Wanderers, founded by Nick Greenawalt and Jenna Greenfield, is the first title under the Wanderlabs banner. Wanderers is a roguelite based in an epic sci-fi experience. In 2022, the company secured $2 million in pre-seed funding to initiate game development.
In terms of lore, an elite pilot squadron faces a crucial mission: stopping a rogue wormhole from destroying the Alliance's central star. With Warp Squad 16 missing, the next generation of pilots must venture into uncharted territories to confront unknown threats, uncover the truth, and protect the Alliance from cosmic disaster. Meanwhile, an artificial wormhole threatens the Alliance's lone star, endangering all species within its territory. Warp Squad 16 is deployed to shut it down from within. The game recently completed its closed beta which was accessible for those who burned ram bundles using their First jump site. Then with the access code, players could download the game from the Epic Games Store. The game does not have high hardware requirements making it accessible for most.
Gameplay
Wanderers is a sci-fi action rogue-lite game, blending strategic deck-building elements with a campaign that evolves with each passing season. Players embark on a journey through the Wormhole, traversing planets and engaging in strategic battles. Armed with a selection of weapons and the ability to customize their deck, players must navigate the challenges ahead, knowing that death is a constant companion.
When a player first joins the game, they are greeted by a bot that guides them through the initial stages, such as going to the weaponry and choosing their weapon or the Terminal Inventory where players can see their RAMs. Prior to embarking on each adventure, players curate a deck of cards known as "Random Access Memories" (RAM). These cards have various buffs that apply to the player depending on the condition set by the RAM.
The RAMS that were picked prior to entering a new world will be available to the player throughout the level as they unlock them. This slowly lets the gamer build a deck that suits their situation, if they have the correct cards pre-picked that is.
Review
Wanderers has created an immersive sci-fi world that has plenty in store for gamers. However whilst they have produced a great Beta build, it was not without its faults. Diving into the graphics of Wanderers, overall, there's a commendable level of detail. The vibrant colors add to the visual appeal, but there are some issues. During my latest playthrough, I encountered errors, such as characters becoming invisible in the main base.
Regarding the audio design, the background music aligns well with the game's theme, and the sound effects enhance the gameplay experience. The SFX are well matched to their actions and add to the overall gameplay experience.
In terms of gameplay mechanics, whilst their initial beta build involved no ammo being released from slain enemies, they fixed this due to complaints of the testers. This greatly improved the experience for players especially as they removed the unlimited spawn meaning that if you died, you had to restart which adds to the difficulty of the game.
Overall, I would rate Wanderess a 6/10 in its current state. While stable and having some great mechanics, the game still contains several bugs and glitches. This title carries good potential especially in a packed genre with high-quality games.
