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I must admit that when Wayfinder originally launched, I didn’t have the chance to play it. Juggling more than three live-service games back then was challenging for me. So, I focused on what I had and followed this game from the shadows. However, when the Echoes update for Wayfinder was announced, it caught my attention. It would now take a more single-player-focused approach with optional co-op play. Now that I have finally tried Wayfinder, I can say that it is hard to put down. While there are a few bumps on the road, its combat, soulful art-style, and a plethora of meaty content make it one of the most addictive ARPGs I’ve played.
For the unaware, Wayfinder got a huge revamp with its Echoes update. While it’s been playable since June, the full release happened on October 21 and opened the gates for all players to experience. The GAAS model is gone; everyone can unlock characters, housing items, weapons, and cosmetics just by playing. Frankly, this was a fantastic idea. Often, we deal with that lingering FOMO syndrome in many games. We are afraid of missing out on certain rewards or watching items leave a game’s optional store. But not here. Wayfinder respects your time and gives you those sweet rushes of dopamine while playing, like unlocking a new mount, furniture, or character. And the best thing about it? You don’t have to deal with live-service shenanigans anymore.
Once More Into the Gloom
When I jumped into Wayfinder, I wasn’t expecting a deep or intricate story. How wrong I was. While it might not be the most groundbreaking, Wayfinder‘s lore is quite elaborate and, at the same time, easy to digest. In many fantasy games involving different races, magic, and otherwordly terms, understanding the plot tends to be challenging. But that wasn’t the case here.
You begin your adventure with a beautiful cinematic of lightly animated illustrations that depict the events leading to the main story. Omen, the game’s guide, and the playable characters enter the Gloom after the world gets invaded. In an attempt to drive this force away, they must light up a Beacon, which is a structure that keeps the chaos at bay. By doing so, our playable characters get stuck inside for months until you pick one of the three starting heroes to begin your journey in a broken world.
While I was ready to skip all dialogue and head to the dungeon-crawling action, I was surprised to see myself stopping to do every quest, listening to the conversations, and even learning the concepts of this world. If there is one thing that Wayfinder does perfectly, it is its world-building, which will enthrall even the most casual players. On top of that, the actual playable world is gorgeous. The main hub is huge, using a vertical design to hide some of its sectors and stores. The Highlands are full of hidden areas, puzzles, and different landmarks that breathe life into these locales. Undoubtedly, these are some of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in modern gaming.
Embracing Chaos
The best thing about Wayfinder is its combat. With the Echoes update, Wayfinder characters fall into an archetype-like category. You have Niss, who is an assassin-like fighter capable of dashing through the battlefield while damaging enemies when dodging. Kyros belongs to the mage-esque category, which sees him flinging powerful spells or hitting like a truck with his scythe. Fortunately, there is a fair amount of characters, and each one has a unique playstyle that takes a while to master, but once you do, it pays off greatly.
For instance, my first character was Niss. Since I’ve always been drawn to the rogue archetype, I knew this assassin would be my starting choice. Initially, you begin with one skill, but once you level up, you can unlock up to four. These skills can grow, too, when you gain new levels. Depending on the ability, you can reduce their cooldowns, add more damage, or even have other effects. Also, you can further customize your playstyle once you unlock affinities, which is an in-depth system that lets you spend rare currency to give your character different passives.
The amount of player agency when customizing a character’s playstyle is mindblowing to me. When I first looked at the talent tree, my jaw dropped. It wasn’t as large as the ones in Diablo 4, but it offers a lot of paths that change how your character performs. For example, I built my Niss around weapon power because I utilise her as a melee fighter and spam normal and heavy attacks. However, I went down the ability power road with Kyros, as I preferred spamming spells. Overall, you can mix and match as much as you want. Even if you and your friends all use the same character, all of them will be different.
My only minor complaint about character customization is how overwhelming it can potentially be for new players. Again, this was my first time trying Wayfinder, and I loved it. However, dungeons sometimes become loot piñatas and end up with so many weapons and artifacts that keeping track of them might be hard. A “recommended build” option would make a huge difference. While I know some won’t mind experimenting with the clutter of items, a way to guide players into a starter build is the one thing I feel Wayfinder needs, at least for the newcomer experience.
Your Character, Your Way-finder
Wayfinder Echoes did a huge revamp in terms of customization. You can obtain everything without spending a dime. The amount of furniture I got just by grinding dungeons was surprising. Previously, if I wanted to get something nice for one of my digital homes, I’d have to swipe my card; here, I just have to slice enemies. It’s wonderful to be able to grind certain activities to obtain that coveted cosmetic. Luckily, furniture isn’t the only thing you can obtain by playing.
Every dungeon has a chance to drop many of the weapons your characters use. And yes, you can swap weapons freely. Even your assassin can wield a sword and a shield if that’s what you desire. In the case of weapon skins, you can also find them when delving into instances. Also, the amount of customization behind every aspect of a character is wild. You can dye almost every part of a character’s outfit and even change your Gloom Dagger’s appearance. Again, it’s great to see a lot of player agency with these details that seem minor at first but go a long way.
However, customization doesn’t end with character-related options. It goes even further and invades dungeons, which shakes up gameplay considerably. If you follow the main quest, you’ll eventually unlock the Imbuement system. This feature allows you to modify how a dungeon works by using Mutators. For example, using a Flora Mutator will change the dungeon’s enemies, adding poison damage to their attacks. If you use a Shadow Mutator, enemies will become more powerful once they reach 50% HP. While it sounds like the odds are stacked against you, you get increased experience by modifying a dungeon, encouraging you to try a difficult combination to create a fresh and rewarding experience.
Brimming With Content and Potential
Overall, Wayfinder is now a terrific ARPG, thanks to the Echoes update. While I experienced a few bugs ranging from visual ones to subtitles swapping languages on the spot and a few others that got my character stuck or co-op connectivity issues, my excitement never waned. On the contrary, I was excited to jump into this beautifully crafted world repeatedly. Furthermore, the Echoes update for Wayfinder added so many things to do, including random overworld and dungeon events, world bosses, the Echoes systems, and much more, which will surely cater to different players.
With one of the most unique and gorgeous art-styles, a simple yet engaging combat system, and customization like no other, Wayfinder has everything to become a serious contender against all the other popular ARPGs out there. Yes, there are a few bumps that need fixing, as well as some needed QoL updates. However, it’s immensely enjoyable and addictive, and most importantly, it is a game that respects you and your time. I just hope more content keeps flowing because I really can’t escape the beauty of Evenor.
Wayfinder (PC Reviewed)
Despite its minor bugs and glitches, Wayfinder is a terrific ARPG. It is full of content and potential, that casual and hardcore players alike will have a blast playing.
Pros
- Superb art-style
- An engaging combat system
- A large variety of content
Cons
- A few minor bugs
- Itemization can be overwhelming
