Kuro Games’ successful post-apocalyptic RPG has been quite popular among fans of free-to-play titles, with Rover and their merry band of Resonators proving to be quite engaging from narrative and mechanical standpoints. The game has garnered quite a fan base and is even set to bring in collaborations with some big names later this year. Taking inspiration from some of the best titles around, it proved quite impressive when we reviewed it back when it released, and has continued to be a popular game in a rather crowded space.

The developers released a new trailer to mark the occasion, and it’s quite handy at giving you an overview of what to expect from the story while also showcasing its stunning visuals and the well-designed worlds you’ll be exploring over the course of your adventures. If you’re excited to dive in, this one is going to be playable in July 2026.

That’s still a while away, but the trailer below is still worth checking out while you begin crossing the days off of your calendar.

The Steam version arrives alongside Version 2.3, “Fiery Arpeggio of Summer Reunion,” which adds Zani and Ciaccona (whose banner is live next month) as new limited 5-star Resonators. A new companion tale and story quest await alongside a permanent event, Dreaming Deep, and two new Tactical Hologram challenges. Various events celebrating the title’s first anniversary are also live.

Four new Phantom Echoes also arrive alongside Modifiers for changing the first Main Stat of a 5-star Echo (but only if they’re not upgraded). PC players can also look forward to ray tracing and 120 FPS support.

Wuthering Waves is also playable on PS5, iOS, and Android – check out our console review here. As for the future, Kuro Games announced a collaboration with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners for 2026.

It would mark the second collab for Studio Trigger’s popular anime, as Lucy will join the roster of Guilty Gear Strive this Summer as part of Season Pass 4. The content is unknown, but if it’s anything like Honkai: Star Rail’s upcoming Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works collab, we could see Edgerunners characters as new Resonators.

Whether they play a part in the story remains to be seen, so stay tuned. Wuthering Waves is available for PS5, PC, iOS, and Android. Check out our review of the console version here. Version 2.3, “Fiery Arpeggio of Summer Reunion,” will add two new playable five-star Resonators – Zani and Ciaccona – alongside their weapons, a new story quest centred on the Black Alley, and new events.

The locales in question include the Averado Vault’s underground section, the Riccioli Islands, where some manner of mystery awaits, Whisperwind Haven with its windmills, and much more. There will be five new Echoes and an option to save them to presets for seamless switching.

A “Suggest” feature is also inbound to highlight the best Echoes alongside their most common stats, which should help when building characters. If that wasn’t enough, players can store up to 3,000 Echoes.

Stay tuned for more details on Version 2.1 before its launch. Wuthering Waves is available for PC, iOS, Android, and, most recently, PS5. Check out our review here, which also outlines Rinascita and its content.

However, last year, an unlikely contender entered the fray in what would be the most serious challenge to Genshin yet – Kuro Games’ Wuthering Waves. Alas, it was a lopsided fight due in no small part to an iffy launch with several bugs and optimization issues. The story, voice-acting, and writing were enough to put off early adopters despite the excellent combat that channelled the split-second dodges and timed parries of Punishing: Gray Raven, Kuro’s more established action RPG.

Thankfully, Wuthering Waves didn’t fade away, and it received numerous updates that raised the overall quality in almost every way. The PS5 version’s arrival also signals the launch of Version 2.0, which introduces the first new nation – Rinascita. There’s no time like the present to jump aboard, but does Wuthering Waves deserve another chance?

"Each core cast member feels more organic and fleshed out, whether it’s the playwright Cristoforo and his ramblings or Zani, the bank employee/bodyguard/tour guide whose professionalism shines through, even as she longs for her next vacation."

For all the flak that the base game’s story received, subsequent updates did offer some pretty significant developments, especially for mysterious organizations like the Black Shores. Version 2.0 kicks off with the Rover receiving an invitation to Rinascita from the Montelli Family and thus begins a new journey. Unfortunately, they run afoul of a giant whale Echo that’s rampaging out of control before being saved by Brant, who leads the Troupe of Fools.

The Rover subsequently arrives in Rinascita’s main city, Ragunna, learning more about the Carnivale and the role of Echoes. While Echoes have generally manifested as tools that the player can use to battle enemies, they have a larger role here, helping with the cooking, providing entertainment, and even serving as gondolas to ferry people around. A parallel to the upcoming masquerade, Ragunna’s cheery veneer seemingly hides some dark secrets.

After an incident that sees the Echoes going out of control, the Rover becomes embroiled in the conflict between the Montelli and the Fisalia families while slowly uncovering the secrets surrounding Rinascita’s Sentinel, Imperator. One thing that stands out compared to the base game is how much better the writing, voice-acting and characterization are.

Each core cast member feels more organic and fleshed out, whether it’s the playwright Cristoforo and his ramblings or Zani, the bank employee/bodyguard/tour guide whose professionalism shines through, even as she longs for her next vacation. You also have the likes of Phoebe – earnest yet conflicted with the shadowy dealings of Rinascita’s Order of the Deep – and Carlotta, a charming yet enigmatic member of the Montelli family (immaculately voiced by Jennifer English of Baldur’s Gate 3 fame).

"All this runs great on the PS5, and the new Immersive Mode makes exploration much more enjoyable. The only downside is having to re-enable it after important dialogue exchanges."

All these characters deliver excellent performances, but I was also surprised by the vendors and NPCs, like the enthusiastic baker Margherita or the mask boutique owner Lady Nyarla. While Kuro Games cleaned up much of its writing and voice-acting in subsequent updates, it feels like it’s reached a new high with Version 2.0. As for the plot, it won’t necessarily redefine story-telling standards in gaming, much less for gacha titles, but it feels well-paced and offers up some intriguing developments.

Even the lore dumps by characters came across as less forced and more natural as Rinascita and the history of Ragunna slowly unfurled. Venice is a significant inspiration for Ragunna if the gondolas and waterways didn’t offer enough clues. It looks stunning, appearing like a real lived-in city yet maintaining some surrealism that belies all the dirty dealings.

However, the best sights and sounds are found outside the city as the massive world opens up into gorgeous environments. Between the stark nature of Penitent’s End, the twisted dark fantasy towers of Thessaleo Fells and the ethereal Nimbus Sanctum, there is a lot to love about the aesthetics and overall structure of the various regions. All this runs great on the PS5, and the new Immersive Mode makes exploration much more enjoyable. The only downside is having to re-enable it after important dialogue exchanges.

A method to permanently hide certain UI elements (if not all) would have been appreciated. Of course, there’s plenty to do, like puzzles to dispel Nightmare Clouds, fights to unlock chests (which can have additional objectives for extra rewards), and much more. The impressive mobility is further expanded with the addition of flying, which cuts down significantly on your exploration time and feels great overall (and it’s available to all characters, something which miHoYo could learn from).

"Boss fights like Lorelei deftly combine opera singing, epic instrumentals and subtle electronic beats, resulting in a musical experience on a completely different level than anything in Huanglong."

There are also challenges to test your flying skills, even if they often boil down to passing through enough rings and reaching the required goal. Then there are the new Echoes, which not only offer new ways to get stronger but present some intriguing battles. If it’s not the Abyssal fighters and their nimble sword-fighting who get stronger when you break their weapons, it’s Cuddle Wuddle, who can invoke nearby minions to dogpile to attack at once.

The Overlord Echoes are even better – Lorelei alone is a sight to behold – while leveraging the impressive combat system in new ways. Some require parrying certain attacks, lest they follow up with more devastating patterns that can juggle you. All this only scratches the surface of the available content, from chasing down rogue Echoes in decrepit towers to filling out a scrapbook of activities, including taking pictures and admiring key locations.

You can also discover Nightmare Echoes, variants of the base game’s Overlord Echoes with modified abilities. Between the incredible production values and excellent combat, it’s surprising to see the music receive such a massive glow-up. “A Fairy Tale” by Yuria Miyazono sets the tone incredibly, almost channelling Dot Hack-era Yuki Kajiura with its whimsical tones and vocals. Boss fights like Lorelei deftly combine opera singing, epic instrumentals and subtle electronic beats, resulting in a musical experience on a completely different level than anything in Huanglong.

"Whether you stuck with Wuthering Waves throughout the months of EoS jokes or are new to its realms, it’s a great time to jump in."

Despite all this praise, Wuthering Waves is still a gacha game. And while it’s not stooping to methods like, oh, offering two new limited 5-star characters before events that give all the pulls, RNG is still a menace. It’s a shame because Carlotta, the newest 5-star character, is a blast to play, and many new players may not even get her. Suffice it to say that if you’re someone with compulsive urges, then be warned.

The other tenets of the gacha action RPG, like earning materials to level up characters, improve Echoes (and roll for stats), upgrade weapons, and unlock new perks also remain. It doesn’t feel overly pervasive, but it’s something to remember for newcomers who aren’t interested in the long-term grind.

Whether you stuck with Wuthering Waves throughout the months of EoS jokes or are new to its realms, it’s a great time to jump in. The PS5 version’s performance is rock-solid, and Version 2.0 offers a compelling experience with a solid narrative that actually has me looking forward to what comes next.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.

There are also new Resonators, starting with Carlotta, a 5-star Glacio character who dual-wields pistols. Check out the latest trailer to see some of her skills in action. Her main mechanic is Substance, which involves building up Moldable Crystals and spending them to change her attacks. If her voice sounds familiar, it’s Jennifer English, who voiced Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3.

Other new features in the update include new story quests, activities, numerous Echoes, and features like flying. The next limited 5-star, Roccia, is due in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for updates. For more details on Wuthering Waves, check out our review of the launch version.

Dear Rovers,
We are thrilled to announce that Wuthering Waves has officially launched on PlayStation®5 on January 2, 2025 (UTC+8). To help you seamlessly connect your PlayStation™Network (PSN) account with your Kuro Games account and sync your progress across platforms, we’ve… pic.twitter.com/48aq2qFLcx

— Wuthering Waves (@Wuthering_Waves) January 2, 2025

Though Wuthering Waves is free-to-play, the Awakening Bundle contains materials and items to provide an early boost with ten Premium Resonance Potions and Energy Cores, 500,000 Shell Credit, and five Lustrous Tides for pulling new characters from the regular banners. Those who pre-order the bundle will receive two additional Premium Resonance Potions and Energy Cores.

The PS5 version will launch alongside Version 2.0, which adds a brand new region, Rinascita, with new characters, quests, and much more. Stay tuned for more details, including resolution/frame rate and whether it supports PS5 Pro.

You can also read our review of the PC version of Wuthering Waves here. We gave it a seven out of ten, praising the visuals, combat, and world design while criticizing the voiceover performances, localization, and bugs.

Set on Solaris 3 following a post-apocalyptic disaster called Lament, Wuthering Waves sees the player as Rover, an amnesiac hero. After encountering monsters known as Tacet Discords, they become involved with the survivors of Jinzhou city. Mysterious groups like the Black Shores and Fractsidus also crop up during their journey.

As an action RPG, Wuthering Waves features similarities to Genshin Impact but offers more in-depth combat, utilizing Tacet Discords as summons and additional traversal options like grappling and wall-running. Check out our review here, where we awarded it a seven out of 10.

Wuthering Waves has reportedly crossed $100 million in gross revenue on Google Play and the Apple App Store, per App Magic (via PocketGamer). Stay tuned for more details on the PS5 version in the coming months.

Dear Rovers,
We are excited to announce that the PS5 version of Wuthering Waves is now officially in development. We’ll provide updates on the official launch time of the PS5 version in the future. Please stay tuned for more information!#WutheringWaves pic.twitter.com/6qwzHsJXEH

— Wuthering Waves (@Wuthering_Waves) July 23, 2024

Other titles include first-party games like Astro Bot, Horizon Forbidden West, and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, alongside Arrowhead Game Studios’ Helldivers 2. Various upcoming third-party games are also playable, like S-GAME’s Phantom Blade Zero, Papergames’ Infinity Nikki, SNK’s Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, NetEase Games’ Rusty Rabbit, and more. Kuro Games’ Wuthering Waves is also present, perhaps to show off the next big update.

There will be several titles from Western developers and publishers, from Elden Ring (and potentially the recent Shadow of the Erdtree expansion) to Immortals Fenyx Rising. ChinaJoy 2024 runs from July 26th to 29th in Shanghai, China. Check out Sony’s full list of titles below (courtesy of Gematsu), and stay tuned for more details from the event.

PlayStation China Hero Project

• AI-LIMIT (CE-Asia / SenseGames)
• AWAKEN: Astral Blade (ESDigital Games / Dark Pigeon Games)
• Convallaria (Sony Interactive Entertainment / Loong Force)
• Daba: Land of Water Scar (Dark Star)
• Evotinction (Astrolabe Games / Spikewave Games)
• EXILEDGE (Enigmatrix)

First-Party

• Astro Bot (Team ASOBI)
• Helldivers 2 (Arrowhead Game Studio)
• Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games)
• Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart (Insomniac Games)

Third-Party

• EA Sports FC 24 (Electronic Arts)
• Elden Ring (Bandai Namco Entertainment / FromSoftware)
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (SNK)
• Gundam Breaker 4 (Bandai Namco Entertainment / Crafts & Meister)
• Immortals Fenyx Rising (Ubisoft / Ubisoft Quebec)
• Infinity Nikki (Infold Games / Papergames)
• Let’s School (PM Studios / Pathea Games)
• NBA 2K (2K / Visual Concepts)
• Phantom Blade Zero (S-GAME)
• Rusty Rabbit (NetEase Games / NITRO PLUS)
• Strinova (iDreamSky)
• Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream (Bandai Namco Entertainment / Dimps Corporation)
• That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime ISEKAI Chronicles (Bandai Namco Entertainment / ZOC / Monkeycraft)
• Wuthering Waves (Kuro Games)

They emerge from an upside-down sea and awaken into the world of Solaris-3, the so-called “third planet from Sol” ravaged by a post-apocalyptic event. Everything is unknown since they’ve lost their memories – it’s all they can do to traverse the environment and press forward. After acclimating to the controls, they arrive at The Cliff, a narrative hallmark meant to showcase the world and cement your emotional connection to it.

Except that’s not how Wuthering Waves chooses to introduce you to the world. Instead, the Rover is awoken by two characters, Yangyang and Chixia, the former a member of the Midnight Rangers and the latter a Patroller in Jinzhou City.

"It may seem like the excess of information is the problem, but it’s the lack of a compelling plot or story in the early going that hampers the introduction."

They’re questioned about most things – their name, how they got there – and it’s a consistent stream of details about Tacet Discords, the Sentinel, Resonators, the Waveworn Phenomenon like Tacet Fields (which you arrive upon to meet another character), the Retroact Rain etc. There is some action when a powerful Tacet Discord called Crownless manifests, but after that, it’s yet more exposition, with the magistrate of Jinzhou, Jinhsi, making her presence known, extending a welcome, giving you Tokens to explore the meaning of, etc.

It may seem like the excess of information is the problem, but it’s the lack of a compelling plot or story in the early going that hampers the introduction. Some monotonous English voice acting (Yangyang and even the female Rover come to mind) doesn’t help either. The localization feels off in places; some dialogue choices feel indistinguishable; certain lines cut off before they’re complete; and grammatical errors are present in the script. It’s not surprising, given a game of this magnitude, but it still doesn’t make the best first impression.

Stick with it, however, and Solaris-3 emerges as a compelling mix of sci-fi and old-world culture. Long story short, the Lament has wiped out most of humanity, and only the emergence of Resonators, who possess special abilities due to their ability to manipulate surrounding frequencies, is enough to stop them. The Lament has led to various natural disasters and even the formation of Tacet Discords or TDs, ranging from wild creatures to imposing entities like the Crownless. When defeated, TDs leave behind Echoes, which can be absorbed with the Resonators’ tech to utilize their abilities.

The Rover is special, naturally, because they directly absorbed a TD, that too an Overlord-class like the Crownless, with their hand. The emergence of Scar and Fractsidus, a group that wants to merge humans with Tacet Discords for the sake of evolution, is where the story settles in comfortably. Qichi Village is the first interesting story to emerge, showcasing the darker side of humanity without outright spilling everything. It also doesn’t hurt that Scar’s voice acting is easily some of the best in the game, while the character capably flows from charismatic and rational to over-the-top and megalomaniacal.

"The open-world activities, puzzles, and challenges may require some suspension of disbelief, but they’re still fun to engage with."

The story picks up from there as you finally meet Jinhsi and learn more about the imminent crisis facing Huanglong. Some cliches and the plausibility of certain occurrences crop up, so be prepared for some inaneness. As is usually the case, you must increase your Union Level before progressing through the story. On the one hand, annoying level-gating, but on the other, it also opens up the rest of Wuthering Waves, its side stories and the larger open world as a whole.

Though I didn’t delve into many basic side quests, the companion story with Lingyang paints an interesting picture of beasts and the Waveform Phenomenon’s effect on them. Another side quest sees the Rover venturing to the Sea of Flames for a showdown with the Infernal Rider. What began as busy work provides a unique array of challenges, a fun boss fight and a pretty cool ending with a unique mechanic.

The open world is a whole other thing, but it’s also where the exploration shines. By this point in the story, you have access to a grappling hook, not-so-subtly similar to Monster Hunter Rise’s Wirebug, and a glider. You can also wall-run for a limited amount of time, and thanks to the generous amounts of stamina – with overworld sprinting not consuming any as long as you’re out of combat – it’s a joy to venture through environments. There’s nothing quite like seeing a cliff face or building and sprinting up it to reach a location. Chaining grapples while gliding or through the specific hooks in the world is also nicely responsive.

The open-world activities, puzzles, and challenges may require some suspension of disbelief, but they’re still fun to engage with. There’s the simple (shooting targets to cause a chest to appear) to the average (hit some posts in the order that the butterflies follow them) and the somewhat challenging (lighting up all the panels in a location with a handful of beacons that transmit light in set directions). You may also encounter some Domains with platforming challenges that shift to a side-scrolling view (and feel somewhat awkward at first but fun overall).

"While perfectly dodging enemies, you can initiate counter-attacks to lower their stagger gauge. However, it’s also possible to parry, leaving them stunned briefly for more attacks."

All this only scratches the surface, as you’ll be transforming into flying creatures to pass through hoops, hacking consoles or repairing terminals, battling other powerful bosses, clearing Tacet Fields and much more. That leads to the best aspect of Wuthering Waves without exception – the combat. Though it starts simple – basic attack, heavy attack by charging, Resonance Skill (which has a short cooldown) and Ultimate (known as Resonance Liberation), it quickly blooms into something much more.

While perfectly dodging enemies, you can initiate counter-attacks to lower their stagger gauge. However, it’s also possible to parry, leaving them stunned briefly for more attacks. Then there are the Intro and Outro Skills. Since you play with a team of three Resonators, they can be switched in and out when the situation demands it. Trigger some special conditions and then switch to them for some cool effects.

For example, when switching to Mortefi, he’ll immediately trigger a Fusion attack, which builds up his Resonance Bar significantly, allowing you to unleash a more powerful version of his skill. Switch him out at the right time, and the next character gains 38 percent increased heavy attack damage for 14 seconds. Intro Skills can also parry incoming attacks if timed correctly.

Furthermore, not every Resonator falls into the category of “use basic attack, use skill, use Ultimate, repeat.” Danjin’s Resonance Skill doesn’t have a cooldown, but it reduces her health. Charge the Resonance Bar at least halfway, and a heavy attack will restore some health (while also benefiting from Mortefi’s Outro Skill). You also have Calcharo, a broadsword-wielding damage dealer whose Resonance Skill can be performed three times before its cooldown, each adding a stack of Cruelty. Accumulate three stacks, and the Resonance Skill changes – use a heavy attack to consume the stacks, and you’ll gain Resonance and Concerto Energy in return.

"Between fighting bosses, clearing Tacet Fields, exploring new regions and discovering new fast travel points, partaking in other challenges, and solving puzzles, you can also rematch against certain story bosses for rewards."

It’s a lot to take in initially, but all flows incredibly well, especially as you perfect damage rotations. Adding even more spice to the combat are the Echoes. They’re not just spirits that add more to your stats and provide set bonuses upon collecting several of the same types. You can summon an Echo to provide aid, whether it’s unleashing an attack on the field or transforming into the Echo to deal damage. They even have alternate attacks – mash the summon button with Infernal Rider for a combo or hold it down to ride on the flaming motorcycle, which can also be useful for exploration.

The Echo collection makes up a pretty solid activity for Wuthering Waves since you can farm several of them – including Overlords – without having to dip into the daily stamina. Echoes also have different rarities, which can receive tuning to add substats on top of leveling up.

Between fighting bosses, clearing Tacet Fields, exploring new regions and discovering new fast travel points, partaking in other challenges, and solving puzzles, you can also rematch against certain story bosses for rewards. This is on top of the usual activities to gain materials for upgrading characters, Fortes and weapons. Kudos to the developer, though, as it’s easy to get lost in the world and hop from one battle to the next, one activity to another.

On top of all this are the end-game activities – Tower of Adversity and Depths of Illusive Realm. The former is your standard challenge of various floors, each with different level requirements, and taking advantage of unique buffs. Complete the fights within the set time, earn rewards, and challenge the next tier.

It’s the Illusive Realm, which I found to be far more intriguing. The rogue-lite game mode involves progressing through a specific instance with varying paths, each holding different encounters, from defending an objective to light platforming followed by some combat. Choose your buffs (known as Metaphors) after each room, spend your currency on items and defeat the boss. Higher-level instances can go for longer and present more boss fights.

The twist is that you choose a single character in a run, including limited-time event banner characters like Jiyan, and select buffs that alter their moves in interesting ways. You can have Rover send out three swords with a combo, activate Jiyan’s Liberation skill immediately after using it the first time, and more. Then there’s the main Echo selected at the start.

Summoning Crownless for an attack is cool, but how about playing as them for a short period? This is done by selecting certain Metaphors with the corresponding elements, which adds even more strategy to runs. Do you enter doors with buffs to increase the potency of your Echo or stick to unlocking new skills for your Resonator? You can also select another Resonator or two to assist in combat for even more fun builds.

"If Genshin Impact proved that a triple-A open-world action RPG was possible on mobiles and the general free-to-play sphere, then Wuthering Waves shows that some solid competition can emerge."

The Illusive Realm could use a few more unique encounters aside from straight combat, especially given the sheer array of challenges everywhere in the game. Nevertheless, it’s a great start and incredibly fun to delve into, not to mention offering a gorgeous dream-like aesthetic and an intriguing tale regarding its existence.

Speaking of aesthetics, Wuthering Waves is a pretty good-looking game overall. Environments may start looking typical but open up into gorgeous chasms, detailed cities and surreal structures. While the character designs may not resonate (pun not intended) with everyone, they animate well overall. Though I didn’t face any performance issues, some players have faced their fair share.

Furthermore, there is plenty of polishing work required for some issues, like enemies getting stuck or cats seemingly walking in place. There have also been a fair number of bugs, like the Skip button suddenly not being selectable on the controller, which has since been patched. The camera can also become uncooperative in some places, though it doesn’t happen too often.

As impressive as the visuals can be, the soundtrack doesn’t quite warrant the same praise. Don’t get me wrong – it’s not terrible, and the tracks are serviceable enough while exploring and fighting. Yet I struggle to remember anything beyond the login menu theme. Maybe it’s just the mood that Kuro Games is going for, and while it’s not a dealbreaker, seeing Punishing Gray Raven deliver tracks like Narwhal, To The Limit, and Lamia makes this feel somewhat disappointing.

On the whole, Wuthering Waves is an experience that necessitates some manner of patience. The combat carries the experience significantly yet some praise is due for the exploration and traversal. As it stands, being able to unlock a free standard 5-star and target 5-star weapons and characters of choice is a pretty nice feature. Otherwise, many of the usual gameplay mechanics – from grinding out materials and completing dailies to tuning Echoes for the ideal substats – are as you’d expect.

If Genshin Impact proved that a triple-A open-world action RPG was possible on mobiles and the general free-to-play sphere, then Wuthering Waves shows that some solid competition can emerge. Though it has some way to go, both in terms of overall polish and story-telling, there is potential here and a world worth delving into further.

This game was reviewed on PC.