Event Details

Prof. Aiqing Wang presents her new co-authored work on China's first AAA video game

This study examines Black Myth: Wukong, China’s first AAA (Triple-A) game, as a transformative medium that bridges traditional Chinese mythology and modern digital storytelling. Drawing from Journey to the West, a cornerstone of Chinese literary heritage, the game integrates advanced gaming technologies with immersive narratives, offering an organic reinterpretation of classical mythology for a global audience. Employing Walter Benjamin’s theory of storytelling and Carly Kocurek’s insights on interactive media, this research highlights how the game revitalises cultural narratives, fostering cross-cultural connections while maintaining authenticity. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates content analysis of narrative and visual elements, sentiment analysis of audience reception, and a dual deductive-inductive thematic analysis to uncover key trends and insights. This study also addresses controversies surrounding inclusivity and ethical storytelling, emphasising the challenges and opportunities in adapting traditional narratives to contemporary global contexts. By analysing the reception and cultural implications of Wukong, the study underscores the potential of interactive media to serve as both a cultural bridge and an educational tool.

Speaker bio: Dr Aiqing Wang is a Senior Lecturer and the Subject Lead for Chinese at the Department of Languages, Cultures and Film. Before joining the University of Liverpool, she was employed by Lancaster University. She has been conducting cross-institutional, inter-disciplinary research on a wide range of areas, including creative industries, film studies and linguistics. She has an established record of single- and co-authored publications in internationally-recognised peer-reviewed journals, such as Applied Linguistics, in collaboration with research partners from British and overseas universities.