WildStar is one of the few MMOs I've seen that doesn't bog itself down with "innovation for innovation's sake," or trying to change formulas that have worked for years. The story, gameplay, mechanics, and tone are all polished and refined. It doesn't try to redefine the MMO formula that has worked for games like World of Warcraft, but there are enough new and exciting additions to make the game feel fresh and enjoyable for MMO veterans looking for a new experience.
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| WildStar's unique visual style and combat system have many gamers eagerly awaiting its release date. |
When you begin your adventure in WildStar, you're greeted with a fairly standard character creation process - eight races divided into two factions (Dominion or Exiles), six classes (Warrior, Engineer, Esper, Medic, Stalker, Spellslinger), and four paths (Settler, Soldier, Scientist, Explorer). Fans of character customization will find a lot to enjoy about the creation process, but might feel underwhelmed initially by the limited amount of choices for each race and gender.
After preparing your character, you begin exploring the capital ship of your faction after spending time in cryosleep. Your faction has come to the planet Nexus to claim it as their home. Your first few levels will be spent on the ship going through a series of gameplay tutorials that introduce new players to the game's combat, movement, controls, and other useful tools such as your class' basic abilities, how to communicate with NPCs, and how to gain "path" experience. I found the tutorial stage very helpful on my first character, but after making a few more I found myself wishing for an option to skip the process.
