Wizard 101 was an MMO released in 2008. As an avid MMO player, this was something that I checked out many moons ago due to friends playing it. However, I recently redownloaded and gave it a go again. This time from the perspective of an adult. The aim for this was to find an MMO which was a bit less daunting than some of the current releases and one that I could take a little less seriously. This is exactly what Wizard101 delivered.
Does the game still hold up?
Wizard101 is nothing groundbreaking and it literally does what it says on the tin. It delivers an MMO experience where you play as a wizard of your choice. This choice ranges from several elemental schools such as balance, death, ice, fire, life, lightning, etc. My character ended up being an ice mage with the ice school. This is a personal preference, as in most games I will be a spell caster and usually end up toying with the ice elements. I like to think of myself as an Elsa of Arendelle.
The servers are still crowded with a range of players, some playing since launch and some just joining in the recent years or even weeks. I was captivated by the nostalgia of the game, not much has been graphically upscaled since launch and it’s like diving into a time capsule from 2008. Even the quests have not changed and the characters are still primarily the same including the voice acting.
Enchanting Distraction
The starter area, for those not wishing to shell out for the subscription, offers a wide range of activities. Get access to spells related to your school, pets, and mounts. Pets are incredibly fun as they act as a help during battles, but it is also just fun to have a companion following you as you explore the different areas.
The quests don’t pose much difficulty and, due to the crowding of the areas, there is usually someone available to jump in and help. The spell combat is cleverly designed. It features turn based spell casting with quirky and artistic visuals. For example, the ice school can summon an ice beetle. The ice beetle is actively summoned and attacks the foe.
There are several Easter eggs in the game that may appeal to the older generation. For example, a quest called saving private O’Connelly and a quest involving Dorothy Gayle, her dog Toto, and a robot. Simple things like that are an enchanting distraction.
Perfect for a Starter MMO
For new players of the MMO genre, this game shapes up to be the perfect starter. Although, the game focuses on one class, it has several more characteristics to make it a prime MMO to revisit or to use as a starter one.
The environment is friendly and easy to adapt to. NPC’s are available to ask for help and also provide easy to understand tutorials. The community as a whole is welcoming and open to conversing. However, like all MMO’s there is an element of toxicity which is created by the minority of players in the open areas. It’s easy to ignore this and, with the chat being incredibly censored, it protects players from profanity and other inappropriate content.
The Tale of Wizard101
The story is simplistic to follow. Malistaire the main antagonist used to be the main teacher for the death school and taught students how to harness the element of death. He turns evil and takes on the newly fresh student (the player). The story is really about undoing the havoc he has wreaked, fighting a series of bosses, and doing quests to help aid the people in the wizarding world.
The game is continuing to release expansions with the latest one being released in 2021. Since the launch of Wizard101 there has been thirteen expansions.
- Dragonspyre (2009)
- Celestia (2010)
- Zafaria (2011)
- Avalon (2012)
- Azteca (2012)
- Khrysalis part 1 (2013)
- Khrysalis part 2 (2014)
- Polaris (2015)
- Mirage (2016)
- Empyrea Part 1 (2017)
- Empyrea Part 2 (2018)
- Karamelle (2020)
- Lemuria (2021)
Personal conclusion
Whether you are an adult looking for an MMO to try with your child, an adult looking to destress with a not so serious MMO, or just someone that loves spell casting and magic check out Wizard101 at your next convenience. This is something I will sink various hours into until my next adventure, and I’m confident to recommend to those wanting something different. Life is too short to take seriously and this falls into gaming as well. It shouldn’t always be serious.
Check out this cinematic trailer below which captures some clips from the game, if you do decide to check it out let us know and thanks as always for joining us here at VIBE.
25, Scottish, Gaming, writing and cooking 🧑🍳 🎮
