This Fortnite-looking MMO is off to a bad start | Impressions - Wayfinder
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Wayfinder, an Online Action Role Playing Game, takes players on an adventure through a world filled with stylized characters, third person combat, and procedurally generated dungeons. While it draws parallels to games like Dauntless, Fortnite, and Darksiders, it is also promising to also bring its own unique elements to the table. The game features an intriguing blend of MMO lite and RPG elements, promising a mix of action-packed combat and immersive storytelling.
Wayfinder was recently released in a paid early access form last August 18, with a full free-to-play release planned to follow in six months. However, it appears that the game was launched with a multitude of server problems, and I myself included, have been encountering issues trying to access the game.
The Steam store page is now flooded with negative reviews addressing this very problem in the past three days, with no solution in sight. Many players are reporting that they've even exhausted their two-hour refund limit for the game just for the queues alone, and thus are now unable to refund the newly released game.
Fortunately, some people have indeed gotten access in the game, especially those who have painstakingly waited an entire day or two for the queues, so we now have a closer look at the actual gameplay from various people. Youtuber SausBeans was kind enough to allow us to share his in-game footage, while we wait for server issues to subside for a proper review of this Early Access release. Thanks to SausBeans!
Looks like the gameplay of Wayfinder revolves around an MMO lite experience, offering player interaction within a shared world while not fully immersing players in a traditional full blown open-world MMO environment. At its core, players engage in a series of missions called Expeditions, pursuing character and weapon level-ups. The central goal involves searching for specific loot to craft items and enhance their character(Wayfinder)’s power, creating a gameplay cycle of progression.
Character progression in Wayfinder hinges on several key systems. Primarily, progression involves leveling up both the Wayfinder and individual weapons. These two aspects are distinct and must be leveled up separately. The maximum level for both the Wayfinder and weapons is level 30. Progressing in one does not carry over to the other, necessitating individual attention to each character aspect.
Presentation wise, it looks like a straight rip-off of Fortnite visuals, even the placement and visual design of hotkey abilities on the lower left side closely mirrors Fortnite..The damage indicators and font choices are oddly reminiscent and seem to resemble a standard Unreal Engine font that has been used in numerous games. The movements also feel like a typical Unreal Engine 4 shooter like Fortnite, but with abilities. The animations kind of look funky though, especially when using multiple moves and abilities one after the other.
So far this game has great potential, mechanically, its foundations appear solid, and the core gameplay loop is engaging. The combination of MMO lite features and instanced expeditions sets it apart from the standard MMORPG format, in which many players are growing tired of. However, Wayfinder is off to an extremely bad start, leaving a considerable number of players disappointed and alienated. The controversial paid early access phase ($20 for the base game, with a potential price of up to a staggering $149.99 for the Founders pack) raised eyebrows, and the situation was exacerbated by a host of server issues upon release. Can it recover from these setbacks? Only time will tell as we approach the months leading up to its full free-to-play release.
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