Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 424 sampled Steam reviews (298 positive / 126 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing30% mention it
- Visuals & art14% mention it
- Combat11% mention it
- Performance9% mention it
- World & exploration8% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing51% mention it
- Performance29% mention it
- Combat20% mention it
- Visuals & art17% mention it
- Grind & repetition12% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
50%
60 reviews
5-15h
70%
80 reviews
15-40h
81%
74 reviews
40-100h
72%
69 reviews
100h+
72%
141 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 76 | 20 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 88% | 82 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 73 | 279 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 80% | 74 | 1034 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 19, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 1034 total reviews in window · weighted 216.7 up / 50 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (17)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 65
“Wuthering Waves is a fairly good alternative to Genshin Impact, but gameplay improvements are needed.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Wuthering Waves is launching on the PS5 at the perfect time, as its new quests are action packed and its improvements over the likes of Genshin Impact are obvious to appreciate. Its story is unfortunately infested with the worst of gacha game writing, so you'll need a strong stomach to get through the abundance of proper nouns. But stick with it and you'll find a beautiful, anime-inspired experience with quality combat, rewarding team building, and hundreds of hours of excellent exploration.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“An action-packed, cross platform open world RPG. It excels with its fast, exhilarating action and attractive graphics, despite a weak storyline and unbalanced sound issues. The key to its future success lies in how well the character development and story are further refined.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“While Wuthering Waves has improved since its lackluster launch, its weak story and lingering managerial issues persist to hamper it.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Wuthering Waves is a stunningly flawed yet incredibly captivating journey through a world resonating with risk, intrigue, and the lingering effects of a bygone era. If they are prepared to endure some early setbacks, players seeking crisp fighting mechanics, immersive traversal, and an environment that encourages curiosity will find a lot to enjoy in this game.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“The journey of this free-to-play action-adventure RPG mirrors the rocky yet triumphant trajectory of games like Final Fantasy XIV, starting with a messy launch but eventually evolving into something worth celebrating. However, unlike FFXIV, which took years to refine itself, Wuthering Waves has undergone a dramatic transformation in a much shorter span and became something worthy of attention and a space on your hard drive.”
read full review ↗ - 94
“Despite a weak, clumsy prologue, Wuthering Waves quickly proves itself with a sharp, emotional story driven by an active, memorable protagonist. Its core combat remains intact but has deepened through inventive boss design and content suited for all skill levels. Combined with standout visuals, polished audio, and a low-pressure gacha system, it feels more like a complete, carefully crafted RPG than a typical mobile title.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Wuthering Waves won't unseat Genshin Impact in the open-world action RPG department, but it's still very solid out of the gate and worth keeping an eye on in the coming years.”
read full review ↗ - 78
“Wuthering Waves avoids the pressure to spend seen in some gacha games and offers a deep combat system that is both accessible and rewarding for free-to-play players. While the story and world can feel a bit sterile at times, the combat mechanics are a blast to master, and the endgame offers a solid challenge for veterans. The upcoming Zero Point Research Station and the potential return of the Depths of Illusive Realm hint at a bright future for the game's content. If you're looking for a fresh open-world adventure with a focus on fast-paced action and strategic team-play, Wuthering Waves has great potential and is worth checking out.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Wuthering Waves combo-heavy action, mobility, and monster taming enhance combat and exploration enough to respectably distinguish it from competitors. Its combat is polished and sophisticated, rewarding reactivity and pushing me to carefully consider my builds and teams. On top of that, the Echo equipment system ties your character progression into the environment in a way that encourages exploration, which can be satisfying despite the repetitive process of fighting overworld mobs. Unfortunately, the story is a bland, exposition-heavy slog, with dull writing and voice acting that rarely kept me interested. But while the quests may not be what’s pulling me along, I’m still looking forward to checking back in with the next major update to see how Wuthering Waves evolves.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Wuthering Waves is a fantastic game and one of the best current gachas from a gameplay standpoint. While the shift to a more HoYoVerse-style gacha system is disappointing (pity of 80 pulls versus PGR’s pity of 60, 50/50 coin flips on banner characters with a 100% guarantee after failure versus PGR’s 100% guarantee with no coin flips), Kuro Games remains relatively generous with free currencies (often as an apology for some kind of screw up), log-in campaigns, and events. Overall, the game is gorgeous, a treat to listen to, and a blast to play. Lovable and endearing characters and an intricately detailed world make Wuthering Waves one of the most high-quality games in its specific market.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“While Wuthering Waves delivers some strong story moments and fun gameplay within its interesting world, it has a lot of problems.”
read full review ↗
VGChartz
Push Square
INVEN
Siliconera
GamesCreed
GamesNight
Game8
GamingBolt
NoobFeed
IGN
RPG Fan
But Why Tho?…and 5 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- New Content in Version 3.6: Lamplight in Mirage, Sword's Resolve in HeartAug 19, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- New Content in Version 3.5: Blade of Past Resounds, Lingering Dream HymnsJul 9, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- New Content in Wuthering Waves Version 3.4: The Dream Not DreamedJun 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- New Content in Wuthering Waves Version 3.2: Resolution to Illuminate the ShadowsMar 18, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- New Content in Wuthering Waves Version 3.0: We Who See the StarsDec 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- New Content in Wuthering Waves Version 2.8: To the City Set in AmberNov 19, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- New Content in Wuthering Waves V2.6: By Sun's Scourge, By Moon's RevelationAug 27, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- New Content in Wuthering Waves Version 2.5: Unfading Melody of LifeJul 23, 2025significant · resets scoring window