Is Wuthering Waves the Genshin Impact Killer?

NOTE: This is an opinion article, and all of the information is based on my personal experience and views. Please consider that when reading.

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Wuthering Waves is a game that has been on our radar for quite some time now, and throughout its development process has continued to improve on some of its core mechanics, while also continuing to add a ton of changes based on player feedback.

With the game’s release coming in 2024, and its CBT2 being out right now, more and more players took notice of the game, with a lot starting to dub it the [Genshin Killer]. 

In this article, we’ll discuss what are some things that might have led people to believe this, as well as give our thoughts on whether or not Wuthering Waves has what it takes to pave its way into the gacha market.

What is Wuthering Waves

Before we discuss anything, it is first required that we understand what Wuthering Waves is.

Wuthering Waves is a cross-platform gacha game that thrusts players into a post-apocalyptic world filled with countless enemies, fun characters to collect, exciting places to discover, and tons of chests to open. 

However, Wuthering Waves is not just that, what makes Wuthering Waves stand out from its biggest competitor, Genshin Impact, is its fast-paced combat that reminds one of Devil May Cry.

While sharing a ton of similarities with Genshin Impact, Wuthering Waves has some distinct features and takes on already existing systems that makes it stand out, and differentiate itself from Genshin. Let’s look at some of them.

What Makes Wuthering Waves Stand Out

The developers behind Wuthering Waves, Kuro Games, have a great track record of making great and responsive combat mechanics. This much can be seen from their previous gacha title - [Punishing Gray Raven]. 

From what we have seen from Wuthering Waves thus far, it is safe to assume that Kuro Games have put a ton of work into the combat systems that make up Wuthering Waves. 

Note that the examples below do not cover all that is unique about the game, but are simply two examples.

Combat

The complexity of the combat, paired with the various moves you can do to stop bosses in their tracks, is objectively more complex than Genshin Impact’s elemental system and is something that fans of fast-paced action games will surely find attractive. 

However, while this may be a plus for some, this intensive combat type is not for everyone. Although the combat is snappy, fluid, and fun, it is also hard at times, and whether this will be a deciding factor for many casual gamers is still to be seen.

Echoes

The other distinct feature that makes Wuthering Waves stand out is the Echo System. Echoes work similarly to Relic Sets in Genshin Impact.

They add stat boosts to your characters and have set effects that further enhance the gameplay. However, this is where the similarities stop.

The Echoes are not simply a piece of equipment that you slap on your characters, they are living beings that you have to go out into the world and collect. Think of Pokemon if you will.

Being able to constantly roam the world in search of new enemies to kill with the hope of them dropping an Echo is interesting and is something that we believe will encourage more exploration and engagement with the world. 

Though this may be a turn-off for some, being able to constantly roam around in search of something better, without having to wait for the next day to continue to farm is a way for the game to give those who want to play more something to do. 

We believe that this will not only give an incentive to those who have more time to farm for the perfect Echo for their characters but will also help content creators and streamers that are tired of Genshin Impact.

Is Wuthering Waves the Genshin Impact Killer?

Wuthering Waves certainly shows promise and from what we have seen thus far can certainly give Genshin Impact a run for its money. 

Although in its current state Wuthering Waves still has some glaring issues, such as their localizations being upright wrong, tons of bugs, and the need for UI optimization, the core game is there and we believe that it's amazing.

If Kuro is given some more time to cook and polish up the game, we believe that Genshin Impact will have a competitor on its hands.

Despite this, we do not believe that Wuthering Waves will be able to kill Genshin Impact.

While Wuthering Waves is shaping out to be a great game, we think it’s a game that will mainly appeal to the hardcore player base of Genshin Impact and those who have wished for Genshin Impact to be harder for years.

As it is now, Wuthering Waves seems to be delivering on that and might have what it takes to scratch that itch, however, we do not believe that it will be able to fully pull out all of the casual players who still love and play Genshin Impact, and enjoy it for what it is.

At the end of the day, Wuthering Waves is a gacha game that can offer a more complex and exciting combat than Genshin, while at the same time lacking in some other areas that Genshin Impact excels at, such as storytelling and world-building. 

While we do not believe that Wuthering Waves will kill Genshin Impact, we strongly hope that it will become a good competitor so that both games can grow and continue giving their players the best experience.