Where Winds Meet Gets First NA Beta
Since the game's premiere at GamesCon in 2022, the public has gotten a few trailers and close looks at Where Winds Meet, and it’s been enough to get pretty excited about, but gamers will soon get a much better feel for the game during the upcoming beta test in North America on April 19th. This is not the first beta test, but it is the first one playable to those outside of Asia.
Where Winds Meet sends players into the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms era of ancient China. This massively ambitious RPG will offer both single and multiplayer experiences where you can hone in on your martial arts skills in combat and roleplay while adventuring. Abilities are linked to your aptitude states, which are rolled at the creation of a character much like Dungeons & Dragons. Some abilities are ‘Eloquence’, ‘Sight’, ‘Imagination’, and ‘Erudition’. Not only are these new and novel, but they also suggest that your character will have a sense of individuality, and might go on to have an occupation within the game.
"Other than becoming a doctor, players can choose other occupations," Everstone says. "For example, they can become an orator who uses the power of words to convince NPCs to follow their advice; they can become an architect who builds all kinds of imaginative buildings; they can become a bodyguard who protects players or NPCs from assassins; or they can become a ferryman who takes passengers on a tour of the river."
Those who have played the game have said that combat is smooth and fun. It consists of the usual elements, strikes, blocks, parries, dodges, and takedowns. There is a stamina wheel, but it’s not as ruthless as a souls-like. Combat is expected to switch up later in the game as more martial arts skills are acquired and your fighting style changes.
If you’d like to sign up for the beta, you can visit their website here and fill out the required form. They say they’re choosing players at random to join the playtest, but that’s only if a player’s technology can handle the game, or if you have a machine they’re interested in including due to its specs. Best of luck!
