Wayfinder PAX East Preview: WoW and Warframe’s lovechild
Wayfinder is a highly anticipated MMORPG, brought to life by Digital Extremes (Warframe) and Airship Syndicate (Ruined King: A League of Legends Story). It has the amazing artwork of Joe Madureira, a static overworld with randomly generated dungeons, and enough customization and character options to keep any gamer entertained for…. a really long time. Not to mention that is it not pay-to-win, which is a huge relief.
While at PAX East this weekend, I got to sit down with AJ LaSaracina, Director of Marketing and Engagement for Airship Syndicate, to talk about Wayfinder and play the game for a bit. And, I just have to admit, I was blown away by what I learned and got to experience via gameplay.
Firstly, the artwork is beautiful. The movements are fluid, the environment is impeccable, and the graphics style is very fitting with the aesthetic. The music is very immersive and relaxing, and the sound effects are very pleasant.
Airship Syndicate
Airship Syndicate
Secondly, Wayfinder is a character-based game. What that means is that you will not start with a blank slate like you do in many MMOs, but you will have a character with specific story plots and relationships. The key to making your character your own is the vast amount of customization options – both combat-wise and visually.
“But, Camila, why is that a good thing?”
This means there are plenty of storytelling ammo for the writers to keep developing as they expand the game – as LaSaracina did tell me, they do plan on building the game for as long as they can. So now not only does your character look amazing and have incredible skills, but now their story is also deep and meaningful.
“Ok, but how unique can my character be?”
When I played the demo, I played as Kyros the Warmage. Magic user. I had him wield a gigantic scythe-looking weapon that dealt a lot of damage and made for some really cool-looking combo moves. And I still used my magic skills with no penalties or disadvantages. Literally the best of both worlds and what made me ̶f̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶g̶a̶m̶e̶ feel like this would be an awesome game to add to my collection.
Thirdly, Wayfinder will be supporting full cross-platform play, so you can play online with your friends as long as they own the game for an eligible platform. Does not get better than that.
And, finally, the game is just fun!
I also got to play some online co-op while there, and had a blast.
Needless to say I can’t wait to play more and take in all the details and lore I can get my hands on.
Wayfinder’s closed beta is coming up soon, and if you wish to try your luck in being selected, you may visit Wayfinder‘s official website for more details.
Disclaimer: All footage used in my article was my own recorded gameplay at PAX East 2023, recorded by Airship Syndicate. Wayfinder is still a work in progress, so any changes could be made at any time.
Photo credit to Anton Mitchell (cyberfury92 on Instagram)