Wuthering Waves 2.0 (2024) Review

Wuthering Waves 2.0, developed and published by Kuro Games, takes Rover and her companion Abby to the far-off land of Rinascita. There, they will make new allies and encounter new enemies as they unravel a mystery threatening the people of the opulent island city-state of Ragunna. The biggest expansion yet to the seven-month-old game, players have plenty to look forward to as the new region charts a new narrative course for the game.

At the heart of Wuthering Waves 2.0’s story is a conflict between those who seek to control Rinascita through rigid adherence to tradition and those who seek to free the people of the way things were. The latter seek modern approaches to better fit the nation’s changing world. This choice of narrative focus is excellent, as so much of what this new update brings to the game through its setting is strikingly different than what players are used to. This gives the narrative an almost meta-feel as the conflict between old and new reflects how this update contrasts with what has come before.

From the moment Rover arrives in this new world, it’s clear that the hero isn’t in Huanglong anymore. Where the city of Jinzhou rested on the frontier, often barely weathering the storm of Tacet Discord attacks, Ragunna is a city of safety and opulence. Massive arching towers and elaborate mansions make comparisons to Renaissance Italy impossible to avoid. Music and laughter are everywhere, and even the common people seem to be free of the dire worries that live on the frontier.

While the external threats are not as great as Huanglong’s, Ragunna struggles with greater internal strife. Where Magistar Jinshi holds the approval of nearly all of her people, The Primus, head of the Order of the Deep, sees far more turmoil from the most influential of his subjects, the Monetelli Family. This shift from external threat to internal strife creates another layer of change for the game.

A tone shift sets Wuthering Waves 2.0 apart.

The Montelli Family also serves as a strikingly different ally for Rover. While previous comrades have felt like wholly good-natured individuals, the Montellis never quite feel truly “good.” Their adherence to the good of their family over all else and their propensity for violent solutions to their problems give them too much of a mafia vibe to ever feel entirely trustworthy. This adds another layer to the personalities Roiver must work with.

The other way that Wuthering Waves 2.0 sets itself in a noticeably different direction than previous tales is in the tone. Most of the game’s story in previous updates focuses on tragedy and struggle. Potential sacrifice and world-ending loss are always around the corner. There are moments of danger, and the story tries to pull at the player’s heartstrings a couple of times, but Rover’s initial adventure in Rinascita feels far more upbeat and fun overall. It even sports a couple of hysterical dance numbers that leave players laughing.

All of these departures from the norm give the developers a chance to break from the expected, establishing a new path for its star character. And happily, the opportunity rarely goes to waste.

The strongest use of the new setting comes in the cast of Wuthering Waves 2.0. Every personality that crosses Rover’s path, from traveling performer Brant to family enforcer Carlotta Montelli, brings a striking presence to the unfolding adventure. Every character feels a little bit extra in their delivery, making them feel right at home with the extravagant setting of Ragunna.

Standout characters and new puzzles make for an engaging new ride.

While the entire cast delivers, none bring as much life to the story as Carlotta Montelli. The most central figure in the unfolding drama after Rover, Carlotta, is a commanding new presence despite being generally low-key. The personification of “walk softly, but carry a big stick” Carlotta can be more intimidating with a whisper than many characters are with screams, and her single-minded devotion to her family makes her a dangerous foe. Couple these traits with a smoothly implemented elegance, and you have a character that fans will not soon forget.

Despite delivering a largely enjoyable ride, the plot does have its stumbles. Some scenes continue to be too exposition-heavy, weighing down the narrative at times. Also, there are a couple of moments that directly contradict previous plot points.

The approach to storytelling isn’t the only new thing in Wuthering Waves 2.0. Exploration has also gotten some new improvements and options for players to utilize. The world of Rinascita is one of the most gorgeous and varied worlds players can explore, and the developers have made it as easy and fun as possible. A new glider allows Rover to traverse terrain faster and easier. Or, if players want to take it slow, they can board an Echo-based gondola and ride the many waterways of the islands, taking in the gorgeous vistas at their own pace.

As players explore the new world of Wuthering Waves 2.0, they will also engage with new puzzles and challenges. The newly designed tasks are fun, though like previous diversions, they rarely offer much of a challenge. A new painting mini-game requires the most thought, and even that just takes a few moments to figure out most of the time.

Despite changes, some aspects remain familiar.

The one area where little has changed in this update is combat. Even though Rinascita comes with a slew of new foes to fight, little feels different beyond memorizing new attack patterns. The gameplay has always been fun, so the incremental changes the new encounters bring feel fine. The only place where combat is a bit disappointing is in the power level of bosses. It would’ve been nice if this expansion could’ve seen a slight increase in challenge in this area. If you are a dedicated player who’s been rolling through bosses for months, the new crop will provide no more threat than the old.

The visuals in this update are gorgeous. The world is filled with vibrant colors and memorable landmarks. From settled areas filled with glistening towers to the spooky, mist-shrouded coast, every place in Rinascita delivers the tone the space is going for. And while the combat feels largely unchanged, it looks as dynamic as ever. The new characters bring unique tricks to battles, accented by excellent visual elements that perfectly augment their personalities.

Along with new content, Wuthering Waves 2.0 also brings a slew of quality-of-life updates. Time savers like allowing item synthesis from the main menu and accessing exploration rewards without returning to the explorers’ guild are welcome. But perhaps the most significant improvement in this area is the new onboarding process 2.0 brings for new players.

If you haven’t played the game before but love the look of Rinascita, Kuro Games has made it so you can jump in and experience the new content without playing through everything that has come before. Thanks to the essentially new setting and cast, there will only be a few spots where players opting to take this route will feel a bit lost. The special nature of Abby, as well as a brief appearance by The Shorekeeper in the game’s early moments, will be headscratchers, but easy to get past.

Wuthering Waves 2.0 may be the best the game has yet to craft. Its narrative doesn’t deliver any moment as emotionally impactful as previous plots, but its willingness to experiment makes the adventure feel just as memorable. While the update tells its own confined story, plenty of threads are left dangling, leaving players with some tantalizing hints at what’s to come in future stories.

Wuthering Waves 2.0 is available now on mobile, PC, and PlayStation 5.