As the year is currently 2025, you could be easily forgiven as a gamer for hearing the words "free game" and immediately assuming you're about to be treated to a web of microtransactions and annoying time gates that stop you having any real enjoyment without spending the pretty pennies you have accumulated.
Fortunately, there are some games out there that really do everything they can to provide an amazing gameplay experience, whilst maintaining a non-predatory free to play model. Warframe is easily one of the best examples of this, but there are others who are doing an admirable job of remaining free in the face of rampant capitalism.
One to potentially add to that list is Where Winds Meet, a Wuxia-based open-world action-adventure RPG set in ancient China at the tenth century. The game sees players take on the role of a young sword master who sets out on a journey to discover his identity, and there's plenty of reason to believe it's going to be a solid release when it drops.
Player Spends Over 1000 Hours in Where Winds Meet
Over on YouTube, one player shared their experience with the game after spending more than 1000 hours exploring its every nook and cranny. If you're wondering how that's possible, given that the game is only set to release next week on 14 November, it's actually because it was given a full release in China first, all way back in December 2024.
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Since then, the dedicated player has spent almost a full year getting to grips with everything it has to offer, and it's safe to say they are positive about most things they've seen thus far.
In particular, the reviewer drew attention to the enormous open world, with specific praise for the worldbuilding and overall atmosphere that the development team has managed to create.
Equally, they both explicitly and implicitly say that it's a game with a lot of depth, as the over 100 hours they have spent in-game attest to.
You may also have concerns with the execution of the free to play model in this MMO, but they claim it shouldn't be too much of an issue. Though microtransactions are present, the need to engage with them is relatively low and you should be able to have a great time without spending any of your precious money.
As mentioned earlier, the game releases on November 14, so you don't have long to wait before you can try it yourself.