game news Waven: Finally an Ankama game worthy of Dofus? You have to see it!
After Dofus, Wakfu and the others, Ankama offers us a new game in the Krosmoz universe: Waven. With its hybrid gameplay, the title is a bold bet. Was it a good idea? We’ve played the demo and we’re telling you about it!
Waven, what is this?
Ankama accommodates this, Waven is a free-to-play and multiplayer tactical role-playing game. It uses certain Dofus mechanics while adding new mechanics. These are by no means optional, but make Waven a hybrid gameplay game between deck building and turn-based tactical role-playing games. We therefore feel that a deck system must be shaped by the synergy between its various powers, but also by the companions that you can summon to help and the equipment that gives you advantages. As for the tactical RPG side, that’s no surprise. Skill tree, turn-based combat, and movement grid are present.
In terms of universe, Waven is one of many Ankama games set in the Krosmoz, a fantasy universe that we first discovered with the MMORPG Dofus. For fans of the series Dedicated
The Waven demo provides a good overview of the game. Of the 9 islands planned at launch, 3 are available (in addition to Astrub and the Coliséum). The opportunity to already complete a whole series of quests (each with several additional goals) and meet with characters that you already know very well. To do this, you can choose a hero from 5 classes: Archer (Crâ), Warrior (Iop), Healer (Eniripsa), Assassin (Sram) and Mage (Xelor). But enough theory, let’s get down to practice. We were actually able to preview the demo quickly, and it looks like it. Important detail: We weren’t able to test the PvP aspect of the game (neither the coliseum nor the island defense mode), only the PvE. Our impressions therefore only relate to the latter.
A mix of turn-based and deck building
Waven is not really exotic. In many ways, of course, it’s reminiscent of Dofus and the other games from the cosmoz that are so dear to Ankama. From the chess board to the PM and PA system, everything is included. Still, we feel the game is less rigid and hostile than its predecessors.
You have to admit that the mixture of deck building and turn-based tactical RPG doesn’t exactly work like a devil. Thanks to its good progression system, the game is generous and constantly strives to rebalance its deck and adjust its gear and pets accordingly. Indeed, synergy is an important element of Waven. It’s impossible to play with a hurriedly made deck with the powers that are immediately at hand. The goal is really to rack your brains to find the best possible combinations (elemental effects, gauges, etc.) without falling into excessive difficulty.
We believe that Waven tries to attract a new audience by offering us this gameplay that is both complex and accessible. The game is packed with little mechanics to balance or make the experience less tedious for those not very familiar with the genre (movements, enemy level adjustment, simplified hero selection, etc.). In addition, the action point system is never frustrating, maybe even too easy at times, and the user interface is very easy to read. But positioning yourself between two bodies of water in this way is always complicated. It remains to be seen how well Waven will manage to give his regulars a decent challenge without losing those who might be tempted to end up in the Krosmoz.
Astrub like you’ve never seen it before
If you’ve discovered Ankama’s favorite universe thanks to these series, you’ve come to the right place. We find the usual touch of the Roubaix studio. It’s colourful, it’s cute, it’s pretty and of course it’s reminiscent of Dofus, Wakfu or Krosmaga. Better yet, we find familiar faces, particularly from the series Dedicated (but not only). Whether they are NPCs or companions, they will follow you throughout this adventure.
As for the sound, we are of course entitled to a pleasant soundtrack (the small concert on the Astrub plain deserves a special mention). Also note that the characters are doubled, which inevitably adds a little more life to this pretty universe. Not to mention that Ankama’s usual humor hits the mark straight away, as the actors lend their voices to all of the NPCs.
As I’m sure you understood, Waven looks promising and has enough to finally compete with the Dofus juggernaut. Be sure to check out Ankama’s next title and we encourage you to download the demo when it becomes available. As a reminder, the full game will be available soon on PC, Mac, iOS and Android.