Wuthering Waves review: A Gamba Game but Polite About it
- Nathan Walters
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Before i say anything else, it’s a gacha game. Which means loot boxes, gamba, and rarity chasing, much like Genshin Impact which took the world by storm a few years back. So far though, it hasn’t been too forceful. The game can be played rather efficiently for a long stretch without any payments needed, and i for one haven’t bought a thing, earning several character drops solely from quests and in-game currency rewards. But still, be warned. It’s a gacha game.
It’s also just landed on Xbox Series X|S, day one alongside the Version 3.5 update, which is how i’ve ended up here… two years late to the game, but day one on the platform.
Graphically, it’s very pretty. There’s that anime game vibe with slight cel shading, similar to the Naruto Ultimate Ninja games and the Fire Emblem series on Switch.
Gameplay wise there’s loads to do, from dungeons, side quests, map bosses, puzzles, challenges and hidden chests. And the combat is incredibly satisfying. You’re using various Echoes (abilities pinched from the enemies you’ve already beaten) for special attacks, slow-mo dodges, deflects and counters, all while swapping seamlessly between Resonators (the game’s word for its characters). When you really get into the groove of it, the battles feel epic.
There are also some great quality of life features here that other games should replicate. If you use too many XP boosters when levelling a Resonator, the game refunds you the difference so nothing’s wasted. If you’re about to do something that skips content, it warns you that you’ll be jumping to another map or chapter that could affect your experience of the linear quest-lines. And if you skip a conversation, it hands you a mini run-down of what was said. Honestly, brilliant thinking from the devs.
The downside would be the voice acting, which is very hit and miss. Scar, for example, is done very well. He’s animated, unhinged, and gives off the vibe that he’s a bit of a lunatic (complimentary). Meanwhile Rover, Yangyang and others can be very, monotonous, to the point it actually had me wondering if it was done with AI, because the inflection always seemed the same. There are moments where Rover is great, and moments where it’s very bad. i assume that’s direction on the studio’s part rather than the actors, because the VAs listed have done solid work across animation and gaming elsewhere.
Is it worth it?
It’s free, I’ve put 11 hours in without spending a penny, and the combat alone is worth the download. Between this and Absolum, my Series X and GamePass has been earning its keep lately. Just go in with your eyes open, because the gamba is always there… waiting.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X. ~11 hours played. Free-to-play; no money spent.
