Where Winds Meet: That Time I Fought a Bear with an Umbrella in This New Soulslike MMO That Plays like Genshin Impact but with Way Better Combat

The Art of Beating a Bear … Elegantly

Right, so about the bear fight. My first thought? “A bear? Easy.” My second thought? “Is this umbrella a weapon or a fashion statement?” Spoiler alert: it’s both. Starting this duel was like stepping into a bizarre wuxia-inspired fever dream where I wielded an umbrella like a magical machine gun meets martial arts wand. Talk about a multitasker.

The game clearly knows what it’s doing here. One second, you’re using your newfound tai chi skill to catapult the bear into a rock pile (try not to laugh too hard when you actually pull this off), and the next, you’re unleashing an aerial rain of bright magical projectiles. Can this umbrella make your morning coffee too? Sadly, no. But does it make combat unreasonably fun and ridiculous in the best way? Absolutely.

Combat That Doesn’t Hate You

One of the best things about Where Winds Meet is how forgiving it is compared to most soulslike games. Look, I love a challenge as much as the next gamer fueled by bad coffee and broken dreams, but sometimes, it’s nice to not feel like the game is actively plotting your demise.

For instance, the parry system. If you’ve rage-quit soulslike games because your “perfectly timed” parries left you open to a sword through the ribcage, you’ll appreciate this. There’s even a parry assist option that turns them into QTE moments, making your duels beautifully cinematic without that “Did I just mistime that by 0.0002 seconds?!” frustration.

The combat is somewhere between Sekiro’s intensity and Assassin’s Creed’s accessibility. I genuinely enjoyed every duel, not because they were brutally hard but because they were fun to watch. Between Mystic Arts (some of the most absurdly awesome wuxia moves I’ve seen) and surprisingly smooth animations, I forgot about my typical “If I die one more time…” rage spiral.

Genshin’s Indie Cousin (but Cooler?)

When I first heard “like Genshin Impact but better combat,” I was skeptical. Genshin’s got cosmetics, fanfare, and anime charm in abundance. Can Where Winds Meet really outpace it? Well … yes and no.

The game manages to marry Genshin’s “ooooh shiny treasure chest!” exploration vibes with fluid, punchy combat that doesn’t center around managing elemental cooldowns every 12 seconds. It even peppers in some grounded mechanics, like adhering to weather changes (yes, you can get sunstroke or slip on wet rocks) and getting diseases from questionable rat bites. Gross? Yes. Immersive? Absolutely.

But don’t expect perfection. The story? Patchwork at best. With localization that falls apart faster than a cheap umbrella in a storm, you’ll be relying less on dialogue and more on stabbing your way forward. Still, who plays MMOs for Oscar-worthy narratives? Exactly.

Can Genshin Do That?

The real selling point here is how unapologetically bonkers things get in Where Winds Meet. Between summoning allies mid-fight, parading through vast landscapes with all kinds of ridiculous weapons (umbrellas, fans, rope darts, you name it), and enjoying the blend of realism and fantasy, this game carves its unique niche.

And here’s the thing. If you love Genshin but occasionally side-eye its combat mechanics, this might be the shake-up you need. Or if you’re just looking for something less anime and more wuxia, take the plunge. Who could resist the promise of beating up woodland creatures with magic umbrellas?

The Verdict

If you’re tired of Genshin-style grindathons or soulslikes that hate your soul, Where Winds Meet might be your new obsession. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it sure as hell rolls smoother than most. Plus, c’mon, umbrella wizardry. Need I say more?

Go on. Give Where Winds Meet a shot and tell me you didn’t chuckle when you saw a bear go flying.