Wayfinder isn’t meant to be a clueless loot grind or a demoralizing digital roulette wheel. Digital Extremes, the studio behind Warframe to publish this new fantasy RPG, is aware of all the pitfalls that tend to drown modern multiplayer games. It often feels like the designers are actively trying to take advantage of the player. It is clear that we are returning to a healthier era of If you too grew up on World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, and Final Fantasy XI, Digital Extremes is going to bring you home.
In its simplest definition, Wayfinder is an MMO. Players control a number of heroes (known as wayfinders, as you might guess). These heroes are subdivided into the traditional tank, healer, and DPS roles. These characters come pre-equipped with a name, backstory, three abilities and a tray of ultimate League of Legends his style. The combat itself is steeped in the quasi-RPG magic that defines Destiny, Borderlands, and Warframe. (Expect a lot of white damage numbers flying at you from your opponent, but you’ll also need to aim your weapons, time your parries, and dodge attacks.) Equip a roster of characters. Narrow down the whole number of builds you’re currently targeting with a huge talent tree that works. In that sense, Wayfinder is addicted to some of the most popular video games on the planet, but in the few hours I spent live on his server, I never tire of its familiarity.
Much of the appeal comes from Wayfinder’s character designs. Airship Syndicate, the studio behind the game, was recently working on his League of Legends-based RPG, Ruined King, and we can see that it oozes Runeterra’s gorgeous cartoon influences. I spent most of my time with Senja, a yoke gladiator with a spiky blonde haircut and a heavy Kratos-sized axe. She acts as a tank for most of our expedition and is backed by a mechanic whose abilities increase in potency as the unseen audience goes wild.Senja shows off, bends her body and gestures into a cheap seat , then apply the next blow. When it connects, the crowd goes wild. It’s hard to get out of Senja’s control without falling in love with her vibe right away.
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This is what Wayfinder definitely wears its hat. Like Warframe, progression here seems to be built mostly around unlocking new characters, and from what I’ve played, it’s just as charisma and likely as Senja. (Another wayfinder I’ve played is known as Niss The Shadow Dancer, but she’s equipped with a cocktail of shinobi-like mobility options that deal with her enemies quickly.) You will take this crew to the Overlands. Players such as Blizzard’s Elwynn Forest, Bungie’s Europa, and Wayfinder’s term for randomized dungeons, “Lost Zones,” will carve out tuned corridors in search of treasure and glory. Airship revealed that players have a ton of control over the loot that pops up in these dungeons. This avoids the soul-killing task of repeating the same instance indefinitely while looking for the sneaky one-percent drop.
Everyone involved with Wayfinder has repeatedly emphasized that the heart of the game is an MMO. When Airship’s dream comes true, it creates a vibrant realm of buzzy general chat, breezy dance contests, and tough, mechanical boss battles of tragedy and triumph. By the end of my demo, it became clear that the people who made this game missed the golden age of the genre and were desperate to recreate the hilarious atmosphere of sharing a dungeon with a party of friends. From what I’ve seen so far, Wayfinder seems to work well enough.
