Wildstar Open Beta

The majority of the MMO limelight may currently be stolen by the recently released The Elder Scrolls Online or by speculation about changes coming in the next World of Warcraft expansion, but Carbine Studios will soon throw its hat in the ring with WildStar. In an effort to stress test the system and work out some remaining bugs, the developer will soon be giving all PC gamers a chance to spend some time in the fantasy/sci-fi MMO world of Nexus.

Although WildStar was initially slated to launch in quarter four of 2013, a series of delays have kept most players from getting their hands on the game so far. WildStar has been in closed testing for a while now and has received a lot of positive feedback, mostly surrounding its combat system, which operates differently from the usual MMO button rotation ritual. Thanks to an open beta event, starting tomorrow, all interested parties will be able to take the game for a test run.

Carbine announced yesterday that the WildStar open beta will start on May 8 and run through May 18. To coincide with the start of the 10-day beta event, the game's level cap will also be increased to 30. That's just 20 levels shy of the eventual finished product's 50 level ceiling. Reaching level 30 will unlock a handful of new experiences for testers who have already explored the majority of the available content...

  • Farside — You ever want to go to the moon and float around while swinging a massive sword into badass, vicious, people eating extra-terrestrials? Me too. Now you that you’ve hit level 30, travel to Farside and get some space between you and the planet Nexus.
  • Galeras Adventure — Tower defense just became a whole lot more epic. You and four friends are all that stands between an invading force and holding the fort before reinforcements can arrive. The opposing faction is going to throw everything they’ve got against you: Tanks, missile strikes, snipers, stealth assassins, and some hulking military commandos are trying to make your life hell while you are holding for reinforcements… maybe you should return the favor and kick some ass, cupcake!
  • Two New Abilities — Kicking ass is pretty awesome. Now you can kick MORE ass with two new abilities that are unlocked for your class at level 30.
  • New Ability Slot — Hot damn, at level 30 you can unlock the final ability slot! Why don’t you buy a new ability and throw that into your brutality rotation!
  • Tier Points — Power up your abilities to continue to become an even bigger ass kicker. Or don’t. Whatever, that’s cool too.

Interested parties will be able to visit the WildStar open beta page starting tomorrow to request a beta key. WildStar beta veterans do not need to waste any time requesting a new key. Previous participants should be able to download the patch when it is released tomorrow and jump right into the testing event. The beta will kick off with a 30-minute Twitch livestream hosted by the game's developers. That event will be followed up by a marathon six-hour stream on Friday (starting at 2pm ET), where the team at Carbine Studios will talk about the development process behind WildStar.

Like most MMOs, a deciding factor for many consumers will be the monetary investment required after the game's launch. WildStar is taking a hybrid approach and allow players to pay their dues with either a $15/month subscription fee or an in-game item called C.R.E.D.D. The second option allows players to purchase 30 days of gameplay, but also offers the option of trading the item for other in-game currency. Basically, it introduces the possibility of trading away game-time for other in-game commodities. It's not even close to a free-to-play equivalent, but the system is definitely original.

Regardless of the eventual cost to spend time on Nexus, there's nothing to lose by taking the game for a spin at some point in the next 10 days. Although WildStar isn't quite finished yet, potential players should be able to use the free gameplay time to make a judgement call on whether or not the sci-fi MMO stands out from the more established games in the genre.

Do you plan to use the beta week as an opportunity to give WildStar a chance? Let us know in the comments.

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WildStar will release for PC on June 3, 2014.

Follow Denny on Twitter @The_DFC.

Source: WildStar Online