MeinMMO editor Marie Friske played the closed beta of the new co-op RPG and dungeon crawler Wayfinder. In addition to the beautiful game world, she was convinced by the strong focus on the individual main characters and had a lot of fun exploring the dungeons together.
What is Wayfinder? It is a dungeon crawler and action role-playing game with multiplayer elements, where you take on the role of a Wayfinder.
You fight as Echoes of past heroes against the hostile power of darkness, which causes confusion and chaos. You undertake quests, explore the game world, and prove yourself in dungeons and boss battles.
In doing so, you collect loot with which you can continuously improve and customize your Wayfinder, equipment, and weapons. The game provides you with a permanent game world, where you can embark on your adventure either solo or with the support of other players.
Wayfinder is created by already established game makers. The developer studio Airship Syndicate has released several game titles that are rated very positively on Steam (as of March 7, 2023, via Steam):
- Battle Chasers: Nightwar (87% positive)
- Darksiders Genesis (83% positive)
- Ruined King: A League of Legends Story (89% positive)
The publisher Digital Extremes has also made a name for itself in the industry and is known for Warframe as one of the best free-to-play shooters.
I feel most comfortable in role-playing games and enjoy playing single-player titles like Final Fantasy 7 and Nier: Automata, as well as Genshin Impact. So far, I have had little contact with dungeon crawlers. However, the trailer for Wayfinder really made me want to try something new.
So I jumped into Wayfinder and tested the game. Keep in mind that this is the beta state and a lot can still change before the release.
You can create your individual character
At the start of the game, I choose a “Wayfinder” to begin my adventure. For the tutorial, I have 3 characters available:
- Wingrave: A melee fighter in armor who supports team members with shield and healing.
- Silo: A melee and ranged fighter who incapacitates enemies with incendiary bombs and shockwaves.
- Niss: A fighter with daggers who relies on mobility in combat.
I choose Niss, “the Shadow Dancer,” whose abilities allow for swift shadow attacks. I have so much fun in the tutorial battle with her that she remains my Wayfinder of choice throughout the entire beta.
However, if you don’t want to commit as I did, you can switch between your characters freely in the game.
So far, a total of 6 characters for Wayfinder have been announced. In addition to the 3 characters from the tutorial, the gladiator Senja and the wizard Kyros are included in the roster. Each of them has an individual skill set with special abilities and certain strengths that support various play styles. Thus, Wingrave is a supporter and healer, while Niss excels in offense.
A special focus of the game is on the main characters, as they possess a fixed backstory and personality, but are intended to become your own characters.
During a presentation for the press, I already got a look at the various ways you can customize the characters: In Wayfinder, you can adjust the outfit colors, exchange different components like the face or clothing.
But you can also determine how the character plays: Weapons, talents, and abilities can be modified.
As a Genshin Impact player, the strong focus on characters immediately appeals to me. Because in the Gacha game, it’s also about improving favorite characters, obtaining good weapons for them, and creating a good build.
Here you can see the new gameplay trailer for Wayfinder:
Beautiful game world with numerous details
With Niss, I start in the world of Evenor. At the beginning, I run back and forth between various NPCs, getting to know their functions within the world and getting a sense of what’s going on. Slowly, I get an overview of the fantasy world with steampunk elements of Wayfinder – and I immediately become a fan.
I like the comic style of the game, as well as the music and the various characters I encounter. All these elements create a great atmosphere in which I can easily get lost. At the same time, the world feels lively due to the active presence of other players, and even in the beta, some MMO feeling emerges. Over the chat, initial tips are already given, and players actively help each other in fighting enemies.
In addition to the main story, the game offers several side quests that you can solve in the surrounding area. At one point, I play postman and deliver a letter, and at another, I go flower picking to save a partnership.
Sometimes, though, I need a little time to get an overview of where to find things. For example, I am sent to Kestrel, who is in a tavern with a fallen sign and a burning barrel. No problem with the quest marker in the world. However, when I am supposed to return there after completing the mission, the marker no longer appears. I wander for several minutes like a lost tourist through the picturesque alleys of Lower Skylight, a small medieval-style district, until I finally find my way back.
Fun loot hunting in co-op
In addition to the main and side quests within the game world, the dungeon gameplay must not be missed.
Upon arriving at a dungeon, I have a choice: Do I start alone or wait for matchmaking with others? The beta works great, and my companions are quickly found. Of course, it remains to be seen how it will work at release.
Additionally, you can make adjustments in the dungeons. Depending on which “mutator” you select, the zone will look different and contain different loot. For example, if you choose “Solar,” enemy attacks will set you on fire, and heat waves will strengthen the enemies.
Together, we explore the dungeon, stepping into one trap or another, or solving puzzles, with a goal: to fulfill the mission and gather as much loot as possible. With our various abilities, we complement each other in different combat styles. While one of us excels in ranged combat, the next one goes at it in melee.
Within the dungeon, there are also always small side missions that we can fulfill for extra rewards: For example, we destroy crystal spider webs or need to defeat enemies within a certain time frame.
Here you can see gameplay impressions from the beta:
From time to time there are still some problems
Especially at the beginning of the beta, I notice that the game still has a few small technical difficulties. For example, my teammates or I are thrown out of the dungeon because the game crashes. At another time, I become a ghost and can suddenly no longer interact with my environment.
However, these are just minor stumbling blocks that can easily be fixed with a restart of the game. It should also be positively noted that even within the beta, the player experience was noticeably improved through a patch and bug fixes. Here, the developers really listened to player feedback and implemented it quickly.
Since my playtest was in a pre-release state, this may still change by the time of early access and release.
Conclusion: Wayfinder is a fun dungeon crawler with interesting main characters
Wayfinder has already provided me with a lot of fun in the beta and thrown me into a cool world with interesting characters.
The action RPG comes from experienced game creators who are already familiar with the genre and have created titles that have been well received by the community.
In addition to fans of MMOs and co-op games, single players may also enjoy Wayfinder, as you can often decide whether to venture into the dungeons alone or seek support.
The co-op aspect worked great in the beta and thus provided me with a lot of fun. The game as a whole, with its art style and atmosphere, convinced me. Especially with the strong focus on unique characters, Wayfinder already provides a good foundation to create even cooler characters with the treasures.
Even though the main story hasn’t fully captured me yet, it has made me curious enough to revisit the game.
If the trailer and the description of Wayfinder have appealed to you so far, I recommend checking out the game at release and seeing for yourself what this new dungeon crawler has to offer.
Because the RPG will be free-to-play: In spring 2023, Wayfinder is scheduled to be released in early access on PC and PlayStation consoles. In the fall of this year, it will then come out for free on multiple platforms.
Here you will find a list of the 15 best free MMOs and MMORPGs on Steam.
