Welcome to the first piece of our ongoing WildStar coverage. Before reaching a final verdict, we'll be writing impressions of our journey through the world of Nexus from two perspectives of differing massively multiplayer online role-playing game backgrounds.
First things first: some introductions. I’ve played MMORPGs since the days of Asheron’s Call, preferring traditional MMOs over the weird hybrids that came out between the late ‘90s to the present day. I played World of Warcraft off and on for a long period of time, with other titles like Warhammer Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic in-between.
Needless to say, I’ve grown tired of the typical “point-and-hit a million buttons on your hotbar” gameplay offered by traditional MMOs, so I’m going into WildStar with this in mind.
Right off the bat, I can say that WildStar offers a fresh take on the typical MMO with its gloriously animated artwork and design. Some might try to disparage the game’s art direction as World of Warcraft in space, but it looks more akin to a cartoon from the 1980s—more so than anything else.
In addition to the game’s original artwork, there’s the telegraphed combat system, which makes every move an AOE action, affecting every target within a certain radius. Essentially, you’ll see the radius of your attacks on the ground as you perform them, and the radius of your opponents’ attacks as they do theirs. You’ll want to keep them in the zone of your attacks while staying out of any red zones that appear on the ground.
Beyond combat, the game uses a jumping and platforming system that’s similar to that of console action games like the Jak & Daxter series. You can even sprint and double jump—two features that make the game more action oriented than anything else (besides the combat).
In any case, levels 1 to 15 play out very much like your standard MMORPG, but with some differences. First, let’s talk about what’s the same. If you’re unfamiliar with MMORPGs, most of them offer basic quests for you to accomplish, earning you experience points, loot, and levels as you play through the game. Like World of Warcraft, you’ll have the option to choose from various rewards each time you complete a quest, giving you ample reason to perform them and follow the game’s storyline instead of hacking away at mobs in a field.
WildStar is definitely one of the better games out there in regards to its questing and level, as I never found myself grinding away on monsters just to earn levels. Lineage 2 this game is most certainly not.
In addition to regular quests to kill monsters and deliver items, there’s also a wide variety of things for you to do during your missions. I personally encountered missions that required me to complete puzzles that came in a variety of forms, ranging from simple button-mashers to more sophisticated ones—there is one that is reminiscent of the hacking minigame in Fallout 3. Stuff like this really changes up the way the game presents itself and gives players a plethora of things to do by mixing it up.
Besides earning levels for my character class, the game also gave me the option to level up an additional set of skills, called Paths. I chose the Scientist path, which allows me to undertake missions that provide in-game written lore as a reward. The Scientist is also capable of accessing areas otherwise inaccessible to other paths, and interacting with the various parts of the environment.
My relationship with massively multiplayer online role-playing games is a bit more antagonistic than Ian's. That's not to say I'm averse to them, far from it. I've had my share of day one launches, collector's editions, and dabbles with the obscure. But the unfortunate truth, despite the stacks of boxes sitting lonely on my shelf, is that I've found their promises of adventure and scale more enticing than the often tedious grind and static combat of the genre's traditional, tentpole names.
Promises are sweet, however, and so we come to the next big thing. Developed by Carbine Studios, a team founded by 17 former Blizzard and World of Warcraft veterans, WildStar shares at first glance a lot of DNA with its creators' former progeny. That left me initially cautious, but I was also eager to see if its colorful, sci-fi world could win me over. After reaching level 15 during the three-day head start, the answer to that question is leaning toward yes.
First, the good news is WildStar's launch went swimmingly. The few item-related bugs that popped up were quickly squashed, and I've yet to experience any crashes or server timeouts. The only issue, if it be called that, is the long server queue when attempting to log in during the afternoon and evening. That will likely get resolved in time as Carbine gauges the population.
When I did get in, there were three pillars of the game that stand out to me: character, combat and cooperation. WildStar exudes an atmosphere of liveliness with every stroke. It looks like a Saturday morning cartoon in action, and is just as emotive as one with exaggerated, fun animations. The music, the playful narrator and even the Unreal Tournament-style kill proclamations further add a great deal of charm to the action. It all came together to immediately invest me in my avatar and the world around him, something that's very important to my own enjoyment of an MMO. Extensive costume, dye, and housing systems - features I briefly touched upon during those first 15 levels - made that attachment even easier. It was an honest breath of fresh air coming off the gray, dead-eyed lifelessness of The Elder Scrolls Online.
The second pillar, combat, continues the recent trend of providing more engaging gameplay systems. A limited action bar of only eight abilities keeps the screen free of clutter, fingers less tangled, and offers up greater variations on builds. I haven't unlocked too many abilities yet, but I'm already planning my route through AMPs (passive perks you spend points to acquire each level) and exactly what I'll place on my bar between the assault, support and utility trees.
WildStar's telegraph mechanics are what really make each battle shine. There are few, if any, targeted attacks. The onus is rather on the player's skill to directly aim his or her abilities and dodge the enemy's via the drawn telegraphs on the ground. This isn't a new addition to the genre, but they're quite a bit more unpredictable here. They're far from just the expanding circles so many other games rely on. Mobility has thus played a key factor in many of my encounters as I've rolled and jumped my way out of some very tricky attacks. As someone who hates standing put in battle, Carbine's solution has been rewarding.
Finally, I'm happy to see just how much the game rewards group play. Unlikely a previously mentioned MMO, WildStar isn't hostile to adventuring with other people. There's no aggressive phasing system anywhere to be found, and a mentoring feature allows playing with friends of differing levels. You even earn a currency called Renown for being sociable. And if you already have a tank or a healer, no problem. Every class can fit into the DPS role. My only complaint with grouping is that shared objectives seem somewhat random.
Unfortunately the actual quests don't seem as modern. The overall premise is presented well enough. Two factions, the Dominion and Exiles, are vying for control of a world called Nexus. It once belonged to an ancient, powerful race known as the Eldan. A central, narrative thread is discovering what happened to them and unlocking the secrets of their technology. It's a shame then that most of the quests I've completed are of your bog standard, kill and collect variety. The sheer abundance of them clogged the right side of the screen in an unhelpful list that was at times difficult to manage.
Addons may provide a band-aid for that particular wart, but they shouldn't be required to play a role sufficiently. As a Medic, I need to be in the thick of it to heal my allies. It's a playstyle I enjoy, though not one that's easy in WildStar. Large special effects, numbers, and nameplates obscure those I need to save. It all looks very impressive, and admittedly other roles and classes likely don't have the same concerns, but if you're a Medic healer you're probably going to want to customize your HUD and/or download BijiPlates just to be able to see where everyone is.
WildStar may have the smoothest launch I've yet witnessed in an MMO. Its quirky persona and fun combat are also pushing it to join a very short list of those I actually feel compelled to reach the end game in, even if originality isn't a description for its quests. I'm now looking forward to diving into dungeons, crafting and player vs player content as I move past level 15, so stay tuned for future updates.
