Where Winds Meet Hexi Expansion Preview
One of the ‘me problem’ downsides of being a games journalist is that the firehose of new games never ends. The Next Big Thing elbows the Great Old Thing out of the way. I spent quite a bit of time with Where Winds Meet at launch, but it inevitably fell off the playlist. I was happy to return to the game for a preview of its upcoming DLC, the Hexi Expansion.
Big Gets Bigger
In case you’ve forgotten — because November 2025 was forever ago in game history — Where Winds Meet was a free-to-play action RPG/wuxia game. It’s a lot like the big box store of games, because Where Winds Meet had it all under one roof. It was an action RPG/Soulslike/wuxia game in a sprawling open world filled with content. Its various upgrades and economic systems were complex. There was a hefty multiplayer component, and crafting and construction. In short, it was — and remains — a lot.
At launch, Where Winds Meet often looked incredible and artistic. But, like so many aspirational games, Where Winds Meet struggled to keep up with its ambitions. There were technical hiccups and an unshakeable feeling that the experience was cluttered by too many, too shallow options.
The upcoming Hexia expansion is actually three long chapters, including the Jade Gate Pass, Liangzhou, and Qinchuan, with a staggered release for each chapter. I played through the Jade Gate Pass, which releases soon.
Stunningly Cinematic
The Jade Gate Pass explores an important moment in the sprawl of Chinese history, when Tang Dynasty forces, called the Anxi Army, defended their land against foreign invaders for 40 years. Your character from the main game follows the story arc of an unnamed, shadowy figure with a mission to deliver a letter. It’s a mysterious quest that immerses the player in history and emotion.
The expansion is set in an impressive desert landscape of shifting sand dunes, ghostly skeletal ships, and new types of monsters. The narrative takes the player from the desolate desert into larger settlements like Xuanquan Station and Whitecrown City, all with an architecture borne of the environment. Overall, the visuals are a captivating departure from the often lush world of the main game.
The introduction to The Jade Gate Pass is a journey through history via a non-interactive cinematic that is incredibly artistic and sets up the expansion’s tone and narrative. Almost immediately, the player is also introduced to the expansion’s new combat and exploration mechanics. Notable are two new weapon variations, the Umbrella and the Rope Dart. The character also gains the ability to glide over the dunes via a supernatural transformation. The new weapons are fun and flashy to use, and I was pleasantly reminded of just how good Where Wind Meets’ combat can be.
Narrower Focus
Given that the Jade Gate Pass chapter is focused on a main quest, a few branching side quests, and a relatively directed path, the game feels a little less overwhelming than the main game. There are plenty of things to do and see, but it is manageable.
Where Wind Meet’s voice acting and writing ranged from effective to pedestrian. The same is true of this expansion. However, overall, the environmental audio and music are excellent and evocative.
More negatively, this first chapter of the Hexi expansion has its share of technical hurdles to iron out before launch. Sound dropouts, camera issues, and texture pop-in were frequent visitors. As with the base game, the experience from boot up until game play is beset by long load times, and there are still untranslated screens that remain part of the process.
Jade Gate Path is a perfect reminder that Where Winds Meet deserves continued attention. It has received frequent small updates and new content since launch. The Hexi expansion provides a focused and less overwhelming experience, while retaining the exciting combat and lushly beautiful art direction of the base game.
***PC code provided by the publisher for preview***
