English
Gamereactor
previews
Wildstar

Wildstar Hands-On

Gamereactor's MMO connoisseur, Jostein Holmgren, travelled to Planet Nexus to learn more about Carbine Studios' upcoming MMORPG Wildstar.

Subscribe to our newsletter here!

* Required field
HQ

It's been a while since I saw daylight. Much time has past since I found a forgotten cave entrance and my curiosity got the better of me. So much exploration. I make out a glimmering light in the distance. Could it be? Wise from experience I approach it carefully, but as it turns out I've finally found my way out of the darkness. A small crack in the cave wall is my blessing, and as I get out I find myself high above the fields below, standing on a ledge. Slowly but surely my eyes adjust to the light, and from this position that only the most daring and adventurous players will find, I can see Planet Nexus in all its splendor.

Wildstar

Nexus is both grand and strange. There's plenty of creative flair both as far as environments and monsters go. From a visual perspective Wildstar reminds us of the Ratchet and Clank universe, pastel colours, and playfully designed areas and creatures. That's not to say the game isn't serious, but it aims to mix things up a bit. As producer Jeremy Gaffney puts it:

"If you're going to spend hundreds of hours in a game you'll grow weary of it if everything is serious all the time."

This is an ad:

It's hard to argue with that notion, even if I'm personally the kind of player who prefers a serious tone in a game I'm about to invest a lot of time in.

From a content standpoint Wildstar features some stuff old MMO fans may have been missing in recent releases. The last few years have seen major games that have tried to innovate and change up the formula, something that not all MMO players have appreciated. In Wildstar you'll find the majority of content on your shopping list of quests, supplemented by a handful of group quests in each zone. Later in the game you will take part in raids, a popular feature many recent MMOs have moved away from.

Wildstar

Players will be able to choose their own path through the game, a path fitting your play style, and this is clever on Carbine Studios' part. When you're creating your character you choose a reason for coming to Planet Nexus - exploration, battle, research or settling. I'm the kind of player who likes to explore every nook and cranny in the game world, and as an Explorer I was given missions and rewards tailored to the play style. As I mentioned earlier this will lead you to some spectacular vistas that only Explorers will be able to find. The four play styles complement each other, for instance Explorer can unlock areas Scientists or Soldiers otherwise would not be able to access, so they in turn can gain access to more content. Carbine Studios has realised that not all players have the same preferences, and in this way you're still getting a very focused and meaningful experience.

This is an ad:
Wildstar

However, no matter how varied or tailored the content, it still has to entertain. In other words, the combat system has to deliver. At first I was worried that Carbine had opted for an old school approach in this area too, but as it turned out there was no need to worry. The combat is very engaging, and the focus lies in movement and positioning. Several of my attacks got bonuses if I hit the target from behind, and all attacks could be used while in motion. The only thing that felt negative about combat was that none of the attacks felt truly powerful.

Wildstar

All in all the first impressions of Wildstar were positive. It's obvious they have opted to keep many of the traditional MMO staples, while the combat seems solid and offers a lot of variation. Personally I'm happy the genre is progressing and evolving, but I realise some players aren't too happy about where it's heading. Therefore I think Wildstar may be able to capture its own niche audience, but that is entirely dependant on how well the end product plays, and at the moment there is still some ways to go in development.

Related texts

0
WildstarScore

Wildstar

REVIEW. Written by Josten Holmgren

"With a rock solid group portion of the game, even though that lacks innovation, Wildstar manages to establish its niche in the MMO space."



Loading next content