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WildStar

WildStar: Reloaded is a free-to-play 3D fantasy MMORPG with a unique mix of sci-fi and fantasy elements. The game takes place on the fictional planet of Nexus after a powerful and mysterious race called the Eldan suddenly disappeared.

Publisher: NCSoft
Playerbase: Medium
Type: F2P MMORPG
Release Date: Jun 3, 2014 (Global)
Shut Down Date: November 28, 2018
PvP: Open World / Duels / Arenas / Battlegrounds / Warplots
Pros: +Fluid gameplay. +Unique classes. +Action-oriented combat (aim attacks). +Unique art style. +Varied PvP options.
Cons: -Repetitive gameplay. -Lack of end-game content.

WildStar Reloaded Shut Down on November 28, 2018

Overview

WildStar Overview

WildStar is a free-to-play fantasy MMORPG with a mix of sci-fi elements. The game features a unique art style that's a mix between Borderlands and Ratchest & Clank. Like Tera and Neverwinter, WildStar features action-oriented combat where players must individually aim their attacks and skills, which makes combat feel more satisfying and skill-based.

Explore the mysterious planet Nexus while fighting for survival in WildStar. Stake your claim on the ancient planet that used to be home to the Eldan, an ancient and powerful race. Problem is, everything on the planet is out to get you! Pledge your allegiance to one of two factions each with their own motives. Choose from unique classes as you fight for survival in one of the most dangerous planets in the galaxy. Follow your chosen path as a Soldier, Settler, Scientist, or Explorer, each with their own perks and benefits and side quests. Search for clues to the Eldans’ disappearance while embarking on a story-driven quest through hostile environments ranging from forests to high-security prisons while facing terrifying beasts, aliens, and mechanical monstrosities. The game originally launched as as a subscription-based title, but went free-to-play on September 29, 2015 and rebranded itself as "Wildstar: Reloaded."

WildStar Features:

  • Action-Packed Combat – unleash a variety of attacks and skills while dodging and weaving your way around your enemy.
  • Path System – choose from four paths aside from the classes. Each class has their own unique perks and abilities as well as their own quests tailored for any type of play style.
  • 6 Unique Classes - play as Warrior, Spellslinger, Esper, Engineer, Stalker, and Medic.
  • Dynamic Quests – certain quests are automatically triggered by being in the right place at the right time and by having the required Path.
  • Player Housing – kick back and relax in your very own house after a hard day’s work of killing monsters and surviving the hazards of a new planet.
  • Storytelling - story-driven gameplay with well-written quests.

WildStar Screenshots

no images were found

WildStar Featured Video

Wildstar: Reloaded Gameplay First Look HD - MMOs.com

Classes

WildStar Classes

Factions & Races:

Dominion – as the name implies, this faction seeks to control the entire galaxy through intimidation and military might.

  • Cassian – a race of humans from the planet Cassus. As the leaders of the Dominion, they look down on other races and speak with a British accent.
  • Draken – savage and fierce reptilian-like warriors that serve as the Dominion’s main fighting force.
  • Mechari – advanced cybernetic assassins and super agents engineered by the Eldan.
  • Chua – a rodent-like race that specialize in building inventions to efficiently eliminate their enemies.

Exile – a ragtag band of mercenaries, rebels, renegades, and refugees from different planets that have joined forces to fight against the Dominion.

  • Exile Humans – a stubborn faction of humans from Cassus who never back down from a fight. They are easily recognizable by their Southern US accent.
  • Granok – a race of stone-like creatures with a penchant for drinking and fighting.
  • Aurin – a race of humanoids with animal ears and tails. They are sworn protectors of Nature and have excelled in research and science since their exile.
  • Mordesh – space zombies cursed with a degenerative disease. They came to planet Nexus to find a cure.

Classes:

  • Warrior – a melee class armed to the teeth with broadswords and arm cannons. Warriors are the tankiest of all classes in Wildstar. They use heavy weapons, powerful armor, and can be built as either tanks or damage dealers depending on their preference. Their primary attributes are Brutality and Technology.
  • Esper – similar to the mage class in other MMORPGs. They use illusions to deal damage to enemies and heal their allies. They use Psyblades and are masters of psychic energy. They can be built as ranged damage dealers as well as supportive healers. Their primary attributes are Moxie and Insight.
  • Spellslinger – takes out enemies from afar with magic-imbued dual pistols. Spellslingers are a gun-wielding ranged DPS class with healing abilities. They use Dual Mag pistols in combat and their primary attributes are Finesse and Insight.
  • Stalker – uses stealth and their dual claws to take out unsuspecting enemies. Stalkers are the traditional high melee damage "rogue" style class. They're silent assassins that use claws in battle and their primary attribute is Brutality and Technology.
  • Medic – uses resonators that can shatter bones in combat. Medics are formidable DPS characters despite their class name. Medics are a supportive class with high mobility. They can be built to deal damage or heal effectively. Their primary attributes are Technology and Insight.
  • Engineer – can summon robot pets to help them out in battle. They are also armed with heavy weapons to take out enemies that get by their pets. Engineers are hybrid tanks and ranged damage dealers. They use heavy armor, a huge gun, and utilize a small army of automatons to defeat their enemies. Their primary attributes are Finesse and Technology.

Paths:

  • Soldier – the primary military force tasked with protecting their chosen faction’s assets and interests. Their quests involve assassinations, weapons testing, and defending bases from hostile forces.
  • Settler – charged with making the hostile planet Nexus a suitable place to live in. They are required to set up various structures across the planet to aid their respective factions.
  • Scientist – tasked with discovering and documenting the creatures and lore of Nexus. Their mission is to scan and analyze the flora, fauna, and artifacts on the planet.
  • Explorer – tasked with exploring and mapping the unexplored areas of the planet. Their quest take them up mountains, trees, and through ancient structures.

Full Review

WildStar Review

By Marc Marasigan

Wildstar is a free-to-play fantasy/sci-fi themed 3D MMORPG developed by Carbine Studios and published by NCSoft. The game was initially unveiled during Gamescom on August 17, 2011 and went into open-beta on May 8, 2014 before being officially going live on June 3, 2014. Like many ambitious titles before it, Wildstar began its journey as a subscription-based title, but after suffering from a dwindling playerbase, decided to go free-to-play. The free-to-play version of the game, called Wildstar: Reloaded, launched on September 29, 2015 and joined the ranks of Guild Wars 2, Tera, and dozens of other old subscription-based games that embraced the free-to-play model.

The game is set in a fictional universe on the mysterious and ancient planet of Nexus which was once inhabited by an advanced race of aliens known as the Eldan who have since disappeared for unknown reasons. The planet Nexus is being fought over by two opposing factions: the Dominion, an empire with plans to control the entire galaxy, and the Exiles, a ragtag band of refugees who have formed an alliance to stop the Dominion in its tracks. Players are dropped into the middle of this power-struggle, in an unforgiving environment where they eventually learn the truth about planet Nexus and why the Eldan disappeared.

An Unforgiving Planet

WildStar features awesome eye-popping graphics, flashy effects, and a beautiful, well-made and detailed environment. Whether you’re running through the savannahs, crawling through forests, or exploring ancient ruins, the environment never ceases to amaze. In addition, the game also features Environmental Hazards where random occurrences such as stampedes and lightning storms have the ability to damage or even kill players. These hazards can also be used to the player's advantage, such as luring an enemy into a spot where lightning is about to strike. This is a great concept and gives players a lot more to consider aside from the usual mobs and quests. The game also features unique artwork, comical dialogue and voice-overs, as well as an epic soundtrack which reminded me a lot of the Guardians of the Galaxy, right down to the stone-like Granok race which seems oddly similar to Groot. The visuals are awesome, even though they look a bit cartoony/anime-ish like the Star Wars Rebels animated show.

The Mother Ship

Before players start to explore the newly discovered planet, they must first create characters. Creating characters in Wildstar is a simple affair of picking their faction, race, class, path, then customizing their characters. Players can choose from two factions: the Dominion, and the Exiles. They then pick from four races depending on their chosen faction, 6 classes, and four paths (check out the Classes tab for a more detailed description) before proceeding to customize their character’s looks. While players are given plenty of options to tweak their character’s appearance, including a variety of face and hair styles, along with sliders to adjust minute details like eye size and nose height, every character ultimately ends up looking a bit like each other.

After creating their characters, players start the game aboard their faction ship. Players from each faction start out in different areas although the quests are basically just mirrors of each other and even start the same way. Players from both factions start the game by waking up from cryostasis before being given a series of tasks which culminates in a boss fight. Pop-up boxes brief players on game mechanics such as movement, camera controls, and quest types. These pop-up boxes will continue to pop-up as the player encounters new things during the course of the game. For players starting out with alternate characters, the tutorial can be skipped by ticking on the appropriate radio-button. After the boss fight, players from both factions are sent down to planet Nexus where everything proceeds just like any other MMORPG.

Running Errands

The moment players crash into planet Nexus, players are given a series of tasks that will take them through various areas of the planet. Like other MMORPGs, WildStar features the age-old, time-tested, breadcrumb quest system which has players completing tasks for various NPCs such as killing and collecting stuff. Fortunately, because of the game’s sci-fi setting, players can use communicators to receive and turn-in quests while on the field, saving players the trouble of having to go back and forth. The quests also lead the player from one part of the planet to the next while unfolding a unique and comical story. Each faction follows a different storyline which explains their reasons for being on the mysterious long-lost planet. Also, depending on the path you choose, a variety of side quests are sent through your communicator. (Check the classes tab for detailed information on Path quests).

Fighting for Survival

Combat in WildStar is fun, fast-paced, and dynamic. The WASD keys are used to move around and the number keys are used to cast skills and abilities. Players also have to aim their skills at enemies while dodging attacks thrown at them. The game also features elements of platformers where players need use the environment to complete quests, such as leaping from one ledge to the next to get to a quest objective that has been placed in a difficult manner.

Like most modern MMORPGs, skills in WildStar are automatically unlocked upon reaching certain level requirements. They can then improve unlocked skills by spending Tier Points that are rewarded when the character levels up. In addition to skills, the game also features AMPs, which are passive skills that players can unlock using AMP Points that are also given when characters gain levels. Players start out with the first tier unlocked. Choosing an AMP unlocks an adjacent one, which in turn unlocks others next to it once the AMP is chosen. The combination of skills and AMPs gives players the ability to customize their builds according to their playstyle or usual role in the party.

Kicking Ass

Like any good MMORPG, WildStar features a variety of PvP options for players out for blood. Players can quench their thirst for blood by engaging in 1v1 Duels, by joining PvP Arenas and Battlegrounds, or by venturing into PvP areas and making life hard for opposing players completing quests. Arenas come in 2v2, 3v3, and 5v5 team deathmatch modes where the last team standing wins. Battlegrounds will have 10 players each side competing to complete map objectives, such as capturing a flag from the center of the map and bringing it back to their base. Engaging in PvP rewards players with various items that can be used to enhance their effectiveness in PvP. Players are also given WarPlots once they reach max level (currently Level 50). WarPlots are like personal Battlegrounds that players can fight in via a matchmaking system, although the owner of the WarPlot will have to agree to the battle before it starts. These WarPlots can be customized and defended with items acquired through raiding and adventuring. The winner gains rewards based on the match while the loser’s WarPlot is destroyed and will have to be rebuilt.

Welcome to My Crib

Constantly sleeping on the cold hard ground can be hard on an explorer and a house is a good place to kick back and relax after a hard day. Players can purchase houses as soon as they encounter the NPC, provided that they have the required funds. Owning a house gives a player a number of perks, such as Rested XP when logging out in their homes, their very own dungeon that they can explore with friends, and sockets where they can build farms and mines that can be harvested for additional resources. Players start off with basic designs, which can be improved by buying more complex designs. House items, which are used to decorate the house, can be acquired from quest rewards, crafting, or by killing mobs.

The Cash Shop

Wildstar didn't have a cash shop for quite a while, as it was originally a subscription-based title, but since going free-to-play, a cash shop was introduced to monetize the game. Luckily, Carbine Studios and NCSoft haven't gone overboard with monetization and everything in the cash shop is limited to cosmetics and convenience items. Time will tell whether this remains the case though, as plenty of great games were ruined by terrible cash shops. Hopefully, the game's developers take a page out of Tera's playbook, and keep the cash shop fair and limited largely to cosmetics.

Final Verdict Great

There’s really nothing bad I can say about WildStar: Reloaded. The game is fun, fast-paced, and extremely entertaining. The visuals and sounds are great and the combat is extremely fluid and easy to master. The unique and comical story along with hilarious voice-acting gives a unique personality to the game. Overall, a great game that I would recommend to anyone. The free-to-play relaunch should bring a lot of new players to the world of Nexus and reinvigorate the game, too.

Screenshots

WildStar Screenshots

Videos

WildStar Videos

Links

WildStar Links

WildStar Official Site
WildStar Wikipedia
WildStar Wikia [Database / Guides]
WildStar Gamepedia [Database / Guides]
WildStar Subreddit

System Requirements

WildStar System Requirements

Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: XP / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 GHz / AMD Phenom X3 2.3 GHz
Video Card: GeForce 8800 GT / ATI Radeon HD 3850
RAM: 4 GB
Hard Disk Space: 30 GB

Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: XP / Vista / 7 / 8
CPU: Intel Core i5 Quad Core 2.66 GHz / AMD Phenom II X4 3 GHz or better
Video Card: GeForce 4 / Radeon 9200 or better
RAM: 8 GB
Hard Disk Space: 30 GB

Wildstar runs best on a 64 bit operating system but is compatible with 32 bit systems as well.

Music

WildStar Music & Soundtrack


Additional Info

WildStar Additional Information

Developer: Carbine Studios (Owned by NCSoft)
Game Engine: Proprietary
Director(s): Mike Donatelli and Matt Mocarski
Composer(s): Jeff Kurtenacker

Closed Beta Date: April 10, 2013 (first closed beta)
Open Beta Date: May 8, 2014

Shut Down Date: November 28, 2018

Development History / Background:

WildStar was developed by American game studio Carbine Studios, which was originally founded by former Blizzard Entertainment employees. The game was built from the ground up using a proprietary game engine exclusive to Wildstar. The game was originally announced to the world at Gamescom on August 17, 2011, but development for Wildstar began in 2005. The studio, who's only game was Wildstar (which wasn't even close to done at the time), was acquired in 2007 by NCSoft. Carbine Studios decided on developing their own engine from scratch after looking at existing engines. The decision to make their own engine was one of the reasons for a long development cycle, but gives the game a lot more flexibility. Wildstar officially launched on June 3, 2014 after several rounds of closed beta testing whcih began in April 10, 2013. WildStar shut down on November 28, 2018.