WildStar: 5 Things It Does Better Than Any Other MMO

2. Combat

Going into an MMO like WildStar, what's the number one thing you'd expect to spend your time doing? Yep, you guessed it, riding your hoverboard. Closely followed by combat. Combat is one of the key things that really makes WildStar stand out from the pack. The system is a sort of hybrid between the traditional tab-and-tap seen in games like World of Warcraft, and the action gameplay seen in many third-person single-player titles. You've got the usual skills bar, each one allocated to a specific key, with each having its own cost and cool down. However, rather than simply locking onto your currently-tabbed enemy, every skill must be manually aimed. It's called the telegraph system, and it's the backbone behind WildStar's extremely fun combat. While aiming a skill, you'll see a blue shape appear on the ground, which indicates where exactly that attack (or heal) will land. Likewise, enemies will also project their attacks on the ground, giving you the opportunity to dodge around to prevent heavy damage. It works beautifully and, particularly from level 15 or so, every fight will require your full attention. Similarly to games like Diablo III, combat can feel like an intricate, deadly dance, with every step proving vital to your survival. The telegraph system also means that especially skilled players can try their hand at defeating creatures that would normally be well out of their level-range. This is highlighted particularly well by the 'Prime' versions of mobs who, upon defeat, contribute a huge amount towards quest objectives, but can be tackled only by groups or especially plucky solo adventurers. A few other MMOs, such as TERA, have also featured more action-orientated combat, but WildStar's home-blend of fast reactions and deep strategy manages to provide a happy medium that feels a step above the rest.