The action RPG Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem is set to release on February 13. Already today, on February 12, the first tests of a pre-release version of Wolcen have been published, but according to the developers, these should not count. The reviews are said to be a misunderstanding. The version is outdated.
What happened? Some gaming websites have already had the chance to play the action RPG Wolcen in a pre-release version. This version was sent out at the beginning of February and has since been updated.
Among the pre-release testers is also GameStar. They rated the RPG in the test with a score of 84, but Wolcen received significant deductions for bugs and technical issues, leading to a final score of 69. For such a highly anticipated game, that’s rather disappointing.
The rating sparked an active discussion in the comments of GameStar. The test currently has 374 comments:
- Some complained that the rating was too harsh
- Others said that the rating was just right, as the tester showed tough standards against a game that appears “buggy”.
Some time after the release of the test, a PR department commissioned by Wolcen sent an email indicating that the pre-release version was supposedly only meant for internal impressions and not for reviews.
Tests of the pre-release version are not to count
What kind of version was it? The pre-release version of Wolcen sent in February was intended for initial impressions according to the email. In early access on Steam, only a limited part of the game content can currently be experienced. However, the press was supposed to have access to all content.
However, the version was still supposed to have bugs in localization, graphics, and sound, which the developers were aware of. Accordingly, a list of known issues was included.
What does GameStar say about it? Heiko Klinge, editor-in-chief of GameStar, explained in a statement the background of the test:
- At no point until the email was sent did it become clear that the pre-release version would not represent the current version of the game.
- There was an embargo on the game content that lasted until February 12 at 12:01 AM. After that, one could freely talk about the content and experiences.
- The issues that contributed to the negative rating were also not on the list that was sent along with the keys. They occurred with two testers, which is why the downgrade was so significant.
- However, GameStar promised to retest the release version and adjust the rating if necessary.
What GameStar and others say about Wolcen
What is praised about Wolcen? Wolcen is actually doing well in the GameStar test. It is praised for many points, including:
- the great graphics
- good sound effects
- solid combat system with excellent skill tree
- fun endgame
- epic boss fights
- the generally large scope of the game
The German site Golem has also published a first, although much smaller test. Here, Wolcen also receives a lot of praise, especially for graphics, fluid and powerful gameplay, and class and skill development.
What is criticized about Wolcen? At GameStar, there is mainly criticism for:
- the restrictions of spells and skills by weapons
- an abrupt and confusing ending
- many technical problems, including regular crashes, broken AI, as well as graphics and audio issues.
On the other hand, Golem criticizes choppy animations. However, there was no mention of major technical errors there.
Steam Reviews significantly more positive for Wolcen
What does Steam say? Much of the positive feedback aligns with the experiences of early access players on Steam. There, the action RPG also receives predominantly positive reviews (91% of the 2,099 reviews in the last 30 days).
However, the testers there could only play the first of three acts and were severely limited in level. Thus, they could not experience the actual endgame and the end of the story.
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