Ray Willmott reviews Wildstar…
Despite creating a global phenomenon, many of the original World of Warcraft development team fled the Blizzard coup early on and moved to Carbine Studios to, in their words, ‘get it right, this time.’ The result? Wildstar.
Just months after the release of another massive MMORPG, The Elder Scrolls Online, Wildstar has also chosen to adopt a subscription-based model, despite most of its competition opting to go the Free to Play route. The game has quietly been building momentum since its announcement back in 2011, attracting attention with its quirky cast of characters and elegant art style.
But all cards on the table and bold claims stuck under the spotlight: is Wildstar actually better than World of Warcraft?
The biggest feature that separates Wildstar from any other MMORPG on the market is the ‘Path’ system. As normal, players pick an allegiance, race and class, then the Path system enables them to choose the types of missions they’d like to embark on. So, for instance, if you choose Soldier, you will have battle-orientated missions, whereas the scientist has more puzzle-focused quests. A popular thing to do in any MMORPG is re-roll with a new character and class once you’re finished with the first one, but often that means redoing the same missions all over again. Wildstar aims to make that process less laborious and encourages fresh gameplay. While we’ve only gone so far in the game, we have tried several different types of characters and paths and can tell you that paths definitely play out differently and do put fresh spins on this thriving, multi-layered universe. When you complete these specific quests, you get a Path ranking, which increases your competency in particular areas and also merits you unique rewards.
Getting to Wildstar’s good bits are a bit of a slog. The entire ship section at the beginning of the game slows the game’s momentum immediately, but as soon as you’re out into the big wide world, the WoW moment you’ve been waiting for since Warcraft finally emerges. Graphically, Wildstar is keen to give nods and winks to the likes of Awesomenauts, Steamworld Dig and even Final Fantasy. The environments are gorgeous, the cast of characters are interesting and fresh and unlike Warcraft, you’ll be immediately sucked into the story through cut-scenes, fast-paced question and dynamic action. Everything gels so well together and you’ll actually find yourself caring about what’s going on.
Wildstar has plenty to enjoy. In summary, no game is better or worse, but I believe both are equally important to the genre. Just as WoW kickstarted a trend, Wildstar comes at a time when the majority of developers believe the only way an MMORPG can work is for it to go Free to Play, but now the game has hooked its claws into me, I find it hard to believe anything of this quality could survive on tidbit transactions. It’s the type of MMORPG I want to support. One I want to see continue to grow and develop. Against major, established IP such as Final Fantasy and The Elder Scrolls, it is Wildstar that I think about and want to play.
Wildstar is the sum total of everything that works in the genre right now. It’s a total, full package and even introduces ideas of its own that are sure to be emulated for years to come. One of the most refreshing MMORPGs we’ve seen in years.
Rating – 8.5/10
Ray Willmott – Follow me on Twitter
Originally published June 3, 2014. Updated April 12, 2018.
