Wayfinder review

I didn’t review Wayfinder when it launched into early access. Like many I was hit with server issues that had me sitting in menu screens for hours, or saw me unceremoniously booted within a few minutes of making it into the world. After the dissolution of Digital Extreme’s digital publishing wing, I was surprised to see Wayfinder staying afloat. Happily surprised, I should add, as I’ve always had a soft spot for the developer and the creativity of the company founder, Joe Madueira. I was even more happily surprised when Airship Syndicate came back swinging, launching Wayfinder Echoes and refusing to give up on their IP.

Fast forward to present day and Wayfinder 1.0 is finally here. The MMO angle has been scaled back to make way for a primarily solo experience that can also be tackled with up to two others. The cash shop is gone, along with much of the live service stuff. Airship mean business here, and it shows – despite a few kinks in the weave.

This is a very similar experience to Echoes, so if you played that update you’ll know what to expect. You’ll still split your time between exploring the open overworld, and delving into the Lost Zones, but there are lots of streamlined elements. For example, loot is now easier to manage, and unpacking new Wayfinders is as easy as finding a summoning token and taking it to Omen. You can then change whenever you’re not in the Gloom.

For those who never played the early access version, Wayfinder 1.0 takes place in a mythical world that reminds me in many ways of a 3D Torchlight. It’s a world once guarded by a group of irritatingly quippy heroes who gave their lives to save it from the Gloom, a dark, invasive otherworld. Now resurrected by their former mentor, Omen, this group of heroes are needed once more to stride forth against the darkness. It’s all a bit also-ran, really, the story still showing its roots as nothing more than the framework on which to hang an MMO. It’s not “bad”, it’s just not particularly exciting or memorable.

The world itself, either the wilds or the hub town, don’t feel quite alive enough despite the abundance of NPCs, and it’s oddly quiet without a bunch of other players running around, but this is something that can be built on. Many of the NPCs and guards offer side quests to pursue both in and out of the Gloom, and there’s no shortage of rewards. Over 3000 cosmetic items were created for Wayfinder’s cash shop, and all of them can now be found in-game. This gives you a ton of items to chase for each of the eight Wayfinders (including new girl Lora and the beastly Grendel), and a ton of stuff to grind for.

Under the surface, Wayfinder 1.0 features an enhanced loot system and an improved skill system, making it easier to tweak your builds. Swapping in and out of different Wayfinders becomes like managing loadouts, and the cast is pretty robust in terms of gameplay. With lightning-fast Niss (my primary character), tanky Wingrave, colossal Senja, and rifle-toting Silo filling out the original roster, there’s not also the gothic Venomess, enigmatic Kyros, and the aforementioned enchanter Lora to find, unlock, customise, and build.

Combat uses either ranged or melee, by character, and offers either punchy, precise gunplay or impactful, combo-drive bawling, and either is fun. The animation is on-point, the chunky, cartoon characters barrelling around the screen in a mess of particle effects and explosions that always feels cathartic. Where the story falls down, the action remains upright, maintaining attention by being, above all, fun to play.

It can get confusing from time to time as you hoover up armour and weapons, artefacts, decorations for your house, and cosmetic-only style items, left, right, and centre. There are character-specific memories to be found, that are intended to flesh out their backstories but which come in short disjointed flashes and arguably do more harm than good for the narrative. Still, it’s nice to have the option to learn more about them.

With a great selection of dungeons and enemies, colourful, well-drawn overworlds full of things to find, and a cast of likeable, if a little snarky, characters, Wayfinder has finally landed on its feet. Your mil eage will vary in how long that grind lasts you, and how it holds your attention, but being able to play it matchmake with two other people gives you chance to show off your skins while working cooperatively, and late game systems like The Crucible ensure there’s always something to sink your teeth into alone or in a group. In keeping the grind but removing the online requirements and cash shop, Airship Syndicate are sending a clear message to the consumer: Wayfinder is a game for the players – and it’s here to stay.