Where Winds Meet

Martial arts are going through a revival phase in video games at the moment – and there's no better proof of that than the outstanding Where Winds Meet. Set in the legendary Song dynasty of ancient China, this is an action-heavy title with gorgeous visuals that will certainly appeal to players with a knack for a challenge.

Despite its flashy visuals and fascinating setting, there are still some minor gripes with the game that stop it from reaching its full potential. That said, the good outweighs the bad in this solid action title that's sure to leave a lasting impression on players.

Sword and Fist

The game's story follows a lone swordsman as he faces innumerable foes in an unforgiving land. Using wuxia techniques, players will navigate the treacherous lands of the Song dynasty, making crucial moral decisions along the way.

Where Winds Meet is being developed by a relatively new Chinese studio. It follows some of the same design philosophies as Black Myth: Wukong – even the game's visuals and flashy combat look eerily similar. However, this game uses a more original plot than the usual Odyssey to the West, which, in my book, awards it some extra credits.

Despite the clear similarities, Where Winds Meet goes to great lengths to distance itself from the many other "wuxia action" games available.

Build Your Legacy

When you've beaten enough enemies and explored some exotic locations, you'll find that Where Winds Meet suddenly introduces a building mechanic seemingly out of nowhere. It's not bad at all, but it can certainly feel somewhat out of place in a game like this. Just imagine if Ghost of Tsushima suddenly had the player designing houses instead of killing foes.

All that being said, most of the building stuff is entirely optional. This might sound great for players who wish to focus solely on the story and action side of things, but it also illustrates just how much of an afterthought the whole mechanic ends up being.

With over 600 different pieces to build structures and fortifications, the system is entirely negligible, though. Still, I do believe that it could have been better integrated into the overall narrative.

Morality and Exploration

If there's one thing that Where Winds Meet does well is giving the ability to players to write their own unique stories. Aside from the usual narrative decisions, players will also build their character's morality with each decision they make.

Beyond the narrative standpoint, the exploration is also one of Where Winds Meet strongest areas. There's a wide range of moves that the player can execute to explore the world around them.

It also helps that every environment in the game is rife with content. As you discover new locations and interact with the rich, open world, you'll quickly come to notice that Where Winds Meet is more than the sum of its (gorgeous) parts.

Pros

• Satisfying combat
• Responsive controls
• Impressive graphics

Cons

• Unnecessary building mechanics
• Some stiff animations