Along with The Elder Srolls Online, Wildstar is probably the most anticipated MMORPG of the year. Why? Because it seems to incorporate some unique new elements with a new sci-fi universe and with a great deal of humor. And in an era when games tend to take themselves way too seriously, forgetting that games should be first and foremost fun, this is certainly a breath of fresh air. Developer Carbine Studios seems to be completely in control, both of the game, and of their marketing strategies, and they have been providing some of the best trailers for an MMORPG in years. No, they’re not fancy CGI trailers, they are engine-based trailers that are actually extremely funny and enjoyable to watch, and make the wait for Wildstar that much more excruciating.
Their latest teaser trailer made me instantly think of Despicable Me’s Gru, and that’s a good thing. It reveals the Caretaker, a crazy enough AI character in an already crazy world, a character with some serious multiple personality issues. Besides being psychotic and funny, the Caretaker also serves as a source of information on some of the upcoming announcements from Carbine. They are not ready to share information about a Wildstar open beta, but they love to tease about their content.
Whack the Mole, Wildstar style!
The central message of the trailer is this: there will be end-game instances, and choice-making will be an essential part of Wildstar. Based on your decisions, you’ll reap better rewards or face greater challenges. The decision-making process will also heavily influence your character’s story-line in the long-run, something that we might be accustomed to seeing in singleplayer games, but not so much in MMORPGs. Reading between the lines, it seems that end-game group content is designed in a way that allows a huge replayability factor, and replaying a dungeon or an instance for the 3rd time won’t become dull and boring. The “over and over again” reference from the Caretaker seems to suggest that Wildstar’s instances are anything but repetitive, and Carbine’s focus is to give players something to do.
Besides setting the stage for diversity in choice-making, the latest Wildstar trailer also shows off some great environments, from snowy mountains and barren wastelands, to lush green fields of glory and, well, suffering! We can also catch a glimpse of what mounts players will be able to use in the game. Carbine has already revealed that customization options will be extensive, to say the least, in their Wildstar customization devblog. The fact that no two players will look alike or will be riding on the exact same mount is music to our ears!
Eh, I need a bigger gun!
All-in-all, here’s the gist of it: Wildstar will have instances that are dynamic and based on choice-making, it will have a flexible story-line with real consequences depending on players decisions and will feature a wide variety of landscapes and areas to explore. It’s also important to mention that much more will be revealed in the coming weeks. Details about a beta stage can be expected to emerge soon as the game is steadily and constantly heading towards completion. What did you think about the latest Wildstar flick? Hop over to our forums to share your thoughts, or drop us a comment below!