With about three months into its life cycle, early access for Wayfinder has been interesting. For multiple reasons of course because the game did not have a good start at all. From the horrible queues to frustrating grinds, the game had a lot of work to do.
Continuing on from our status report from the month of September and what the content offerings were like. There has been mostly just more of the game, with some needed improvements. But is it enough to recommend in its current state? Let’s dive in and find out!
The Reaver King Update
The Reaver King update in Wayfinder similarly to Call of the Void was an update that added basically just more of the game. Two awesome boss fights like the Worm Wood who is a little frustrating to take down. But the boss is massive in scale and its refreshing. However, the star of the show was Aturach the Deathless that reminded me a lot of raid bosses in World of Warcraft. He is a boss that requires taking down him and his mount in unison. While it is a simple mechanic, both of them have their own attacks and need to be strategically aggroed individually taken down with teamwork.
There is also a great story that really shows how vulnerable Skylight, and the beacon is. Not to mention Aturach himself seems to be voiced by Darin De Paul (unconfirmed) and his vocal performance is fantastic. I really loved the snippet of story we got, it feels natural and gives some hints to how villains will be handled moving forward.
Finally, there was a whole slew of new weapons and quests to take on. Featuring Aturachs signature weapon which looks amazing and a very long quest where you have to collect rings in the Reaver woods.
On top of all of this has been some interesting developments that need to be talked about.
Of XP and Independence
There was a recent update that overhauled XP gains in the game. XP gains now almost go well above 400% in most circumstances. Leveling up is now frequent, I can level up my battle pass in fair time and it all feels very rewarding now. I never feel disappointed after doing any activity as I have multiple wayfinders and weapons to level up. It was a big complaint a lot of people, me included had. But I do agree with the community’s sentiment that this should have been the XP gain rate from the beginning. I just hope the crafting system can be touched up on in the future, because archaic bones are still a massive pain to grind out.
Finally, the last bit of news is pretty bad. Because Airship Syndicate will be operating Wayfinder solo moving forward as Digital Extremes have divested from them after axing their publishing arm. This has left the developers in a pretty rough position. The game will continue to get updates, but they have to work out how to handle the technical aspects Digital Extremes took care of.
This has also extended the seasonal model and some content might come later down the line. It is disappointing to see Airship Syndicate enter into a partnership like they did and have to maneuver in honestly terrifying waters. Which brings me to my evaluation of the content thus far.
Should You Buy into Wayfinder Yet?
Given the recent news, I am being sympathetic when I say, yes, you should buy in. Wayfinder at the lowest tier of founder packs is just twenty dollars, and considering the position they are in? You should support them if you can. They are active in their discord and are looking to rollout many changes and updates. But considering how things have gone with Digital Extremes, it may not have the staying power unless they catch a serious windfall. “But why should I? The game could shut down eventually?” Because the content is great and there is a lot to enjoy.
So, if you have a PlayStation 4, or 5, or a PC? Check this game out, you could fall in love with it, and it potentially could have a bright future with you in it, and if not? You could have some fun along the way.
