WildStar

 PC
  • Publisher: NCSOFT
  • Release Date: Jun 3, 2014
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 960 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 656 out of 960
  2. Mixed: 129 out of 960
  3. Negative: 175 out of 960
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  1. Dominance90
    Jun 19, 2014
    9
    Wildstar has a vast amount of content for a newly released game and certainly delivers on every aspect.
    It's gameplay is fast paced and fluid and will require more attention than you normally would need for an mmo.
    It also feels and plays like a traditional MMO, making the obvious comparison to that other hugely popular MMO that came out 10 years ago, wildstar makes you feel "the same"    Wildstar has a vast amount of content for a newly released game and certainly delivers on every aspect.
    It's gameplay is fast paced and fluid and will require more attention than you normally would need for an mmo.
    It also feels and plays like a traditional MMO, making the obvious comparison to that other hugely popular MMO that came out 10 years ago, wildstar makes you feel "the same" way and enjoy it as much. Unlike many others that came after ."That MMO", that were heavily based upon their IP names and failed to deliver a great and satisfying experience in the long run, wildstar delivers just what everyone pretty much wanted from an MMO, hence it's "lack of originality". But do not let this deceive you, it's that same aspect that makes this game a great MMO, since it feels and plays like what the community established as an MMO.
    I suggest you give this a go if you were ever into mmorpgs in the past, it will definitely keep you engaged for years to come.    … Expand
  2. Sylos
    Jun 20, 2014
    9
    Professions : Easily dropped and replaced with another without losing any experience/skill you have accrued with that profession. Some are passive in that they don't require you to actively collect the materials (Yey no more skinning). Crafting materials are stored seperately from your bags with no limit, so no need to worry about conserving space. Each profession has "achievements" thatProfessions : Easily dropped and replaced with another without losing any experience/skill you have accrued with that profession. Some are passive in that they don't require you to actively collect the materials (Yey no more skinning). Crafting materials are stored seperately from your bags with no limit, so no need to worry about conserving space. Each profession has "achievements" that build up to grant you talent points in that specific profession. These can consist of lowering failure rate, better chance of rune slots, etc.

    Combat : No more face rolling enemies. The telegraph system that highlights the range of their special abilities requires you to be reactive, and to try to avoid as much damage as possible. Most enemies will have a combo of sorts that do tremendous damage, but can easily be learned to be more efficient at defeating them.

    Dungeons/Adventures : Bored with 5 minute heroic runs like WoW? Then you are in for a treat. Bosses, and even some of the trash packs can be difficult to overcome. Adventures literally mean an adventure taking up to almost an hour to finish. Instead of a linear dungeon, you will have the chance to pick what scenario you want to pursue. A bunch of rebels are being held captive? Or some farms being terrorized? You get to vote amongst your 4 party members what you will do. Regular dungeons will scale you level down to when you first unlocked it. Think of this as challenge mode in WoW where all your gear is brought down to a 463 item level. No more power housing through with a level 50 player to carry you.

    Player Housing : I really didn't know what to think of it at first other than some random place you could visit at your leisure. As you progress and find new things to add to your decor, you will get certain benefits. You can have your own crafting station for your professions, a dedicated node for a particular profession, or just items that increase the amount of rested experience you accrue such as a bed, couch, etc. There are also mini-games that are associated with what you place on your land as well.

    Quests : It does have the standard kill this many, collect this much, or go here and there. The interesting part here is that it isn't based upon how many. Instead it is percentage based so that the harder difficulty the enemy is will give you a higher percentage of credit. You have your standard enemies, but there is also tough, and "elite" enemies. There are a handful of goofy quests for comic relief that lighten the atmosphere to show that the game is about having a good time.

    Abilities/Talents : Abilities come in 3 seperate categories depending on their function. These abilities can be further improved by allocating a point in them to make them more effective. At levels 25 and 45 you unlock a Tier for them that gives them a special benefit. Wildstar did make it a point at customization, and you can easily swap out your abilities and any points allocated to them by simply removing them from your bar. You just leveled and purchased a new ability that is more effective? Then go ahead and remove that starter spell and put all those awesome points to make that new ability that much stronger. The talent system (AMP) has 3 tiers. The 1st tier only requires one AMP point to allocate, but the 2nd tier requires 4, and the 3rd tier requires 6. Some are available immediately, but some require the use of an AMP that can be dropped by enemies, somewhat akin to Glyphs from WoW. Unlike WoW though, these can unlock profound abilities that can bolster your current role/play style immensely.

    Wildstar overall is not exactly innovative, but still a refreshing change of pace. One thing that many players miss is the sense of accomplishment when you get something done. If you have played WoW (Which who are we kidding is most of us), you could consider this an alternate universe of the Burning Crusade/Wrath of the Lich King era. The difficulty is there, the investment that is required pays off, and after it is said and done. You feel like a boss. In otherwords if you miss what WoW used to be, then I would strongly recommend giving it a chance.    … Expand
  3. ElderScrollsFan
    Jun 23, 2014
    9
    Not too bad of a game. Much better after the disappointment that was Elder Scrolls Online. The combat is much more interesting with the telegraphs, lets hope future MMOs steal this idea.
  4. Efit
    Jun 24, 2014
    9
    (My first paragraph is observation I had on other reviewers, so skip for actual review)

    Let me start by saying that anybody that gave this game a 0 is a WoW or ESO fanboy that has never tried the game. I looked at most of their review history, and they either had no other reviews or WS zero and ESO rated as a ten. Granted I only played ESO during beta, but it wasn't for me. That    (My first paragraph is observation I had on other reviewers, so skip for actual review)

    Let me start by saying that anybody that gave this game a 0 is a WoW or ESO fanboy that has never tried the game. I looked at most of their review history, and they either had no other reviews or WS zero and ESO rated as a ten. Granted I only played ESO during beta, but it wasn't for me. That being said, I wouldn't give it a 0 (maybe a 5 in late closed beta, but I am not going to go rate it without a honest amount of time invested). Don't listen to the trolls.

    Now for the actual review, short and sweet:

    Let's start with the bad... The questing, like most MMOs if you have played a bunch of MMOs, can get boring (thousands of hours in WoW speaking). There are a lot of bugs, but that is understandable for a game this large and new. Most importantly, the optimization of their engine blows, my good computer doesn't run it nearly as well as it should (but even then it is completely playing and normally not noticeable). There are some other negative aspects, but I want to point out the major pros/cons.

    Now for why you should buy Wildstar. It is plain fun... the humor, the beauty, the story line and lore, all great. The single best part of WS though, is the combat. Having dynamic battles where you need to dodge enemy attacks, and maneuver yourself into the correct position to attack is brilliant. After about level 15 or so, no fight is a cakewalk and you can die if you get lazy. I also love that dungeons are extremely challenging. I am a bit of a masochist, so the joy of beating a ultra-hard boss for the first time after wiping multiple times is one of my favorite rewards. Finally, the housing system is much more fun than I thought it would be. Being able to do whatever you want with items you find throughout the world to make your character unique has been a surprising bonus, that I didn't think I would enjoy nearly as much as I do.

    Let me finish by saying that I am not a hardcore player, but MMORPGs have always been my favorite games. I have been playing them since the launch of EQ, where you would fight a random mob, and site for minutes to get your health back. I played WoW for more than I would like to admit (who hasn't). That being said I honestly believe that this will be the game that overtakes WoW, and I am excited to be a part of it from the start. I am giving this a 9 based on the belief of what I think it will become, but cannot truthfully give it a 10 with the problems it has at the present.    … Expand
  5. r_lobo
    Jun 26, 2014
    9
    Amazingly fun and addictive. Very polished and well made. It has some bugs, but I'm sure they will get fixed, since they are constantly releasing minor patches and hotfixes.
  6. phantom7o2
    Jun 28, 2014
    9
    First off if your going to to give the game a bad score, why don't you score it legitimately instead of just hitting 0 and typing wow clone.
    2nd don't blame the dev's about optimization wow had 10 years to get optimized on all your rigs. The dev's dont have 1000 different pc set ups to make sure the game runs pro on them all, and blame amd its not wildstars fault there late to the driver    First off if your going to to give the game a bad score, why don't you score it legitimately instead of just hitting 0 and typing wow clone.
    2nd don't blame the dev's about optimization wow had 10 years to get optimized on all your rigs. The dev's dont have 1000 different pc set ups to make sure the game runs pro on them all, and blame amd its not wildstars fault there late to the driver party. The cpu on the other hand im sure they are working on.
    Now lets get to the review. I have played mmo's my whole life, played wow like most of you. This game takes all the things you like from wow and puts the challenge back into it. The stat theory crafting and pve feel rewarding when you accomplish something. The ravegraphs as everyone is complaining about make you actually involved in the boss fight instead of just looking at action bars and casting timers. The game actually looks amazing on ultra as well. The pvp of course need to get balanced, but thats something that never gets perfected.
    Pros: Classes all have tank/heal + dps specs
    housing is amazing
    crafting actually matters again for some of the best items
    challenging pve content (what i have to get attuned again)
    armor dye and well as costuming
    content monthly to justify 15 a month
    fun and fresh combat system
    cons
    the leveling sucks as in every mmo now, but honestly how are you gonna justify leveling in a mmo.. so stop complaining about fetch quest after fetch quest.
    the ui does need a lot of work
    couple of bugs still that need fixing

    last but not least the game has been out a month stop hating on stuff that took wow 10 years + 12million subscribers to become a perfect game. this game is on the right path already    … Expand
  7. FlyingGiraffe
    Jun 30, 2014
    9
    Wildstar is a really great game. It did not reinvent the wheel, but really outmatch any other MMO's I have played. The telegraph did a HUGE different in the playstyle, making the combat and mechanics far better than WoW for example.

    Story has been a lot of fun, comedy is all over the place. There is a lot to do, from adventures, to dungeons, to pvp, to dailies or housing. Everything    Wildstar is a really great game. It did not reinvent the wheel, but really outmatch any other MMO's I have played. The telegraph did a HUGE different in the playstyle, making the combat and mechanics far better than WoW for example.

    Story has been a lot of fun, comedy is all over the place. There is a lot to do, from adventures, to dungeons, to pvp, to dailies or housing. Everything is customizable and I like there is many different means to aquire stuff. Money of course, but also crafting vouchers, elder points, renown etc.
    Those are all different means to aquire loot, mounts, costumizatons etc.

    Although the game still have a few bugs, some of which can be irritating at time, but it has so much to offer that it fully compensate for its flaws. NCSOFT also promises a lot of content regularly, and the strain patch is an excellent example of this.

    The overall look and humor of this game make it stand out and definitely deserve a look.
    Devs are listening, and its true.    … Expand
  8. kichwas
    Jun 30, 2014
    9
    Very engaging - fun and addictive. The combat system involves a lot of highly active play, and like FFXIV combines the good sides of Guild Wars 2 telegraphing / mobility with the 'roles' systems of Everquest / WoW. Where FFXIV was slow paced and predictable in telegraphs to move out of, Wildstar's are all over the place, come in fast, and require a split second choice between dodging andVery engaging - fun and addictive. The combat system involves a lot of highly active play, and like FFXIV combines the good sides of Guild Wars 2 telegraphing / mobility with the 'roles' systems of Everquest / WoW. Where FFXIV was slow paced and predictable in telegraphs to move out of, Wildstar's are all over the place, come in fast, and require a split second choice between dodging and trying to interrupt.

    Each of the six classes has two roles to choose from: damage and then either tank or healer.
    Unlike most other MMOs, healing here is very much about being fast, mobile, and keeping an eye on the battle - there is no grid of moles to whack. All attacks, buffs, and healing are area based effects that impact anyone inside the area they are cast into.

    Two of the three tanking options seem taken directly from player wish lists of past MMOs: The stealthing tank, and the ranged pet tank. The third is your standard heavy armor sword and laser cannon tank.

    The visuals are stunningly engaging and highly cartoonish. Even clouds in the sky resemble old Saturday morning cartoon clouds. Even when the game starts to get really serious, the cartoons do it with style and a toss to humor.

    The dungeon content is truly challenging, and built with an eye towards players who enjoy them for that challenge rather than as a 'gold farming / leveling time sink.'

    Unlike a number of recent MMOs, there are no dynamic world events, and no auto-scaling as you return to older zones - this is my only major criticism, as it means lower level content will empty out over time. Given the very high number of group focused enemies and tasks even in the initial zones of play - this may cause some issues down the road.

    But beyond that, it is stunningly fun.

    Characters have a vast array of individual customization options - being able to change skills and specialization bonuses on the fly.

    Costumes are there from the beginning, letting you tailor the appearance of your character early on to exactly the look you desire.

    Player Housing... becomes its own game. With all sorts of tools to customize your plot of land. And the plots of land are not some thing you need to keep paying to keep or shell out massive funds to get. Its given to you at level 14 (of 50), a few hours into play - and is yours to keep. You can put stylish homes on it, build a forest, plop down a mini-dungeon that you won elsewhere in the game, place private resource spots for crafting, and so on.

    And crafting too, is highly customizable. You assemble needed ingredients, and then dial in the bonuses / quality you want, and attempt to craft. Boost it up too much and you risk a crafting failure, consuming the ingredients. But dial it down, and you can be guaranteed a sure thing.

    This is an MMO that should withstand the test of time. All the right elements are there.

    The usual launch issues of gold farmers and curious bugs are there - but those will be sorted out soon.    … Expand
  9. Remlnx
    Jul 1, 2014
    9
    As MmoRpg veteran (over 15 years), and as former WoW player (2005 to 2013) and after have seen loads of Mmo's die in WoW shadow, i wasnt keeping high my hopes.
    Well, Wildstar proved me wrong.
    Im hooked like a small kid (and i'm 30+), the game is enjoyable, quests are tons,clear,varied and never boring. Content is not faceroll, it gives a challenge, mechanics are awesome, combat /    As MmoRpg veteran (over 15 years), and as former WoW player (2005 to 2013) and after have seen loads of Mmo's die in WoW shadow, i wasnt keeping high my hopes.
    Well, Wildstar proved me wrong.

    Im hooked like a small kid (and i'm 30+), the game is enjoyable, quests are tons,clear,varied and never boring.
    Content is not faceroll, it gives a challenge, mechanics are awesome, combat / pointing system is innovative, clear and fun.
    Challenge Modes are fun and usually linked wiht quest objectives, and they give useful rewards,from the housing decor to bags, to gear with your class proficiency.
    Few quests are for 2+ or even 3+ players (usually 1-2 x zone), and it's seriously easy to find a partner (or 2) to do those prime (elite) minibosses, because there's always some player around you or close that is happy to hop in your group and help you out.
    Playerbase x server is big, but they not overcrowded to the point you cant find quest objectives/mobs.

    There's already over 400 (411 at the moment) AddOns with the game old 1 month only. on Curse website, allowing you to really customize totally (wow style) your game in any way, from the smallest thing to the total UI restyle.

    Carbine is active on ban exploiters/botters (and you can feel it while playing), they answer really fast if you submit a ticket (or even a bot report), they release patches and hotfixes on regular basis.
    Forums are full of guides and tips.

    This game can really shine like wow long time ago.    … Expand
  10. Arcaroxx
    Jul 18, 2014
    9
    Listen my dear reader. All of the bad reviews are simply kids mad with the game for small details and thus, are giving it very bad scores. Let me tell you that you should not be fooled by the bad reviews. I hesitated for one solid week for buying this game, and honestly, I don't know why I did. Probably because of all of the whining. This game is good. NOT PERFECT! But great. Me and myListen my dear reader. All of the bad reviews are simply kids mad with the game for small details and thus, are giving it very bad scores. Let me tell you that you should not be fooled by the bad reviews. I hesitated for one solid week for buying this game, and honestly, I don't know why I did. Probably because of all of the whining. This game is good. NOT PERFECT! But great. Me and my friend call it ''WoW Remastered'. The overall look of the game is good (cartoonish, but this doesn't justify that this game deserves a 1 because ''I don't like the graphics''. The game looks great and sounds great. The combat system is new and fresh. The PvE is fun and the PvP is engaging and epic (sometimes chaotic, but who doesn't love chaos in PvP?). The dungeons are hard and fun, so is the raid. The only two downsides are the following in my opinion: the quests can be boring at times and the adventures aren't that amazing. But overall, an excellent investment that will keep players entertained.… Expand
  11. sophiebr23
    Jul 29, 2014
    9
    I was curious and haven't played an MMORPG lately. But wow... I love the combat system. Being a warrior feels more powerful here than other mmos.The battle system gives a nice feeling. I always play tank and here... i feel good at offense at tanking at the same time. I like paths as well for this makes me focus on what I want to do with my character.

    PS. The humor is good. Nicely done.
  12. chicobeberlou
    Jul 31, 2014
    9
    The bread and butter of any new MMOs that are gonna come out is the combat system. Your game might have all the customizations, the crafting, the raids, the dungeons, whatever, but if you got boring combat, stand still or circle strafe till something's clicked to death, you know it's gonna be a soul-sucking grind all over again. Wildstar does the innovation right, the action is fun and notThe bread and butter of any new MMOs that are gonna come out is the combat system. Your game might have all the customizations, the crafting, the raids, the dungeons, whatever, but if you got boring combat, stand still or circle strafe till something's clicked to death, you know it's gonna be a soul-sucking grind all over again. Wildstar does the innovation right, the action is fun and not awkward at all, it doesn't feel like a forced experiment just to be “different”.… Expand
  13. nineightnines
    Aug 1, 2014
    9
    Impressive work on getting polish on the features; the character roles fit snugly with each other while still offering innovation (stealth tank anyone?). Graphics remind me of TF2, it's got that kinda humor going on even visually. So much customization, costumes, housing, the works; and you get them early enough too. I'm not a PvP but I'm kinda enjoying that aspect too. All in all aImpressive work on getting polish on the features; the character roles fit snugly with each other while still offering innovation (stealth tank anyone?). Graphics remind me of TF2, it's got that kinda humor going on even visually. So much customization, costumes, housing, the works; and you get them early enough too. I'm not a PvP but I'm kinda enjoying that aspect too. All in all a well-rounded MMO.… Expand
  14. cleverwings
    Aug 8, 2014
    9
    Wildstar is a fantastic MMO that blows the competition out of the airlock. It has style (oodles of it), a new, dynamic combat system (where you actually have to play instead of stand in one spot), a unique path system (you get unique game content based on your path), varied quests, beautiful scenery and art (yes it is a bit "cartoony", but it is enjoyable to look at and will remain thatWildstar is a fantastic MMO that blows the competition out of the airlock. It has style (oodles of it), a new, dynamic combat system (where you actually have to play instead of stand in one spot), a unique path system (you get unique game content based on your path), varied quests, beautiful scenery and art (yes it is a bit "cartoony", but it is enjoyable to look at and will remain that way 5 years from now), a well designed crafting system, and tons of extra content for serious endgame people and casual gamers (like myself).
    To respond to negative reviews those who have technical issues about not being able to log on and play what they paid for I can understand. Everyone else who says that this generic, and doesn't have anything new; they are flat out wrong. Two new things are the Path system, and dynamic telegraph combat system. The four Paths which gives you extra content based on your choice of building & giving buffs, exploring every nook and crany, learning secret lore, or straight up killing. The dynamic telegraph combat system causes you to put your enemy inside your telegraph while staying out of theirs. Of course it starts out easy, but then ramps up to high damage variable telegraphs to keep you on your toes. PvP can be tricky with so many telegraphs flying around. And for those that like it the dungeons and raids bosses have harder telegraphs and stun resistance so the whole party has to stun at once. For those things that have been done before, Carbine has polished them up and added style. Housing, mounts (hoverboards), quests, every race has a style of talking, and mining (I have mined a mineral node that turned into a mineral worm and tried to eat me, I then killed it, went inside its belly and mined some more) are all well executed. Wildstar actually has something for everybody.
    The only downsides would be I have been dropped 4 times in 2 months (not that bad for a just released MMO), and the quest que on the screen can get a bit unwieldy since there are so many quests and the numbering system changes based on how close you are (of course you can always drop a quest from the que when you want to).    … Expand
  15. V4ND4L
    Sep 1, 2014
    9
    Best MMO out at the moment. Captures the fun cartoony energy of WoW with the twitch-style play that those who love action will enjoy. The telegraphing system (similar to Secret World) is a fun concept that works really well. Character creation was a blast as well, offering plenty of ways to physically and statistically make a unique character.
  16. magicmoniq
    Oct 25, 2014
    9
    I was hesitant to buy after seeing a lot of bad reviews, but this game showed them all wrong in my mind after I played it. It's a fairly new game, so yes, of course there are going to be a few bugs, but the devs are very quick to fix them once found. I have yet to play ANY mmo that doesn't have a few bugs here and there. It's just part of gaming. At least THESE devs actually talk toI was hesitant to buy after seeing a lot of bad reviews, but this game showed them all wrong in my mind after I played it. It's a fairly new game, so yes, of course there are going to be a few bugs, but the devs are very quick to fix them once found. I have yet to play ANY mmo that doesn't have a few bugs here and there. It's just part of gaming. At least THESE devs actually talk to the players and appreciate any feedback. I gave it a 9 for the few bugs, and the slow-ish mounts, other than that, it is amazing. Your own plot to design a house and landscape, reactive combat (may be difficult at times for new players, but I love a challenge), a huge world with plenty pvp and pve, unique stylized graphics...what more could I ask for? I'm hooked. Everyone's gaming interests are different, it may not be for you, but know that the silent majority love Wildstar, and an unsatisfied minority is always the loudest. Try it for yourself. Don't like it? Don't play. Rock on, Wildstar.… Expand
  17. Tipsytoo
    Dec 7, 2014
    9
    At first I passed this game because i'm not into Scfi games normally,but i'm glad I gave it a try after I got bored with WoW WOD and Elderscrolls online.
    It is actually a game that encourages grouping more that the other mmo's i've tried;Open world bosses,nearly impossible to get gold reward for regional challenges later on if you solo.teaming up gets you better rewards.One moment you're    At first I passed this game because i'm not into Scfi games normally,but i'm glad I gave it a try after I got bored with WoW WOD and Elderscrolls online.
    It is actually a game that encourages grouping more that the other mmo's i've tried;Open world bosses,nearly impossible to get gold reward for regional challenges later on if you solo.teaming up gets you better rewards.One moment you're on a quest and the next moment you're leaping mushrooms to catch fireflies for a challenge(failed challenges can always be retried later,so no time pressure there)

    Out of all released MMo's I've tried,Wildstar is the best,and the combat system in this one is most exciting.
    They provide the player with incredible freedom to build their character,you can swap skills on the go if you bought them(out of combat) Any class can be build to fullfil any role.Or you can go hybrid,Whatever tickles your fancy...

    It takes a while before you know where to find everything,as you lvl you get introduced to each menu though at times it can still feel a bit overwhelming.Housing is awesome too.You can change/decorate anything ,plant seeds,farm mats,..

    .I like the humor..Mr death always comments when you've risen from the grave..
    Furthermore,I shall not spoil anything..But you can hide ANY armorpiece..Mr fashion approves your meat..    … Expand
  18. snip4r
    Dec 10, 2014
    9
    This game has great combat. Don't listen to them this games combat is not old compared to all the other generic mmo's out there this combat is refreshing and different. The only down side is that leveling by questing takes a long time, and due to this length almost no one is making new characters so queing up for pvp and dungeons takes forever unless you are max lvl, or are in a guild. AllThis game has great combat. Don't listen to them this games combat is not old compared to all the other generic mmo's out there this combat is refreshing and different. The only down side is that leveling by questing takes a long time, and due to this length almost no one is making new characters so queing up for pvp and dungeons takes forever unless you are max lvl, or are in a guild. All in all I recommend. However, join with a group of friends so you can atleast do dungeons and Adventures. On a side note the dungeons are actually hard which makes this game all the more exciting.… Expand
  19. henzilla
    Dec 24, 2014
    9
    By far the best in mmo at the moment. After you play this game for a few weeks good luck going back to TAB targeting. The graphics are amazing. The combat is very different compared to other mmos thanks to the telegraph system. The dungeons are challenging first time around which I think many of us appreciate. When I first picked up WoW I had no idea how to play my class or what to spec,By far the best in mmo at the moment. After you play this game for a few weeks good luck going back to TAB targeting. The graphics are amazing. The combat is very different compared to other mmos thanks to the telegraph system. The dungeons are challenging first time around which I think many of us appreciate. When I first picked up WoW I had no idea how to play my class or what to spec, but I could always make it past dungeons fairly easy, not here, good luck trying to beat a dungeon if you haven't picked up what CC are. By no means is it 'hardcore' but it's refreshing to be introduced to something that requires some skill and knowledge.… Expand
  20. AndroidMonkey
    Feb 24, 2018
    9
    This is probably the best MMO I've played in... ever. The devs set out to create a game that did not adhere to the tired MMO fantasy worlds and boring stories - and they delivered.

    The only problem with this game is the low population. But, of course, there's an easy solution to that - play this game!
  21. Tridus
    Jun 3, 2014
    8
    Fun game, overall. There is a ton of things to do, stuff like housing is already in place, and there's lots of different things to find in the world. Combat system is pretty interesting, and once you're not just doing simple stuff, standing still mashing buttons mindlessly will get you killed. The ability to quickly dodge around and be reactive makes it pretty interesting.

    The game has    Fun game, overall. There is a ton of things to do, stuff like housing is already in place, and there's lots of different things to find in the world. Combat system is pretty interesting, and once you're not just doing simple stuff, standing still mashing buttons mindlessly will get you killed. The ability to quickly dodge around and be reactive makes it pretty interesting.

    The game has a very strong "silly" vibe, which I guess was to be expected from a sci-fi game with what are essentially cat girls and crazy rat mad scientists.

    Server issues have been a thing. Nothing too horrible on the server that I'm on, but there has been downtime and a lot of hotfixes. It's largely the standard new game from a new studio launch woes.

    If you're looking for something to do in the MMO space, it's definitely worth a look.    … Expand
  22. cajun67
    Jun 7, 2014
    8
    Wildstar is a beautiful, colorful sci fi adventure. I've played a lot of MMORPG's (including years of WoW). This is a great entry into the genre. The game was developed by some of the folks behind the original WoW, and it really shows that they are trying to take this to the next level. There's nice touches, like the ability to sprint and the ability to double-jump. Or how about the factWildstar is a beautiful, colorful sci fi adventure. I've played a lot of MMORPG's (including years of WoW). This is a great entry into the genre. The game was developed by some of the folks behind the original WoW, and it really shows that they are trying to take this to the next level. There's nice touches, like the ability to sprint and the ability to double-jump. Or how about the fact that your characters auto-heal, so you're not running around half-dead out of combat.

    Combat is well thought out. Back in my Wow days, I'd have five rows of attacks, with 10 icons in each row -- a confusing messb. Wildstar limits each player to 8 attacks plus an in-combat buff; it's very streamlined. In addition, the damage zones of both players and NPC's are mapped out on the ground when an attack is initiated, giving the player the opportunity to actually react to any incoming attack. Because each class has such a unique attack, combat is a very fun experience.

    Wildstar is very focused on the social aspects of play. So, players are able to help one another in NPC fights, with both players getting credit for the kill. Or a player may be able to build buff stations that anyone can run up to and use.

    Criticisms -- the interface can be a little confusing at times, but I look at it as a version 1.0 problem, that will be fixed either through updates or add-ons. Also, I'm an older player, so I wish the graphics were a little less cartoony. And the starting areas aren't terribly exciting, but fortunately, you'll be able to zip through them pretty quick.

    Summary -- WoW has set the bar REALLY high for the MMORPG genre, and a new game has to be really polished and full featured from the start. A decade after it's initial release, WoW is getting long in the tooth, and Wildstar is definitely a worthy contender.    … Expand
  23. xabbott
    Jun 4, 2014
    8
    I have about 50 hours played so far. I am not capped yet. So far however this game is extremely fun. It's the first MMO in years that has been a joy. Its got an amazing amount of content, the gameplay (combat) is refreshing, and its just fun. This genre takes awhile to really review but so far I am extremely pleased.
  24. Skulb
    Apr 18, 2017
    8
    Easily the best MMORPG on the market. I would definitely recommend Wildstar to beginners in the genre, and it has severe challenges in the endgame too. It has a fun, cartoonish look; almost too cartoonish. But it does a good job of varying the quests as you get into the game. and is overall a lot of fun. It does have some problems, of various categories. But overall the game is solid andEasily the best MMORPG on the market. I would definitely recommend Wildstar to beginners in the genre, and it has severe challenges in the endgame too. It has a fun, cartoonish look; almost too cartoonish. But it does a good job of varying the quests as you get into the game. and is overall a lot of fun. It does have some problems, of various categories. But overall the game is solid and polished.
    Some of the weaknesses, in my opinion, become more of an issue later in the game. But since the game is now F2P this is a good opportunity to get into it if you haven't before.

    + Graphics. Manages to create its own style, which is a jolly, wild west in space vs sci-fi theocracy meets high tech artificial intelligence.
    + Sound. Appropriately western vs sci fi theocracy meets high tech artificial intelligence, uh, -y.
    + Crafting. Interesting take on tradeskills, with a lot of scope for experimentation.

    +- Combat. More skill-based than most other MMORPGs, although it is also twitchy and a bit annoying. The game uses a system of telegraphs, which looks great, but which I am unsure of whether is the game's greatest strength or weakness. It might be both. Anyway, the telegraph system is fun in small scale action but quickly gets overwhelming. In a raid you will at worst feel like a failure; at best like you're taking part in some weird, digital formation dancing. When you combine this with the dash mechanic (double tap in either direction to dive out of the way of AOE) and occasionally interactive things like holding a key to break stuns etc, it can be a daunting task to get anywhere in WS. Some of us sucked at dancing at school, and apparently still suck at it.
    +- Questing. Lots of creativity has gone into the questing in Wildstar. Although again, you wonder sometimes if the quest system is a weakness in the end. It floods you with activities so that you often end up barging through a zone barely able to pay attention to the quests, wildly hitting your coms to get new ones in the middle of doing challenges, holdouts and who knows what else. At the end of such an excursion you will often have challenges failed or in need of improvement, simply because you got them while trying to do three other quests. There is such a hectic pace that it will be a rare player who actually gets to read any of the quest text.

    - General clutter. The game floods you with, well, everything. You have six billion vendors, quest givers, mounts, crafting stations and on and on endlessly. It is impossible to walk two steps without something happening. Combine that with interface clutter because of all the things you can do and starting a WS account becomes an exhausting experience. It's basically inevitable in a way; what took ten + years to develop in WoW was all supposed to just be in Wildstar from the start. And the end result is just...clutter.
    In fact, some of the things I dislike the most about WS it has inherited from WoW directly. Most annoying of these things is the Looking for Group function. Although handy if you just want to get a quest done, it predictably has a rather dramatic impact on the community. I played the game for three months on launch and have played it again for a week now. And in all that time I don't think anyone has talked to me even once. You just don't have to because of the LFG. Click button, wait, do dungeon, leave dungeon. All the socialization has been taken out of not only Wildstar, but MMORPGs in general, because of this. It is basically a single player game for a very, very long time. You occasionally play that single player game next to other people, but it's still a single player experience.
    All the work of getting a group together to do something gets done by the game, which is great. But as it turns out that was what made these games social.
    And this function is responsible for one more problem. Because the LFG teleports you to the instance the moment your team is assembled, and right back to the same place afterwards, I honestly don't even know where any of the instances are in WS. It is all just automated. And as a result the world itself feels pointless. There is no traveling anyway, which is a good thing because of the very annoying taxi driver. You just pick a spot on the map and there you are! But as a result not even the old MMORPG ritual of going to the dungeon and entering a portal is necessary.

    All my reasons for downgrading Wildstar come from this stuff. It is a good game, and I realize that it's a good game. But it robs me of the social aspect of an MMORPG by organizing everything for me. And in the end it is hard to love a game when it does that. I know how much fun self-organizing MMORPG activities can be. All the personalities you meet along the way, all the joy and all the tantrums. And I do not understand why every game in the genre has to include bad ideas, simply because WoW thought of them first. The LFG is the mother of bad ideas. At least so far as MMORPGs go.    … Expand
  25. JoeCool
    Jun 16, 2014
    8
    The Leveling process in this game is pretty bland, not to say boring. Just your typical kill this, fetch that stuff *yawn*. The art style certainly isn't for everybody, but if you can get over that it's really quite ok, not to say pretty good. Once you make it to completing your first dungeon, you'll probably be hooked for a while. Once you get deep into the combat you'll experienceThe Leveling process in this game is pretty bland, not to say boring. Just your typical kill this, fetch that stuff *yawn*. The art style certainly isn't for everybody, but if you can get over that it's really quite ok, not to say pretty good. Once you make it to completing your first dungeon, you'll probably be hooked for a while. Once you get deep into the combat you'll experience something you haven't felt like in a long time, or even ever, not while playing an MMO anyway.
    It's a pretty unique game, and I'm not going to bet money on it going F2P anytime soon.    … Expand
  26. Lanky14
    Jun 4, 2014
    8
    A little background on me and my experience in the game. Im in my mid 20s and work 50 hours a week. I played vanilla through cata in wow as well as GW2 and SWTOR. I am currently lvl 38 in wildstar and played a lot of sub-50 dungeons/adventures in beta.

    Cons: - Clunky interface for questing, sometimes too many, bad tracking/prioritization based on location. You can work through this    A little background on me and my experience in the game. Im in my mid 20s and work 50 hours a week. I played vanilla through cata in wow as well as GW2 and SWTOR. I am currently lvl 38 in wildstar and played a lot of sub-50 dungeons/adventures in beta.

    Cons:
    - Clunky interface for questing, sometimes too many, bad tracking/prioritization based on location. You can work through this with about 4 seconds of reading, though.
    - Character plates are horrible. Sometimes they are too high to see, sometimes don't show up at all. You can get an addon called Bijiplates to fix this, though. There is a memory leak in the addon but just reloadui to fix it. /shrug
    - Questing can get a bit grindy but hey, its an MMO and they do breadcrumbing, hubbing, and such quite well. More on this in pros.
    - Some pretty big queues if you log on during peak hours
    - Chat interface is not awesome. It is very hard to carry on a whisper convo - you have to Enter+/r. Life goes on.

    Pros:
    - Questing hubbing is quite good. If you miss a quest, the quest giver will call you and give you the quest. It is still possible to get lost and end up in the wrong place come on, you need to think A LITTLE BIT.
    - Dungeons are a blast. They are fairly easily mastered if you have a good crew but they are still very fun and repeatable. I haven't tried veteran dungeons yet.
    - Adventures are a nice alternative to questing if you want to do some rapid group lvling. They are fun and quick. Nice change of pace
    - The zones and music are beautiful and mysterious.
    - I like exploring but rarely do it in MMOs because I feel pressure to get to the highest level quickly. Wildstar rewards you (not terribly well but well enough for me) for exploring. I don't feel like it slows my lvling down that much.
    - Combat is insanely fun. You will not be standing in front of a mob hammering 2 keys, but if you've played GW2 or any other dodge based game, you are used to this. The big win for me is that finding skill synergy seems a lot clearer while still preserving huge variety.
    - Crafting is pretty straight forward but unlike in wow, I feel like I can level it up as I level (without going too far out of my way) and still make myself some upgrades.

    Overall, I really like this game. I feel like it preserved the things I liked about early wow while making many aspects of the game more interesting and challenging in the right ways. No, leveling doesn't take twice as long, thats not a challenge. Instead, you need to pay a little attention to combat while lvling. I feel like I just spend a lot more time doing the things I want to do and less time doing needless dumb stuff. Also dungeons. Can't say enough about them, the low level dungeons are roughly equivalent to BC heroics. Hard at first, but farmable with a decent group.

    Anyway, TL;DR, Good game, some bugs, I'm sure they will get fixed. Not a wow clone, more like wow 2.0.    … Expand
  27. Corvin
    Jun 4, 2014
    8
    10 for general awesomeness: the housing, the science fiction setting with occasional amusing NPC comments, the interesting classes to play, the AMP system, and the crafting. -1 for making me hate the sight of other players (challenges and even some quests put players in competition with each other). -1 point for putting pugs up against premades in pvp. Overall a very solid game, but if10 for general awesomeness: the housing, the science fiction setting with occasional amusing NPC comments, the interesting classes to play, the AMP system, and the crafting. -1 for making me hate the sight of other players (challenges and even some quests put players in competition with each other). -1 point for putting pugs up against premades in pvp. Overall a very solid game, but if you solo open world pve content, expect a much harder mode than those who group up.… Expand
  28. Bladefury
    Jun 5, 2014
    8
    Fun game, I stopped playing wow a while back due to it taking to much time, raiding etc, I like the fact that you can just level with a few friends and a fun world, I understand why people dont appreciate the art so much, but I dont go buy a red ferrari and then complain that its red, you know the art style so why buy the game then complain about it.

    Questing is standard MMO, which    Fun game, I stopped playing wow a while back due to it taking to much time, raiding etc, I like the fact that you can just level with a few friends and a fun world, I understand why people dont appreciate the art so much, but I dont go buy a red ferrari and then complain that its red, you know the art style so why buy the game then complain about it.

    Questing is standard MMO, which doesn't really bother me, combat system is what I enjoy, its fluid fast.
    As i mentioned graphics are on the cartoony side, but it just compliments the style of the game.

    All in all I am enjoying the game, will I raid? probably not, just spending a few hours with a few friends is enough for me.    … Expand
  29. Raistx
    Jun 5, 2014
    8
    Overall: nice game. I like the combat mechanic, even if it could be harder in PvE. The overall design style and humoristic (especially the dark humour) content is genius and highly creative.

    I enjoyed the class & path systems. Creating a focus on how you like to play (What type of gamer your are as per Bartle model)(socialiser, killer, explorer, achiever). My main critic is aimed at    Overall: nice game. I like the combat mechanic, even if it could be harder in PvE. The overall design style and humoristic (especially the dark humour) content is genius and highly creative.

    I enjoyed the class & path systems. Creating a focus on how you like to play (What type of gamer your are as per Bartle model)(socialiser, killer, explorer, achiever).

    My main critic is aimed at the crafting system(s)(as every types is different). Some types of crafting are not intuitive and progressive enough. While some are much easier, e.g. the food crafting.
    It's always awkward to loot a sci-fi gun from a dead animal carcass. I wish the sourcing of loots would be more logical and consequent.    … Expand
  30. jrp07
    Jul 7, 2014
    8
    Excellent customer service, lots of game companies could learn from Carbine in terms of using social media to connect its player base. It's a breath of fresh air to the genre, while improving on the things that WoW made successful. Carbine is committed to their customers and they have a fan in me for it. Will review again in a month or two when the kinks have been polished, but right now IExcellent customer service, lots of game companies could learn from Carbine in terms of using social media to connect its player base. It's a breath of fresh air to the genre, while improving on the things that WoW made successful. Carbine is committed to their customers and they have a fan in me for it. Will review again in a month or two when the kinks have been polished, but right now I think it's a solid 8.5… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

48
#48 Best PC Game of 2014
19
#19 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
44
#44 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 52 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 52
  3. Negative: 1 out of 52
  1. Eurogamer Germany
    Oct 29, 2014
    90
    Carbine never was set to reinvent the wheel. But they put a nice set of custom rims on their vehicle. And then they strapped the whole thing on a space shuttle and send it into space.
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  2. Eurogamer
    Oct 28, 2014
    70
    For those burnt out on WOW's content, WildStar is easy to endorse. Immediately familiar to anyone who's visited Azeroth and with enough new twists on the tried-and-tested theme park formula, Carbine's game is so overflowing with stuff to do that it's certainly justified in asking for a subscription - even if less people seem prepared to sign up to one.
    Read full review
  3. Ragequit.gr
    Oct 20, 2014
    80
    Wildstar banks on hardcore raid and instance difficulty as well as its excellently implemented "dancing" real time combat mechanic to offer something significantly new and fresh to the MMORPG scene. Low server population and annoying hints of a "Pay To Win More" model hold it back in certain areas, but it has all the potential of becoming a well established and much loved setting for years to come.
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