Wanderlust Adventures

About

In "Wanderlust Adventures," a free-roaming action RPG, players summoned to save Valandria from a dark force must explore vast landscapes, capture companions, forge powerful items, and defeat enemies. The game supports 1-4 player online co-op, features a procedurally-generated world, and offers 4 character classes with skills to unlock. Dynamic events and various enemies, including bosses, ensure a fresh adventure in every playthrough.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+10

60%

Audience ScoreBased on 195 reviews

story9 positive mentions

grinding18 negative mentions

The game features several character classes with unique builds, allowing for diverse gameplay experiences.
The randomly generated world and dungeons are detailed and provide a sense of exploration.
The game is enjoyable in co-op mode, making it more engaging when played with friends.

The quests are repetitive and often boring, lacking depth and variety.
There are numerous bugs and connectivity issues, particularly with Steam, which can hinder gameplay.
The overall gameplay feels shallow and lacks significant content, making it less rewarding in the long run.

story
55 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
71%
13%
The game's story is generally considered lackluster and repetitive, often described as a series of fetch quests with minimal world-building and character development. While some players find enjoyment in the gameplay and co-op experience, many agree that the narrative feels cliché and unoriginal, lacking depth and engagement. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop for combat and exploration rather than a compelling driving force.
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “Fun creative story in addition to some very enjoyable gameplay.”
- “The storyline itself is straightforward and is not confusing, allowing the player to get through it even while playing solo.”
- “The story is a little lacking, but this game makes up for it with its gameplay and replayability.”
- “Plainly, I didn't understand the story and the premises... and there was basically nothing explained.”
- “The storyline itself is short and can be easily done solo in less than five hours.”
gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
63%
8%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying its simple mechanics, smooth controls, and engaging multiplayer elements, while others find it repetitive and lacking depth, particularly in boss fights and story. Many appreciate the art style and the variety of classes, but note that the game suffers from bugs and a lack of substantial content, leading to a grind-heavy experience. Overall, it appeals to fans of action RPGs and loot grinding, but may not satisfy those seeking a more intricate gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay offers a lot more depth than I would have initially thought; instead of thoughtless controls like 'swing sword, cast spell, etc.', you can block a certain amount of enemy attacks, and if you time the block just right, you can counter-attack to dish out a steaming-hot serving of pain.”
- “Great game, nice mechanics and interesting gameplay variation between some of the classes.”
- “With its amazing pixel style graphics, smooth gameplay, and high replayability, this game is easily one of my favorites of 2015.”
- “I was drawn by the art style, but gameplay is boring.”
- “There's a ton of grinding, the gameplay is very repetitive and boring, the skill system is bare bones, there's a lack of a tangible story, and the balancing seems to be keyed more towards multiplayer.”
- “Unfortunately, the gameplay isn't up to par with what other games in its genre can deliver.”
graphics
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
The game's graphics are generally praised for their charming art style and clean visuals, with many players appreciating the retro pixel art and smooth performance. However, some users reported technical issues, including graphical glitches in multiplayer and bugs that hindered rendering in certain areas. Overall, while the visuals are a highlight, they are occasionally marred by performance problems that affect gameplay.
- “I do like the art style of the game and find it very charming.”
- “Love the art style and gameplay.”
- “With its amazing pixel style graphics, smooth gameplay and high replayability, this game is easily one of my favorites of 2015.”
- “It turns out there is a bug that cannot render the graphics for the next area.”
- “I would not suggest this game as I bought it with a friend to do co-op and decreasing the graphics settings and checking VRAM doesn't work for me and her.”
- “- Graphical glitches in multiplayer making it less playable.”
music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
29%
14%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its engaging soundtrack composed by Chris Christodoulou, known for his work on *Risk of Rain*. Players appreciate how the music complements the game's visuals and themes, enhancing the overall experience, especially during boss encounters. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's enjoyment and atmosphere.
- “The game's art and music are pretty good; the pixel art is easy on the eyes, and the soundtrack was done by Chris Christodoulou of Risk of Rain fame.”
- “I initially became a fan through the Risk of Rain soundtrack with its tunes that perfectly fit the bizarre alien worlds of that game, and once again these tracks seem to perfectly fit each biome and theme.”
- “Chris Christodoulou and Power-Up Audio did a fantastic job doing all the sounds and music in the game, which perfectly fits with what's happening on screen.”
- “The music is there, the surprise elements make it fun for me, and the multiplayer makes it so you can band with others (but so will the enemies!).”
- “With a different composer, comes a different music style.”
- “Straying away from the retro soundtrack of Rebirth, yet doesn't take away from the game.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious, repetitive, and lacking meaningful content, often feeling like a "grinding simulator." Players note that while some grinding is necessary for progression, particularly in multiplayer settings, it detracts from the overall experience due to its monotonous nature and insufficient rewards. Despite some enjoyment found in co-op play and loot hunting, many reviewers feel the game requires more engaging content to alleviate the grind.
- “There's a ton of grinding, the gameplay is very repetitive and boring, the skill system is bare bones, there's a lack of a tangible story, and the balancing seems to be keyed more towards multiplayer.”
- “It's slow, tedious, and monotonous.”
- “There is no MMORPG-style 'required grind' to progress in the story, which is good, but the game still feels fairly grindy as you mostly just spend your time grinding monsters anyways.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
Overall, the game offers a solid replayability factor, primarily through its varied gameplay modes, randomized events, and character progression options. While some players find the story lacking and the base game short, features like hard mode and class diversity enhance the replay experience. However, opinions vary on whether the replay value justifies the price, especially for those expecting a more robust multiplayer experience.
- “A 16-bit open world RPG, Wanderlust offers an impressively sized map, randomized areas, and random events that provide great replay value.”
- “With its amazing pixel style graphics, smooth gameplay, and high replayability, this game is easily one of my favorites of 2015.”
- “The game has some excellent replay value to keep you going with free appearance changes and talent respecs at no cost to your in-game currency or time.”
- “Game is beaten in a few hours, replayability is merely game mode+.”
- “For a game that seems to be designed for a multiplayer experience, I would expect a bundle price, but 15 dollars per copy is way too expensive for the 10-hour storyline and questionable replayability.”
- “The only real additional replay value is leveling up your character, companion, and upgrading your gear.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern, with numerous players reporting glitches that hinder gameplay, particularly in multiplayer modes. While the visuals are praised, issues such as graphical glitches, camera problems, and spawn discrepancies detract from the overall experience. Despite these challenges, some users express hope for future improvements.
- “It looks good, gameplay is pretty good, but this game was made on GameMaker, so there are glitches in the game that you can’t play.”
- “Looks great, but it's so buggy that my friend and I can't play.”
- “There are graphical glitches in multiplayer, making it less playable.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by NPC dialogues that attempt to deliver puns, though many players find them poorly executed. While the visuals and music are charming, the comedic elements are hit-or-miss, with some appreciation for a clever Zelda reference.
- “The NPCs' dialogues are filled with funny puns, even if they don't always land perfectly.”
- “The cute visuals and great music are complemented by a hilarious reference to Zelda.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its smooth graphics and stable performance, while others report issues such as frame rate drops and long loading times. Overall, the game's optimization appears to vary significantly across different hardware configurations.
- “The optimization in this game is outstanding; the graphics run smoothly even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I was impressed by how well the game is optimized; it maintains high frame rates without sacrificing visual quality.”
- “The developers have done a fantastic job with optimization, ensuring that loading times are minimal and performance is consistent.”
- “The game runs poorly on mid-range hardware, making it frustrating to play.”
- “I experienced frequent frame drops and stuttering, which ruined the immersion.”
- “The optimization is lacking; even on high-end systems, the graphics are choppy and unresponsive.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is significantly impacted by the high difficulty of epic mode, creating a substantial challenge that serves as a major progression barrier for players.