Wayfinder Review - Airship Syndicate Carves a New Path Through the Gloom

mmorpg.com:

My journey with Wayfinder has been an interesting one, to say the least. From its original incarnation as an online-only MMO-lite, where players could experience sprawling open world and co-op adventures, to its rebirth as a large-scale, multiplayer-optional ARPG—the evolution into Wayfinder 1.0 has been nothing if not an arduous process.

The transition brought along significant changes to core mechanics, player interaction, and the overall vision of what Wayfinder would become. The game has shifted away from needing to be constantly connected, instead opening itself up to single-player progression with optional multiplayer aspects. This shift has made the experience much more accessible and personal, while still leaving space for those moments when teamwork shines.

In Wayfinder, the core ideas behind the MMO experience are still here: cooperative gameplay, a large explorable open world, dynamic battles, and team archetype synergies. But it’s more of an invitation than a requirement now, focusing more on letting players stomp their way through the entirety of the content solo if that’s what they want to do. In Wayfinder: Echoes you will step into the roles of one of eight resurrected heroes known as Wayfinders, each on a mission to push back the creeping darkness known as the Gloom.

No Room for Gloom

The story’s opening sets the tone beautifully, introducing players to Omen, the beacon keeper, whose solemn task is to guide and empower you to repel the Gloom. Before too long the story has you venturing across the overworld, dispersing Gloom Tears, diving into the Gloom itself to uncover the mysteries of this darkness and finding a way to put a stop to it entirely.

 Recovering memories for each character will let you delve into the pasts of the Wayfinders themselves and I like that the narrative is woven in a way that lets players uncover not only the broader struggle of Skylight, the beacon and the gloom, but also the individual stories. As you progress, Omen’s