WildStar (2014)

For those burnt out on WOW's content, WildStar is easy to endorse. Immediately familiar to anyone who's visited Azeroth and with enough new twists on the tried-and-tested theme park formula, Carbine's game is so overflowing with stuff to do that it's certainly justified in asking for a subscription - even if less people seem prepared to sign up to one. It's more difficult to recommend WildStar to those who've tired of the MMORPG treadmill and its incessant need to put characters through the same old process of grinding quests and raids to reach a level cap and acquire the best gear. As much as WildStar seems to effortlessly hit all the right notes, essentially the song remains the same.

I've been playing Wildstar since it came out in June, and every time I turn around, I find more things to do or see. In addition to the PvP and complicated combat, that may be the biggest problem I have with Wildstar. I love having lots to do, but sometimes, it can feel a little overwhelming. Instead of brainstorming about fun things and pulling a few ideas out of a hat, the developers seem to have taken the entire hat, created an MMO around it, and also given you the option to dye and customize the hat. I imagine this feeling will lessen when I reach the endgame, but that's a whole new kettle of worms.

WildStar is a very traditional MMO, and it doesn't attempt to hide that fact. As someone who enjoys both the new- and old-school means of thought, I found WildStar to be both a solid foundation of tried-and-true methods and an all-too familiar retread. If you've finally grown tired of WoW and want another hardcore MMO, this is it -- but everyone else may want to wait for a free trial period.

WildStar is a fresh and bold MMORPG that succeeds in taking a risk by combining exaggerated science fiction and humor, ultimately being highly rewarding for players. The extensive amount of content and customization available to players makes WildStar one of the best MMORPG releases in years.

All in all WildStar is a fantastic and strong entry in the MMO market. It may not add anything new to the gameplay but it takes all the MMO's before it and intelligently combines them into a polished and fun game. It is beautiful, humorous (for better or worse), polished, and fun to play. It definitely seems to appeal to a certain crowd with its aesthetic, but gameplay wise it is one of the best MMO's I have ever played. It is relentless at times and gives hardcore players looking for a challenge a new home. Only time will really tell if the market and gamers have room for another MMO, especially one that still charges a monthly fee, but as a game WildStar is one of the greatest MMO's on the market and can stand toe to toe with any game out right now.