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Wizard101 Review: Cross Generational Magic - Edit
8.5
| Pros |
 Consistent content development Cross generational game play Gorgeous & unique spell animations Truly kid-friendly |
| Cons |
 Crown Shop can be expensive Limited free zone Lots of grindy FedEx-ish quests |
Let me start right off the bat with this: Wizard101 is a family-friendly, kid-centered MMO. This re-review of W101 is going to focus on those two facts and the niche into which the game fits so perfectly. While there is no question that W101 has a lot to give to adult players, even hardcore MMO players, the fact remains that gameplay is designed to be attractive to and easy to learn for all ages from kindergarteners to octogenarians.
KingsIsle released Wizard101 just over three years ago and all indications point to the fact that the game is still going strong, that development continues and that new material is constantly being added to the game.
Wizard101 is a game that capitalizes in some respects on the Harry Potter craze that has been going on for over a decade now. Players take on the persona of a student wizard at Ravenswood Academy. During training, however, things begin to go wrong and “promising students” are asked to begin investigating the strange events.
Aesthetics – 8.5
Wizard101’s graphics are probably some of the best out there for a game of its age. I will qualify this with the caveat that the art style of Wizard101 isn’t for everyone. It’s sort of a pseudo-anime cartoon style with large headed character models and what some might call ‘simplistic’ environments. That said, however, Wizard101 is very pleasing to the eye with bright vibrant colors and eye-catching environments that belie the initial impression that they have little detail. W101 is showing its age a bit with somewhat blocky models. It’s not displeasing but it’s noticeable.
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Character customization is a bit limited but given the target audience of the game, that’s an OK thing. Players can choose their character’s head, hairstyle, skin color and facial expression as well as the color of a character’s starting wardrobe. Names are selected through a series of three wheels with choices being made available for first name, and a one or two part last name. This is, of course, a nod to creating and maintaining a child-friendly environment by avoiding off-colored names.
Monsters in Wizard101 are varied and interesting. While some monster models repeat themselves throughout the game, they are always ‘tailored’ to the part of the game in which they live and are given a unique look. KingsIsle has continued to create new monster types throughout the three years the game has been in release including adding crafty crustaceans and Ninja pigs.
Where Wizard101 really shines is in the beauty of its spell effects. Watching a gigantic “Heliphant” rising out of a ring of fire or a Wyvern pulling itself across the ice before launching its signature screech into a monster’s face is simply breathtaking. Even the lower level spells are impressive and fun. Consider the Leprechaun as he comes skiing down a rainbow, toppling his pot of gold and flinging coins on monsters. Simply awesome!
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Gameplay 8.5
Gaming in Wizard101 is a throwback to turn-based RPGs of the past but with a unique KingsIsle twist. When entering into a battle, up to four wizards and four monsters face off across a spell casting circle. From there, players use a deck of known spells from their school of specialization and/or spell cards purchased from a vendor. During each round, all players choose the spells they will cast and then the cinematic plays out with the spell animations for each player’s and monster’s chosen spell. It’s very simple really and pretty fun. That said, you have to have a pretty high tolerance for seeing the same spells over and over. Luckily, I do and still get a good chuckle out of a lot of them even three years later.
For adults, this gameplay aspect is terrific as up to a minute is spent completing each player’s and each monster’s spells which gives time to toggle out, check email, get the baby a new bottle or head to the restroom.
Character movement is fluid and smooth. The only real movement annoyance that I have found is that players can often be ‘sucked off’ the sidelines and into battle from seemingly impossible distances. This can be terrifically frustrating as running back and forth along pathways between quest and quest giver often results in players getting caught over and over again. Additionally, movement around corners or jumping tiny distances to get atop something is not possible and annoying at times.
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Questing is the most frustrating part of Wizard101 as many of the quests fall into the ‘FedEx’ type and players are sent into the same areas several times before finishing a zone. Go here, gather that, come back, go back to the same place and battle these monsters, etc. There is a lot back and forth which gets pretty old pretty fast.
Wizard101 has all of the features that experienced MMO players expect including housing, mounts, pets, gardening, PvP, crafting, achievements, chat etc. Some folks have expressed a bit of dissatisfaction with the PvP aspect of Wizard101 but KingsIsle has shown a lot of determination in fleshing it out better. Players can take one another on in PvP arenas in 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 matches as well as duel one another in special designated spell circles at one’s player home.
Innovation 8.0
Wizard101 isn’t particularly innovative from a gameplay perspective though it’s arguably the industry leader in family-friendly MMO experiences for gamers of all ages and features some of the most spectacular spell effects I’ve ever seen. Still, for a lot of experienced MMO players, eye candy and family-friendly gaming probably isn’t going to be enough unless time is spent in game to discover the depth beneath the surface. As said earlier, Wizard101 is a throwback to turn-based single player RPGs from the past. In W101’s case, this isn’t a bad thing, particularly as very young or much older players come into the game but it’s probably not enough for most adults playing without kids attached.
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Polish 9.0
Wizard101 is very polished and bug free. In fact, I would venture to say that the only bug I’ve ever encountered in Wizard101 is one of a cinematic nature where the camera angle gets off kilter somehow. KingsIsle has obviously spent a lot of time making sure that their players aren’t going to run into bugs that will take away from their game time.
Clearly, Wizard101 is a labor of love for KingsIsle and it shows.
Longevity 9.0
Already three years old, Wizard101 is still going strong. KingsIsle consistently is upgrading the game and adding new content, increasing the level cap, creating new spells, quests, items and more into the game. In fact, I would go so far as to say that KingsIsle has been one of the most assertively active developers in the market today and are constantly adding features and content to Wizard101. Endgame players are always being challenged by the new content and everyone benefits from the new cards and spells. In the past year alone gardening and player housing have been updated and KingsIsle has added three brand new zones: Wysteria, Zafaria and Wintertusk.
Social 8.5
One of Wizard101’s most amazing feats has been the creation of a cross-generational family game that just about any age can enjoy. Without a doubt, Wizard101 has brought disparate groups of people together in a fun and engaging game that all can enjoy. In my house, for instance, my husband, daughter and I all play. Across town, my best friend and daughter’s godmother is learning to play too. From all reports out of KingsIsle, we’re not unique either. Something about W101 has created a great way for families to have fun and engage one another across distances in ways that were unheard of three years ago.
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In game, players can chat with one another in one of two ways: Safe (filtered) chat and open chat. Parents can select which type of chat they will allow their children to use. Filtered chat features a selection of options for kids to use for communicating with others.
The only thing holding me back from giving W101 a higher social score is the fact that there are no player guilds, something that would actually be pretty cool. Wouldn’t family guilds be completely awesome?
Value 8.0
There are two ways to assess Wizard101’s value: Subscription membership and the Crown Shop. There is no question that items in the Crown Shop are expensive. For instance, a pretty standard mount might cost 1500 Crowns or the equivalent of about $2.00. Additionally, areas of the game are closed off unless purchased with Crowns. Some are as low as $1.00. Now, I realize that doesn’t sound like much but when kids get a load of all the new pets, mounts, cards, seeds, etc. and want them in their collections, it gets pretty pricey! Additionally, hiring a mercenary, which is essential in some areas and battles, gets expensive as they only last through a single fight before disappearing. While the cost is under $1, it adds up VERY fast over the course of an hour or two if one is so inclined as to purchase them.
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Luckily, KingsIsle often runs specials for Crowns. For instance, as of this writing, you can buy 60,000 Crowns for $60. That’s a pretty good deal and, of course, there are smaller packages available as well as prepaid time cards that almost always include a bunch of Crowns too.
As a subscription, Wizard101 is a great deal at $79.95 per year ($6.65/month) which gives players access to all areas, more chat options, advanced crafting and a laundry list of other features. It’s well worth the cost. Subscriptions can be purchased as a Family Membership, 1 month, 6 months or 12 months varieties.
Conclusion
Parents of younger kids and tweens will definitely want to check out Wizard101 if they haven’t already. It’s a wonderful game to use to introduce kids into the wider world of MMOs. And while Mom and Dad are at it, they should also call Grandma and Grandpa to get them started too. Wizard101 is that good and that fun for players of all ages. For this particular niche, the family-oriented, cross-generational gamer, there is no better game on the market today than Wizard101.
One thing that drives many adults away from the game: There's no chat channels except for the one for parties (max. 4 players). Otherwise chatting is limited to sending pms to people you know, or to talking to people who see you. There is no LFG tool, and since there's no proper chat either, finding groups in-game is really hard.
Otherwise Wizard 101 is good game even for adults. You get to build your deck, then have 7 randomly chosen card drawn from that deck. Besides the damage and heal spells there's a horde of spells you can use to buff, debuff, shield, change element of spell, etc. while waiting for resources to cast that big damage spell to kill your opponent. This makes surprisingly strategic game where you have to discard the cards you don't want right now to get the card you want to use to your hand, make sure you don't discard so much that you'd run out of cards before the battle ends, and try to cast (together with your friends if you have good ones) 4 different enhancing spells to increase damage of one huge AoE spell. The randomness of cards you get in your hand and spells failing usually ensure that battles against same mob are different and keep you thinking your choises. It's much more strategic than adult games with WoW style combat even if it's a kids game.
Vrika,
That is SO true. It always amazes me how different two battles can be with the same monsters and the same heroes fighting. In one, you take them out in 4 rounds. In the second, it takes 10+ rounds and they nearly knock you out. It keeps it edgy! :)
3 years already? I remember seeing a TV spot and figured it'd be a good family game to at least try.
Needless to say I'm the 30 year old male in the family and out of 3 accounts I think I log in more hours. I really enjoy the combat and making my "deck". It might be based on the fact that I grew up watching 80s cartoons, playing MtG, and too many jRPGs.
I really can't recommend it enough if someone's looking for something different.
Vrika makes some great points.
Wizard101 is really a good game. Their housing and gardening systems are both very will done. The pet system is also good. It could use more entertaining games and maybe get your pets more involved in the actual game itself.
I really wish they would offer a lifetime or one time fee to purchase all current content. They nickel and dime a bit too much.
I agree, Venger. I would buy a lifetime sub in a heartbeat and would love to see pets level up by being with their owner in battle rather than having to grind, grind, grind to raise them to adult.
I like this game. In my opinion you gave a bit too high ratings where they don´t belong to though.
On the other hand I´d mention the open grouping under "innovation", because this makes the game worth playing even if you normally play solo: you can jump right into a battle between players and NPCs.
if you're looking for a different style of game play in a free/mium type of mmo, this is one of the two games i'd recommend. (atlantica being the other)
it's very polished and well realized.
Yeah this game is a blast and I'm in my 30's. Tons of stuff to do besides just quest with pets (which are very involved), gardening, crafting, etc.
Personally I really don't like the fact that they sell high powered gear in the crown shop, but I deal with it.
You can buy all the (current) zones for unlimited use for 92,535 crowns (or $120), with a remainder of 2,465 crowns for pvp fights, items or future zones, that's only $40 more than an anual membership; The best thing about that is you pay as you advanced instead of paying for the entire game while only being able to play a portion of it because of your current cards/level(?).
I admit you still won't get all the full member benefits, but still, I believe this is the best way to go.
That's been my way of handling it. Can't complain over all. Usually 3 or 4 zones new is enough for me for months.
One thing that kept me away from this game was the card packs you buy outside the game that gives you and edge, which you can't obtain neither through their online store or ingame stores. I'm talking about the pets that give you 2 x +damage buffs that stacks with everything you have.
I shouldn't have to book a planeticket just to go to wallmart, just to be on par.
They often release booster packs around holidays you can't get online.
You still have to raise the pet the same as others in the game that do about the same thing. I have the Power Dragon you're talking about. It doesn't quite work the way you've explained it. You get a 1% (stackable) bonus to your power pips, which let you double up energy used to spend on cards.
You are flat out wrong.
In December and January last year, the pets that come with Wizard101 Gift Cards all gave a Dragon Blade - which is a 30% Balance Blade. So, anybody who redeemed a Gift Card in December and January will have a pet with a 30% Balance Blade.
The Polar Cat you got from Target gives 2 Balance Blades. And, they stack on each other! So, if you have a Polar Cat from a Target Gift Card, you can cast 2 30% Balance Blades on the same spell!
Since these gift cards were not available online in any shape or form, only available at Target in the US, there is no way to be on par. I'm pretty sure a similar deal will be available these holidays up to Christmas.
Stuff like that is a strong motivator not to play IMO, as somebody who lives in the EU
It may not be something you care about but to me it's a dealbreaker. I don't see why somethings should be available in one part of the world and not another.
Starpower: That's when breeding pets comes into play.
But I agree that it's stupid from KI to not include any way to get the most powerful pets unless you purchase those cards or have a friend who purchased helping you.
If only it worked that way but it doesn't.
You can't breed yourself to the dragonblade buffs let alone two of them. They are all from either gift cards/no longer obtainable(referral)/Beta Testers
For kids this game should get a high score. Aside for the 'Pay to Win' thing, without a decent chat, better LFG mechanics or even the option to make guilds, I find it very limited in its appeal to adults.
I though you could, as long as you get help from a friend who has a pet with one of those cards. Am I wrong?
Here's also a guide where it's done: http://wizard101.wikia.com/wiki/Creating_a_custom_pet
Also Wizard101 wiki lists frontier dragon, which can only be obtained through breeding as far as I know, giving dragonblade: http://wizard101.wikia.com/wiki/Frontier_Dragon
I must admit I don't like breeding and haven't tried to do it.
I love this game and have been playing since beta. It is one of the few games that I try to always maintain a subscription for.
Pioneer dragon was the first pet available for crowns purchase just after beta. It was only available for month or two. They are fire based and offer the dragon blade spell at baby. I have tried hatching with them but have had no success in creating another one. I usually get another copy of the pet I crossed them with with slightly better genetics. Just my experience. Your milage may vary. I have not tried to hatch two pioneer dragons though. hmmmm...
Yup can't be bred anymore.
Sounds more absurd with the cash shop then SOE games...
A feat that's hard to achieve..
After reading this review, I downloaded and tried this game again. I almost forgot I made an account back in 2009!
Anyway, I don't get what you guys are talking about. There's open chat that you have to be 18+ to use and you can buy prepaid packs online and there's some internation options as well. I just skimmed through the options, so I may have missed something though.
The only thing I don't like out this game and I guess other games with similar pricing models is that you can get the membership, but still have to buy credits for stuff. I did notice that some things has a gold option, but I think others are credits only. So, it seems like I'll be paying twice for things.
I think I like Fallen Earth's method. YOu pay monthly and get reward points to use toward the stuff in the cash shop.
i love this game
I got my mmorpg key to wizard 101 for the free stuff but we have 5 other wizard 101 players that all run off the same i.p. address. What do we do when all of us can't get it?
Starpower, I just wanted to mention something about your complaint about pets in gift cards and how good they are. I have never replied before, and I don't know how to do it right, so I don't know if you will get this.
No matter how good the blades on a single pet may be, for one thing, you can only use those two blades once, for one spell, or one each for two different spells. Second, it is a great challenge to get both cards you want up for a spell, let alone one. The larger your deck, the harder it will be, I am certian you know this. In addition, many of the best pets are found right in the crown shop (ever seen the sea dragon or any of those other 60+ potential pets? They beat any pet on a card in terms of potential. The only one I am not certain of is the pet on the new epic card with the two person mount. However, the best pet - the sea dragon - can be purchased online and won in the boss fight in the trial of spheres in Celestia.) And on top of this, with my experience, card pets have among the strongest hereditary genes, meaning that they are what are almost always hatched when you wombine with them. I own one of them, a defender pig, and out of the 8 times I have hatched with him, 6 times both sides got my pet. It is very aggravating.
It is not nearly as bad as you make it, unless maybe your point in the game is pvp where people wait to do giant one hit spells, where they have time to get all the blades they need. Even then, it is not impossible for you to get the pets. Just hatch, it is what I do. Hatch with a person who has that pet. Good luck in the game, I love it. :)
And by the way, if you purchase the game with crowns, and not any items, doing the $60 for 60,000 crowns deal, it is far cheaper. It is what I do, I don't need to buy the super crowns items. You can win them in battles against major bosses, just farm. :D Nothing is kept from you, if you are willing to spend the time. I even got part of the level 55 ninja pig suit by doing a little farming in the waterworks dungeon. Why spend crowns on what I can get for free? ^-^
Love this game :D
spent so much time on it, and money...
met tons of interesting people too :D so funny :)
crows are awesome
Agreed. This is a global economy and all members should have access to the same items. Their system for international players is downright clunky and outdated.
It's still a great game, though. I started (skeptically) playing 3 years ago on a tip from friends, but it didn't take me long to get completely hooked. It's the most fun I've had for ages, and at $5 a month (when subs are on on sale) its entertainment value is huge. I like my subscriber benefits, but am glad the option is there for players to purchase areas of the game if they want.
wizard101 is the best
My family has been playing this game for almost three years. We love the graphics and family friendly atmosphere. One area, I believe really needs attention is the pvp section of the game, in particular team play for adept, magus wizards. Right now, it is almost impossible to get a fair game . Higher level wizards team with very low level wizards ( these pairings are called puppet teams) to get an easy win against low level teams.
Low level wizards who try to team with each other and play fairly get blindsided by these puppet teams. The atmosphere in the arena is ugly and frankly sad. I love wizard101, but this part of the game is definitely not family friendly. Those of us who pvp do not want pvp dumb downed , just made more fair. KI needs to step up and fix this problem. The day they do I will be a happy camper, and I will again be able to recommend this game to my friends.
Kings Isle, please do the right thing and solve the puppet teaming problem.
My kids and extended family have played this game for well over two years now. We used to enjoy 2-3-4 person teams to help each other through the storyline / worlds. Sadly, recent changes that have increased the "grind" factor have caused folks to lose interest:
- Pets training is a monotonous, highly SOLO activity. No one can help you or even talk with you as you play the pet training mini games. The training takes a HUGE amount of time and has RANDOM results. It is extreme disappointing to people/young kids who want certain types of skilled pets to never be able to get them no matter how hard they try.
- Gardening is a monotonous task that is a huge time sink with little to show for the effort. The good news is that your friends can visit and talk with you as you cast your gardening spells.
- There seems to be a larger emphasis on forcing players to spend crowns (AKA real $ cash), above and beyond the monthly subscription fees. Items such as mastery amulets are very expensive in the crown shop. Even permanent spells are being exclusively offered in the crown shop now, which is very upsetting to folks who thought they got the entire game with their yearly subscription.