview, the moderator asked if SM Lee had more time on his hands now that he was no longer the Prime Minister (PM).

After SM Lee replied that he did, the moderator continued by asking if he played online games.

SM Lee responded by saying that while he doesn’t play online games, he’s aware of a popular single-player game titled ‘Black Myth: Wukong’.

The crowd erupted into applause upon hearing the familiar game title.

Struggling to hold back her laughter, the moderator asked SM Lee about his thoughts on the game and whether it’s effective in helping students learn Chinese.

SM Lee reply was simple:

I think it helps, but students must know when to stop.

Finds gameplay “dizzying”, say it’s best to leave it to the pros

The former PM then went on to share his knowledge of the game.

Describing the Triple-A game as one with a high threshold, SM Lee said he would never play it himself.

However, he confessed to watching playthroughs on YouTube and even gave a vivid description of the gameplay:

The moves are so quick and dizzying. The player is already losing before I could tell what’s going on.

SM Lee quipped that there would be “absolutely no hope” if he were to play the game and be tasked with fighting the monsters.

Therefore, he said it’s best to leave the game to computer game experts.

Hope students learn about Chinese traditions & culture too

After his endearing description of the game, SM Lee returned to the moderator’s question about how games may help students better learn Chinese.

SM Lee shared his hope that students could go beyond just the language when learning Chinese. This includes learning more about Chinese traditions and culture, as well as the “rich cultural connotation”  behind them.

In the case of Black Myth: Wukong, SM Lee said it’d be best if students become interested in movies or novels about the ‘Journey to the West’ after playing the game.

“I hope that through these ‘soft’ avenues, we can encourage students to learn not just the Chinese language, but also absorb materials relating to Chinese culture,” said SM Lee.

Minister of State awed by SM Lee’s knowledge about Black Myth: Wukong

Turns out, the crowd at the forum wasn’t the first to be stunned by SM Lee’s knowledge of Black Myth: Wukong.

In a Facebook post, Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Culture, Community & Youth Alvin Tan shared that the former PM had quizzed him about the game previously.

Upon learning that Mr Tan had completed the game, SM Lee asked if he had obtained Wukong’s signature Jingubang Staff.

SM Lee even asked Mr Tan about the ending that he played through, further displaying his “extensive” knowledge of the game.

SM Lee’s dialogue and transcript from the forum are viewable on YouTube and the Prime Minister’s Office website respectively.

Also read: ‘I wish I had been born later’: PM Lee says there are more opportunities today

‘I wish I had been born later’: PM Lee says there are more opportunities today

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Featured image adapted from Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore on YouTube and Polygon.