I’ll admit it: while Wuthering Waves always looked interesting, I never had any chance to pick it up. That’s partially due to an avoidance of the free-to-play gacha model, but mainly, it’s the time commitment needed to stay up to date on content. While I was in Los Angeles for The Game Awards this year, I had a chance to go hands-on with Wuthering Waves for the first time ever with its Version 3.0 update, set to launch on Christmas Day.
After spending just over two hours with the game, it is clear that I am going to have to find some time to dive into Wuthering Waves. Version 3.0 packs in a lot of exciting content, and I’m already excited thinking about picking up where I left off.
Welcome to Startorch Academy
My preview was split between two main parts: one focused on the story, and the other on activities and new gameplay features. To kick things off, it became immediately clear that Kuro Games is focused on delivering a substantial narrative with this update. Right from the beginning, you’ll be introduced to Startorch Academy, which is home to many students to meet and numerous activities to discover. I was surprised at the scale of this hub, especially with how much there seemingly was to do regarding quests and minor activities.
As soon as you enter, you’ll meet Lynae, who takes the main character around on a tour and introduces her to the academy. Lynae was a character who quickly caught my interest as soon as I was introduced to her. She has a very unique design with almost roller blade-like shoes and a fun personality that instantly draws you in. Speaking with the Kuro Games team on site, this is a character they are very excited about – and it’s easy to see why.
Throughout the bits of story I experienced, I was consistently impressed with just how expressive the animation was. The visuals are gorgeous, and each character is so vivid and expressive with emotion. There is a cel-shaded look that impressively shines with the lighting; I continued to see new environments and areas that made the game feel very premium. In addition to the visuals, voice acting was clearly strong as well. I spent my time with the English dub, but the ability to switch between different dubs is appreciated.
Most of the time, I’ve never been able to really find much interest in the narratives of similar games like Genshin Impact or Honkai Star Rail. However, I do give Wuthering Waves credit for catching my interest. Even in the two hours I played, several story bits were interesting to watch unfold. The character dynamic between Rover and Lynae drove much of this, as the two explored the academy and unlocked things like the new Expedition Motorbike. That feature, in particular, is one of the largest available in this update.
Ride Along
The Expedition Motorbike is one of the defining features of Wuthering Waves 3.0. This thing handles great, and it’s a joy to ride around with. I think vehicles, in RPGs especially, can be a particularly challenging element to implement, especially as you consider things like handling, speed, turning, etc. Here, though, Kuro Games has created an excellent vehicle that is not only practical but also controls well.
While you can, of course, ride around as you might expect, there are some great features I wasn’t necessarily expecting to see added in with the Expedition Motorbike. For one, you can drift. The game’s producer shared this with me, and it unlocked lots of new movement potential throughout. There’s also a jump that can help position you at an angle to climb vertically, if needed. You have the freedom to ride the bike literally anywhere on the map, and while that may sound crazy, I thought the same before I was driving up the sides of mountains or giant structures.
As you ride the bike around, there’s a radio that plays songs you can shuffle through. The team shared that they plan to add to this as time goes on, so I expect there will be potential for things like playlists in the future once the library grows. Little things like these elevate the gameplay experience of Wuthering Waves above its competitors. The details are everywhere, and that’s especially true for content.
Above all, I was most impressed by the numerous activities available throughout Wuthering Waves. As I rode my bike around, the Kuro Games team pointed me to races I could partake in with it, a stargazing minigame similar to Death Stranding 2 (though no Kojima constellation here), a minigame that reminded me of Bloxorz, and all kinds of side quests/story quests to partake in. There is so much here beyond the traditional ‘defeat X enemy’ or ‘head to X location’.
One of my favorite activities I did was a huge boss fight that was said to be one of the hardest in the update. Granted, Lynae and others were leveled up to the max, but it still provided a real challenge and took me around 10 minutes or so to beat. The team I stuck with was Lynae, 2.8’s Chisa, and Mornye, another new character coming to Version 3.0. Once again, I was thoroughly impressed with the animations and quality of combat, with each character offering a unique movement that felt both flashy and fun to master.
In the end, I found Wuthering Waves 3.0 incredibly fun. I was not exactly sure how much fun I’d have jumping into such a massive update without any background, but it’s clear that Kuro Games has developed this in a way where anyone can jump in and check out the new content for themselves. This update is packed with fun characters, great new gameplay mechanics, and a wide new area to discover. There’s even a Persona and Sonic collaboration for SEGA fans! Now I’ve got the challenge of finding a way to make some time to experience Wuthering Waves on my own.
Wuthering Waves Version 3.0 launches December 25, 2025. The game is available now for Android, iOS, Mac, PlayStation 5, and PC via Windows, Steam, and Epic Games Store.
