Wizard101 (Video Game Review)

Wizard101 is a hit MMORPG developed and distributed by KingsIsle Entertainment. The online title is a kid friendly game that can easily be enjoyed by young gamers and older gamers alike. The game first arrived way back in September 2008 and is quickly became and is still one of the most popular free-to-play MMORPG games around. This is thanks in large part of gameplay that is easily accessible to gamers of all ages yet strategic enough to be fun for more experienced gamers. Players can live out their dream of attending a school for wizard by creating a character and being sorted into one of seven different classes of magic, and players will learn spells as they progress through the game. Wizard101 is also a fun social meeting place for kids to meet up with their friends and family online and enjoy some free time together. Gamers shouldn't hesitate to try out the game today or introduce to title to younger gamers in their family.

When starting up a session of Wizard101 for the first time, players will need to create their character. There are boy and girl wizards, and customization options are streamlined to help players quickly get into the game and start playing. There are several preset loadouts players will choose from for their character, and there are also only a certain amounts of names that can be selected for characters from a list of kid friendly titles. Once these options have been set, players will be asked to choose an Elemental class of school (Storm, Fire or Ice), a Spirit class (Life, Death or Myth) or a Balanced class. The character's selection of school is important and will determine which spells can be learned, base statistics for combat and other factors.

It's easy to get in a match of Wizard101 and begin playing. Players can begin working on their home and central hub in the game, start socializing with other players or start fighting with computer controlled enemies and other players. There is plenty to do in Wizard101 including completing missions to earn gold, leveling up and gaining new equipment. The game uses a currency system that allows players to access the game for free or pay a membership fee to unlock even more content. Likewise, players can earn gold through progressing through the game to buy new items such as healing wisps, but players can also use real life currency and gift cards to unlock crowns, which can then be used to purchase some of the best items in the entire game.

Navigating around the in-game world is as easy as using the WASD keys on the keyboard. There are plenty of friendly players to interact with in the game as well as some helpful NPCs. The game world is large and easily comparable to other MMORPG in size. There are plenty of missions and plenty of expensive items available for purchase in the game, so players can easily wrap hundreds of hours into the game and still have plenty to do and see. Players can gain new pets, spells, weapons and other items based on the school class they choose when creating a character, but spells from all classes can be obtained later in the game, though no wizard will be allowed to gain enough levels to unlock all spells in the game. This helps balance characters of all levels and keep any one player from ever becoming too powerful when summoning different spells in combat. It's a good system that works well for Wizard101 and has been fine tuned over the last several years to work nearly flawlessly.

Wizard101 is a good looking game that barely shows its age, and when considering the game has been around since around the launch of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it's pretty easy to tell the game could look worse for wear. Character models and animations are the strong parts of the game's art style, though environments don't look too shabby either. Players have multiple choices when communicating with other players in Wizard101. Open chat and private chat channels are available, but the game filters language and doesn't allow anyone without a credit card to see certain words, while other words are banned entirely. The game is good about monitoring activity on its servers and is constantly working to improve the online experience while keeping the game as fun as possible.

Wizard101 is a good game, and it's just a bonus that it's accessible for all age groups including younger gamers and older gamers looking to have fun with their younger relatives online. The game features plenty of magical wizardry adventures for players to enjoy for hours at a time, and the safe environment ensures parents need not worry who their kids are playing with online. The one major flaw the game has is that a good portion of content is locked away without first paying a membership fee, and some of the best items in the game are only obtainable through spending real world currency. Still, this is all optional, but parents may not want to encourage their kid to play the game if they don't want to shell out just a little cash to make the game more enjoyable. Either way, fans should check out Wizard101 online for free today, and see if they have what it takes to be a true wizard!

Wizard101 is now available free-to-play on PC and other browser based platforms. Wizard101 is rated E by the ESRB. For more information or to play the game for free, check out the official Wizard101 website.

Game Features:

• Massively Multiplayer Online
• Experience 4 Vs 4 Battles
• Join a Wizardry School
• Kid Friendly Gameplay and Online Environment
• Supports In-Game Currency and Purchases

Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: KingsIsle Entertainment
Platforms: PC (reviewed)
Release Date: September 2, 2008

Score: 8 out of 10