The Waylanders has finally left early access and has entered its full release on July 17, 2025. Developer Gato Studio has been hard at work on the title since it was released on Early Access back in July 2020.
The Waylanders Leaves Early Access; A CRPG Inspired by Dragon Age
The Waylandershas finally launched its 1.0 update as it leaves Early Access. This newCRPGtakes a lot of inspiration from other classics such as Neverwinter Nights, the olderBaldur’s Gates, and Dragon Age Origins. It seems to take more pages fromDragon Age’s books, however.
Players will be brought into a world filled with ancient Celtic mythology and gods. On the day that humans met their gods, instead of celebration, you are met with a catastrophic event and are left for dead. Instead of fully passing away into the afterlife, you find yourself unshackled by the limits of time and space.
With this new power, players will be able to travel between two times: the Celtic era as well as the Medieval era, which is about a thousand years later. This unique mechanic will allow you to experience the effect that your choices had on the world in a much farther future. It will be up to players to decide how the story pans out, especially since The Waylanders has multiple endings.
Age of Mythology
Humansaren’t the only sentient beings that run around Ireland and the rest of the world that Gato Studios has developed. Aside from things likeWerewolvesandGoblins, we have some more uniqueracesrunning about. The immortal Mourians and Fomorians are ancient races that walk the earth.
Mouriansare a proud and elegant race of mountain dwellers. They used to mingle with humanity but eventually got tired of their affairs, and have long since retreated to their own corner of the underworld. Mourians have dark blue skin and golden eyes and are adept at using magic.
TheFomorians, however, are immortal giants that once dominated the lands. Exiled into the Underworld, these monstrous people have waited for the perfect opportunity to retake their home. Fomorians are often hunted by humans due to their appearance.
Players can choose to be aHuman,Werewolf,Semi-Fomorianor aMourian. TheCharacter Creatorof course allows users to fully customize their hero’s appearance. You can also pick up a background such asSlaveorCeltic Soldierto determine what skills and abilities you can start with.
The Waylanders was inspired by Dragon Age
Looking at The Waylanders gameplay will remind anyone of the 2009 hit, Dragon Age: Origins. Gameplay is party-based real-time with pause, much like its inspiration. Players can choose to take their time meticulously planning out their every move or set an aggression level for their party and simply let the AI handle things.
There are6 basic classesthat players can choose from. TheWarrioris your standard physical damage dealer who specializes in dual-wielding heavy weapons. In a rather amusing and unique twist, warriors can throw their opponents across the battlefield with various wrestling moves.Guardians, on the other hand, are the sword and board class, using their shields to protect themselves and their allies.
TheRoguespecializes in stabbing things and stabbing them quickly. They can also unleash many different distractions and movement abilities to wreak havoc on the enemies’ formations.Rangersare also quite standard, wherein they shine at a long-range while their animal summons keeps their enemies at bay.
SorcererandHealerfall into the magic-user category. They have unlimited potential for magical spells to deal harm to foes or restore allies’ health.
If that wasn’t enough, there are also 30 advanced classes to further customize your party.
Company of Heroes
Players will be able to befriend a host ofdifferent companions, both from the mortal and immortal races. Each of them will have their own unique personality and quirks. They will each have companion quests to further deepen your bonds, and may eventually even lead to romance.
Some of the available companions includeBerath, an overly blunt and serious Mourian.Trastéis a little Goblin that wants to become human. We also haveDebla, the youngest daughter of the Fomorian King. Even though she is already centuries old, she is still considered to be one of the youngest of her race. Aside from these three, there are 6 other characters who will be able to join your party.
Companions are also essential incombat. Aside from the usual class synergy that otherRPGsoffer, The Waylanders allows different setups to make use of certainFormations. Each Formation is made up of two or more characters and will give players a set of Formation-specific abilities. Warriors and Guardians can start thePhalanxformation and focus primarily on offence. They will be able to knock back enemies as well as deal heavy damage. Rogues and Rangers can create theDaggertipformation, shaping the party into a tip of the spear. Lastly, Healers and Sorcerors can access theGolemFormation, and create powerful buffs and healing spells.
The Music of Inon Zur
Lastly, the game features an epic soundtrack composed by Inon Zur. For those unfamiliar with him, he is considered to be one of the best composers in the video game industry. The veteran has worked on titles such as Baldur’s Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal,Dragon Age: Origins,Dragon’s Dogma,Fallout 4, and the upcomingStarfield.
The Waylanders looks to be a very interesting game in a setting that isn’t often visited in video games. Its unique location, as well as its classic RPG gameplay and customization, should surely pique anyone’s interest, especially those who loved Dragon Age: Origins. For more great CRPGs, be sure to check out our coverage ofPathfinder: Wrath of the RighteousandExpeditions: Rome.
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