Professor Gray (Lianghui) Huang
Essay 3
12/3/22
The Journey to the West
Revisiting: Literature to Film to Video Game
The Journey to the West written by Wu Cheng’ en has been a timeless classic literature,
reimagined in a variety of ways, including a video game. The novel describes the journey of
Xuanzang to India accompanied by his disciples: Monkey, Pigsy, Sandy, and Dragon Horse. The
first section of the novel recounts Monkey's early biography, the second narrates Xuanzang’s
bibliography, and the third recount their adventures1. The Monkey King: Hero is Back (2015)
film adaptation is a prequel to the Journey to the West. The prequel describes the story of
Monkey (Sun Wukong), and how a boy named Liuer stumbles upon Money’s entrapment and
frees him from his cage. The film then goes on to describe the adventures Liuer, Monkey, and the
baby go through to defeat the trolls- ending with Monkey’s powers being unleashed2. The
Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017) film adaptation recounts their journey to
India and the strife between Xuanzang’s and Monkeys with them fighting demons along the
way3. In 2023 a video game Black Myth: Wukong will be released based on The Journey to the
West. To answer the question of whether it is good or bad to understand literature through video
1
Wu, Cheng'en. The Journey to the West. The University of Chicago Press, 2012.
2
“The Monkey King, Hero Is Back.” YouTube, YouTube, 28 Dec. 2020,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-Dntf9E8C8.
3
“Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 June 2017,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpz31iYaarI.
, games, one must examine the progression of Journey to the West from literature to film to video
game.
Progression of Novel Adaptations: Similarities and Differences
There are many arguments for literature being adapted into video games as a way of learning. On
one hand, video games can offer an immersive experience for students to experience literature,
and open it to a broader range of people. Furthermore, it can prove to be an easier way of
understanding. However, on the other side, the video game may deteriorate the meaning of the
literature and fail to convey the core of the original work.
The 1592 literature is a novel of fantasy and adventure, featuring gods, demons, magical
creatures, moral principles, and Buddhist teachings4. The two film adaptations keep somewhat of
an original plotline with the 2015 adaptation being a comedy-adventure movie. The main
storyline of the Monkey King’s adventures is based on the novel, with added comic parts to
emphasize values such as family5. The 2017 adaptation also has a plot similar to the novel, but
includes more martial arts action, and emphasizes friendship and loyalty6.
The 2023 video game is the most current adaptation of the novel, with the core storyline being
strongly based on the novel. Furthermore, the game emphasizes strategic thinking and
problem-solving. The players get control of the Monkey and must lead him and his entourage
through a variety of obstacles. Furthermore, Buddhist teachings are heavily emphasized in the
game similar to the novel.
4
Wu, Cheng'en. The Journey to the West. The University of Chicago Press, 2012.
5
“The Monkey King, Hero Is Back.” YouTube, YouTube, 28 Dec. 2020,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-Dntf9E8C8.
6
“Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 June 2017,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpz31iYaarI.
