Wuthering Waves’ Exploration Quests are a Blessing and a Curse

Two months after the global launch of Wuthering Waves, Kuro Games’ anime-style gacha has continued to captivate players with new regions, complex characters, and an intricate storyline. Given that the game had 30 million players pre-registered before its official debut, it’s no surprise that it has continued to be a massive hit. However, Wuthering Waves still has plenty of growth opportunities, especially in terms of how it handles its Exploration Quests.

Praised for its open-world, players are granted the freedom to traverse Solaris-3 at their own pace. While the Exploration Quests are often immersive and integral to the narrative, they can be a double-edged sword for those who prioritize aesthetics. Of course, Wuthering Waves isn’t the first title in the genre to face this issue; games like Genshin Impact have also struggled with similar problems.

Wuthering Waves Has Room to Better Connect with Its Playerbase

Solaris-3’s Shifting Regions Might Leave Players Feeling Regretful

All Exploration Quests impact the world in some way, even if these changes are not always immediately noticeable. However, some quests, like ‘We Promise, We Deliver,’ set in the perilous Sea of Flames in the Port City of Guixu, Huanglong, lead to more obvious transformations. In this quest, players solve a challenging flamethrower pipe puzzle and then confront the fiery Inferno Rider boss. While the quest is gratifying in that it allows players to unlock Inferno Rider’s Echo and various other rewards, it also results in an unforeseen consequence: a permanent change to the region’s appearance.

Though players focused on fulfilling quests, optimizing their builds, and defeating bosses might not prioritize visual aspects, altering an entire region after completing a quest is certainly an intriguing element. It comes with several positives and several negatives. On one hand, it can rejuvenate gameplay and provide a fresh perspective on the environment, demonstrating that Wuthering Waves players’ actions are actively restoring Solaris-3 to its former glory. On the other, it could lead to dissatisfaction if the new appearance is unappealing or if players prefer a more consistent world.

For some players, finishing off the ‘We Promise, We Deliver’ questline brought a sense of regret, particularly because it removed the crimson sky from the Sea of Flames. While some found the apocalyptic sky unsettling, others appreciated it as a unique feature with ethereal beauty, symbolizing the hard-fought battles against the Tacet Discords after the Lament. Similarly, other players have expressed their dissatisfaction with the disappearance of the retroact rain after finishing the Side Quest at the abandoned theater, ‘The Eternal Concert.’

Wuthering Waves Could Give Players Control Over Dynamic Environments

Notably, the concept of changing environments is also present in games like Genshin Impact. Notable examples include the Seirai Island Storm, the disappearing particle effects on the Mausoleum of King Deshret, and the submergence of the Tower of Ipsissimus. Similar to Wuthering Waves, players may experience disappointment if they unknowingly lock themselves out of certain experiences by completing quests, as these changes are typically irreversible.

Given the substantial rewards offered by quests, including trophies, Astrites, Union Experience, and Shell Credits, most players would likely find it impractical to avoid them solely to preserve a region’s appearance. Furthermore, as many quests are interconnected and drive the narrative forward, skipping them can hinder story progression. While it might not make complete narrative sense, granting players the option to influence their world’s visual style is an intriguing possibility. Perhaps in the future, Kuro Games will consider implementing player region preferences. Given the developer’s history of responding to Wuthering Waves player feedback, this doesn’t seem entirely out of the question.