Wuthering Waves preview

Wuthering Waves is a creation of Korean studio Kuro Games, known for such project as Punishing: Gray Raven. It is a role-playing action game with gacha elements, which will be released on iOS, Android, PC and PlayStation. Unsurprisingly, the project is inspired by other already popular games of the same genre, including the perennial gacha leader Genshin Impact. All in all, there's no way to avoid such comparisons. However, there are enough innovations in Wuthering Waves, thanks to which the title stands out against the background of similar games.

In 2024 we managed to take part in the closed beta testing of Wuthering Waves. After a brief demonstration of mechanics from a representative of the Kuro Games team, we were able to take part in a short boss battle, solve a puzzle in the open world and explore one of the settlements. I won't beat around the bush: the game is clearly trying to capitalize on what Genshin Impact has accomplished over the years. But it does it so well that it creates a lasting feeling: this tittle has an identity of its own!

The combat system is the main strength of Wuthering Waves

Wuthering Waves utilizes a battle system with three heroes. You need to switch between them at appropriate moments in battle to increase the synergy of all characters. It's not a groundbreaking approach, but the implementation is excellent - gradual charge accumulation when using abilities and proper dodge timing allows players to switch to another unit that can turn the tide of battle. I wasn't able to explore character abilities and skills in more detail, but for the most part they seem to range from dealing damage to setting up a more favorable position to use a new skill.

Battles in Wuthering Waves are quite dynamic and responsive. The key to victory is a well thought out move. There is a parry system in the battle, when a unit can respond to the enemy's vulnerability indicator during its attack. Such an attack results in damage and stun, which allows for another combo. We weren't allowed to delve into all of these systems, so it's hard to know exactly how dodging, parrying, and switching between characters works. But what I can say for sure is that the system is intuitive, and the battles are packed with excitement.

Another appealing element of Wuthering Waves is the boss design. We tried a few different difficulty levels, and while the first one was fairly easy and required only a few lucky dodges to pull off powerful combos, the next difficulty level resulted in a bad character change that left me defeated. All in all, there will be a certain amount of difficulty in the game without going over the top. On first impressions, Kuro Games has managed to find the right balance of difficulty.

The latest innovation in Wuthering Waves' combat system is the Echo system. Players can collect Echoes of destroyed enemies, and then equip them to their characters (one for each unit), which in turn gives bonuses to the characteristics and the ability to turn into the same character right during the battle. This allows you to briefly use all the skills of the character whose echo is equipped on the selected unit. After defeating a boss, I equipped his echo and then used it in the next battle on a higher difficulty level.

Wuthering Waves' research system is familiar, but it looks completely refined

During the battle, we were shown numerous improvements and innovations. While exploring the open world and navigating the hub of Wuthering Waves, I was left with the feeling that everything is built on a tried and true foundation of other games. There are hooks, gliders, and acceleration, all of which have been found in other games in the genre. There's also a parkour system that allows characters to run up walls/rocks, which will be a nice addition and improvement over slowly climbing up mountains.

While the environments and scenery are visually quite similar to what we've seen before, the environments look quite interesting. You have to collect various resources, fight enemies, and solve puzzles. For example, I managed to solve a short puzzle inspired by Tetris.

No exaggeration: Wuthering Waves is a game with a lot of potential

Even during the brief trial run - and during a conversation with a Kuro Games representative present during the demo - it was clear that the developers of Wuthering Waves have big plans for the game. At release, gamers are promised a wide range of content. When I asked about post-launch plans, there was no specific answer, but there were clear signs that the game's authors have a clear understanding of where they want to go next. Another factor is that the team is so readily willing to listen to player feedback. Many of the improved elements present in the last demo before the game's official release are a direct result of player complaints after the first round of testing. Some pretty drastic changes have already been made to the game.

This is an encouraging sign for the new game service, which will have to compete with the titles that have already received the approval and attention of players. I'm optimistic that Wuthering Waves will be able to attract players right from release. There's plenty of variation in its world, exciting combat systems, and it's another open-world ARPG with a compelling story.