Wuthering Waves is an open-world action RPG from Kuro Games, the studio behind Punishing: Gray Raven. It launched with a lot of attention and was often compared to Genshin Impact. After some early performance and story issues, the game has improved through updates, and it has found a loyal audience among players who care most about combat.
In this review we look at combat, exploration, characters, progression, performance on phones and PC, and whether it is worth playing for Malaysian gamers.
The setting
You play as the Rover, a character who wakes up with no memory in a post-apocalyptic world. The world is recovering from a disaster called the Lament, and strange creatures called Tacet Discords roam the land. The setting mixes futuristic technology with traditional architecture, creating a distinct look.
Combat: the main attraction
Combat is the star of Wuthering Waves. You control a team of three characters called Resonators and can switch between them during battle. Each character has normal attacks, a skill, a liberation (ultimate) and special mechanics that reward good timing.
Dodging at the right moment and parrying attacks are key skills. When you switch characters at the right time, they perform intro and outro skills that chain into powerful combos. Learning these combos and timing them well feels similar to dedicated action games, which is rare in the gacha genre.
Boss fights are a highlight. Many bosses have aggressive patterns that require attention and quick reactions. Beating a difficult boss with clean dodges and parries is very satisfying.
Echoes
Defeated enemies can sometimes be absorbed as Echoes. Echoes act as equipment, giving stat bonuses, and each one also provides an active skill you can use in combat. Building sets of Echoes for each character adds depth to team building. Collecting rare Echoes from tougher enemies gives exploration and combat an extra purpose.
Exploration and movement
Movement is fast and smooth. You can sprint, run up walls, use a grappling hook and glide. Climbing is quick, and there is less stamina frustration than in some other open-world games. Exploring the map to find chests, puzzles and secrets feels good thanks to these movement tools.
Story
The story was one of the weaker points at launch. It can feel confusing, with many terms and characters introduced quickly. Later updates have improved the writing and presentation, and some character stories are quite strong. Players who mostly care about combat may skip some dialogue, but those who stick with it will find interesting ideas.
Progression and stamina
Like other gacha games, Wuthering Waves uses a stamina system called Waveplates to limit how often you can farm certain rewards. Daily activities, weekly bosses and events provide steady progress. Building characters requires materials from various sources, and planning your use of stamina matters.
Gacha system
New characters and weapons come from banners. You can earn currency for free, and many players clear content with a mix of free and limited characters. The pity system guarantees a featured character after a certain number of pulls. As always with gacha games, it is wise to set a spending limit and avoid chasing every new character.
Performance
Wuthering Waves is demanding. On phones, you need a fairly powerful device for smooth performance, and long sessions can make the phone warm. On PC, the experience is much smoother and visuals are sharper. It is also available on PS5. If your phone is mid-range, lowering graphics settings will help a lot.
Tips for new players
- Practise dodging and parrying early
- Learn intro and outro skills for each character
- Collect Echoes from all enemy types
- Use your stamina every day
- Do not spread resources across too many characters
Who is it for?
Wuthering Waves is perfect for players who love action combat and want a gacha game that rewards skill. It is less suitable for players who mainly want a story-heavy experience or have older phones.
Frequently asked questions
Is it like Genshin Impact? It is also an open-world gacha RPG, but combat is faster and more skill-focused.
Can I play it on a mid-range phone? Yes, with lower settings, but performance may vary.
Is it free to play friendly? Yes, you can clear most content without paying if you build characters carefully.
Building a strong team
A good team usually has a main damage dealer, a sub damage dealer and a support or healer. The main damage dealer spends the most time on the field, while the others enter to use skills, apply buffs and then swap out. Understanding which characters work well together is important, and the game’s character descriptions give useful hints. Many free characters are strong enough to clear most content if they are built properly.
Endgame content
Once you finish the main story, there is plenty to do. Tower-style challenge modes test your teams against tough enemies with special rules. Weekly bosses offer valuable materials, and limited-time events bring new mechanics and rewards. Players who enjoy optimising builds and improving clear times will find a lot to chase.
Updates and improvements
Since launch, Kuro Games has released many updates that improved performance, quality-of-life features and story presentation. New regions and characters arrive regularly. The developers have also responded to player feedback, which helped rebuild trust after the rough start. If you tried the game early and stopped playing, it may be worth giving it another chance.
Wuthering Waves vs Genshin Impact
Both games are open-world gacha RPGs, but they focus on different things. Genshin Impact is stronger in exploration, puzzles and world-building, while Wuthering Waves focuses more on fast, skill-based combat. Many players enjoy both, but if you want action first, Wuthering Waves may suit you better.
Storage and download size
Like most modern open-world games, Wuthering Waves needs a lot of storage, and updates add even more. Before downloading on your phone, make sure you have plenty of free space and use Wi-Fi rather than mobile data for the initial download and big updates. Clearing old files and unused apps beforehand can save you a lot of trouble.
Verdict
Wuthering Waves has some of the best combat in any free open-world game. Exploration is fun, Echoes add depth, and updates have improved the overall experience. If combat matters most to you, it is one of the best choices available.