Wayfinder Looks to Reconnect With the Spirit of MMOs Past

ign.com:

Wayfinder does not intend to be a brainless loot-grind or a dispiriting digital roulette wheel. Digital Extremes, the studio behind Warframe publishing this new fantasy RPG, is aware of all the pitfalls that tend to sink modern multiplayer games; how, more often than not, it feels like the designers are actively trying to take advantage of its players. But after a few hours with the game, and a gaggle of rollicking dungeon crawls and hubzone idle time, it's clear that Wayfinder is trying to harken back to a more wholesome age of cooperative monster slaying. If you too grew up on World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, and Final Fantasy XI, Digital Extremes intends to bring you home.

In its most simple definition, Wayfinder is an MMO. Players take control of a slew of heroes — known as, you guessed it, Wayfinders — which are subdivided into classic tank, healer, and DPS roles. These characters come pre-equipped with names, backstories, and a League of Legends-style tray of three abilities and an ultimate, which means you aren't going to be nurturing a mute, enigmatic player-character towards the level cap. The combat itself is steeped in that quasi-RPG magic that defines Destiny, Borderlands, and yes, Warframe. (Expect a lot of white damage numbers to come flying out of your opponents, but you'll also be asked to aim your weapons, time your parries, and dodge-roll out of attacks.) You'll be outfitting your roster of characters with a huge, interlocking talent tree, which will juice the integers of whatever build you're currently targeting. In that sense, Wayfinder is well within the thrall of some of the most popular video games on the planet, but in the couple hours I've spent on the live servers, I haven't grown bored by that