The second expansion for Monkey King: Hero is Back is now available, and it seems to focus on being a little different than the rest of the game. Mind Palace, much like the first expansion, will once again explore events prior to the main story. The expansion takes place after the first DLC, where Dasheng is defeated by Buddah and thrown out of heaven, trapped in a crystal prison for 500 years. Unable to do much else, he retreats into his mind so he can keep training, hoping to one day be freed so he can get revenge on heaven. Also like the first DLC, this is available on its own for $9.99 or part of the $29.99 season pass.
You’ll have to partake in this training by completing several challenges. This takes the form of all-new levels full of traps, platforming challenges, and fights. One stage requires you to manipulate stone pillars to block jets of fire. Another has Dasheng running around dodging rolling boulders so he can hit specific points in the environment. No matter the case, it looks like a fun set of levels that should add quite a bit for fans of the game. You can view the trailer below.
In addition to the DLC, the game is also getting a pair of new difficulty levels. One is called “Paradise Mode,” which makes enemies pushovers and lets you enjoy the story. The other is “Desperation Mode,” which instead ramps up the difficulty. Both of these difficulty levels are available as free individual add-ons.
Monkey King: Hero is Back is notable for being one of the first AAA Chinese console games, and the first to actually leave China and show up elsewhere. The game is based on a popular Chinese animated movie, which in turn is based on one of the most famous Chinese novels of all time. It was developed by Hexadrive, with Sony publishing it in China and THQ Nordic helping bring it to the United States.
