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Where Winds Meet, the newest open-world action RPG from NetEase Games, doesn't necessarily have to be a hard game to play, but to say it is a simple one would be a complete lie, because this game has so many mechanics that one can get lost in them pretty quickly.
So if you just installed Where Winds Meet and want to know a tip or two about the game, like what to do first, what skills to hunt early, what location to visit and such, you're in the right place because we intend to make your opening couple of hours with this game easy and as smooth as possible, so without further ado, let's jump into it.
What kind of game is Where Winds Meet?
Where Winds Meet is a free-to-play action RPG set in ancient China with wuxia-style martial arts combat and a huge open world to explore. Think Assassin's Creed mixed with Ghost of Yotei, Black Myth: Wukong, Nioh, and a bit of Sekiro. On top of this, Where Winds Meet features a four-player co-op and a full MMO integration and the best part is that you can switch between these modes any time you want with all your progress carried over.
Key Things to Know
Game Modes:
- Solo Mode: Single-player story with AI companions
- Co-op mode: 2-4 players for quests and exploration
- MMO Mode: Shared world with other players (PvP optional)
Core Gameplay Loop
You can explore a massive open world featuring two regions divided into several different biomes and subbiomes. There's a fully fledged main story and in-depth side quests that are actually great.
Master combat skills (parry-based, similar to Sekiro, or heavily perfect dodge-based, like the one in Black Myth: Wukong – your choice). You can unlock and use several martial arts related to wuxia-styled combat, and all are linked with different side quests and events.
Craft weapons and build many different buildings you'll be using for crafting, cooking, socialising, and doing many other activities. Join factions, make friends, chat with integrated AI, and participate in world events.
Monetisation
- The base game is 100% free, including story, quests, and all areas
- You'll pay for cosmetics and convenience items (faster travel)
- NOT pay-to-win: You can't buy power or better gear
Time Investment
- Main story: ~40 hours
- Completionist: 100+ hours
- Endgame: Ongoing (daily/weekly activities)
Best For: Players who like open-world exploration (Assassin's Creed, Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei), challenging combat (Dark Souls-lite difficulty), and Chinese historical fantasy settings (Black Myth: Wukong, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers).
Not For: Players wanting easy hack-and-slash or traditional tab-target MMO combat.
Creating your character
Just like most RPGs of this scale, Where Winds Meet features a robust character creator with many details and options to select from.
Quick Tips:
- You can freely change the look of your character later in the game, so no need to obsess about character creation if you simply want to jump right into the game
- Gender choice is permanent and cannot be changed later after gaining the ability to recustomise your character
- Different armour piece upgrades (torso, legs, helmet) don't change the appearance of your outfit. Choose whichever outfit pleases you the most
- Voice selection is important (it transfers to cutscenes, so preview the voice before choosing it)
- The game can create a character based on your photo or voice. Simply record your voice or upload your best image and the game engine will try to make your best digital version
Early-game tips
To avoid being dragged in the wrong direction, here is what you should prioritise as soon as the game kicks in. Those couple of hints will help you bunch to get the most out of the game early on
- Look for the Wayfarer as soon as you start playing
Wayfarers will give you maps of each new area you visit, so the first area, Verdant Wilds, will introduce you to the first wayfarer. Talk to him, and he will give you the map of the area with all important landmarks pinpointed for you.
Wayfarers are marked on the map with the fire icon.
- Do side quests ASAP
Side quests are shown on the map with a blue notebook icon (see the image below). Side quests will not only give you the most XP early in the game but will also reward you with important upgrade materials and, most importantly, with new martial arts, which will be a crucial step in becoming well-prepared for challenges ahead.
- Follow the main story until you get separated from Ruby
Ruby is a little girl you'll be introduced to as soon as the game starts. She will ask you to escort her to the General's Shrine to catch up with a caravan. Our advice is not to wander off during this section of the game, because the game will teach you some important mechanics here.
- Enhance your gear regularly
Even though it might seem obvious, this feature can easily be overlooked. Pause the game and go to the character tab, and then press 'Develop'. Open the gear tab, and here you can choose to quickly enhance everything that can be enhanced by pressing the space button (keyboard) or the X/Square button (Xbox/PlayStation controller), or you can click on any gear piece inside the gear section and enhance it individually.
The first couple of levels will require only Zhou Coins (easily obtained by finishing the missions, looting chests or dead bodies), while bigger levels will require better materials. Luckily, if you don't know where to obtain those materials, simply click on them and the game will point you in the right direction on the map, simple as that.
- Upgrade weapons as you level up
As you gain experience, you'll level up, but your weapons won't level up on their own because you'll have many weapons in your inventory and will use only a couple of them in your build. So once you gain a level, do not forget to enter the 'Develop' tab again, and this time choose 'Abilities'.
Inside this tab, click on the weapon you're using and choose to upgrade it. Upgrading will require Zhou Coins only, and apart from upgrading weapons, it will upgrade all martial arts related to that particular weapon, so do not sleep on this ability; it can be a life changer in this game.
- Turn the deflect assist off
In your opening battle with the first boss, the game will explain to you how the deflecting works. You'll be given the option to turn the deflection assist on to help you deflect incoming attacks. However, this ability can do more harm than help.
A better option is to learn parry timings on your own. The game will be more challenging, yes, but more enjoyable as well. Of course, it is all to your preference, but if you want our advice, do not use this ability at all.
Bosses
In Where Winds Meet, there are two types of bosses: main bosses, which are story-related, and optional bosses, the ones you can find by free-roaming the world.
The story bosses come naturally as you progress through the story; however, the world bosses can be tackled in any order, provided you have enough skill to fight them. The first world boss, Shadow Puppet - Muqi, can be found on the map if you enter the journal and choose the 'World Bosses' tab.
All other world bosses will be listed there, but you'll have to find them on the map on your own, or you can follow our guide on how to locate all 'World Bosses' in Where Winds Meet. If you want to try a boss fight and the boss keeps mopping the floor with you, you can always try to practise that particular boss fight to learn his moves before doing the real thing.
DON'T MISS!
- Where Winds Meet: How to Fast Travel
- Where Winds Meet: Blind to the World side quest puzzle solutions and quest walkthrough
- Where Winds Meet: Stealth Explained (How to Perform Sneak Attack)
- Where Winds Meet: Combat Explained (How to Get the Most Out of It)
- Where Winds Meet: How to Open the Door in a Big House in General's Shrine
