Wizards 101: Not Just for Kids

One of the games that I've been into lately, believe it or not, is Wizard101.

Me in Zafaria

I play it with one of my best friends and we use it as a time to talk on the phone and help each other out, more her helping me than anything else. The game is not just for kids. The game is a destroyer of time. It is a destroyer of willpower. I've had times when I was nearly at the point of tears. The game is recommended for children. Don't let the stigma surrounding it fool you. It will crush your soul.


The game uses a battle system that is turned based and involves the use of cards to do damage or heal, mostly through summoning monsters. The spell animations have a certain cinematic quality that makes it fun to just sit and cast spells, even if they are a little dated. The tutorial awed me, even if aimed at a younger audience. The game requires strategy and patience. It requires critical thinking and problem solving. It is not dumbed down so only kids can enjoy it. It's built to help kids think and is a full experience for all ages.

The things that interested me most at first were the commercials.

 Doesn't actually look that good

The cover was selling the book, but I thought, no, that's for children. There was always a one day, maaaybe, without an actual intent to follow through. Then my friend confesses a long kept dark secret, one that she thought would jeopardize our friendship, ending in ridicule for the awful thing she had been doing under my nose, hiding it in fear. Unable to contain it any longer, in tears she said, "I play wizard101!"  I backed away from the phone. Maybe I screamed and accidentally hung up, I can't say for sure. Maybe I had a cup of tea, saw a movie, saved the world. Point is I had to think, and you know what?

She. Was. Right.

Kidding... but when she told me during one of our Thursday phone chats, with a bit of embarrassment, I started to wonder if it really was just a kid's game. I still had no intention to play it, even as she pressed me to try it out and see if I liked it. After a few months, maybe even a year, I caved. I remember it well, I got curious and asked her about it. She had been mentioning it on and off since she brought it up originally. She showed me how it looked on Skype. Then I thought, why not? She mentioned how the trial was free up until a certain point and I decided to play.

Now I'd like to think I know what it's like to be on crack.

I. 

Couldn't. 

Stop. 

The graphics are admittedly cheesy at first, with a few soft and equally cheesy plot points, but I fell for it, and fell hard. I'm a bit childish at times, I admit it. You know those damned shows for toddlers, the ones where they want you to shout at the screen, fooling you to think that you're having an impact on the show and lying to you about your perceptions of reality? I've done it. I've shouted at that screen. That was six months ago. I'm 23.

But I know games and Wizard101 is definitely one of the hardest one's I've played, especially in terms of MMOs. And I've played Dark Souls, maaan! (Haven't beat it yet, but sooon) It's reliance on luck in tandem with strategy can destroy you. You get a deck for your cards that is gradually increased as you play because you buy bigger decks. Well, like any card game, real or virtual, that deck has to be shuffled before you can use it. If you get a bad hand in Wizard101 during a big battle in the later levels, you will be destroyed. (This is unlike other games where your skills are readily available without limitation.) Treasure cards help in those sorts of binds, but you'd have to plan for those situations. Plan. Strategically. For battle. In a KID'S GAME! Am I getting my point across? I played a battle once where half my healing cards, the cards I needed before I felt comfortable attacking, were in the last hand of my entire deck. I cycled through all my attack cards to get to them and was left with nothing but my treasure cards. I nearly cried. Worst battle of my life. In any game. Ever.

My point is that Wizard101 is so far from just a kid's game that it isn't even funny. I've settled into using an Ice Wizard, I'm currently level 72, and I live in constant fear of fighting enemies of my same school, the school being ice. Ice has weak attack power but amazing health and an awesome defense spell. So imagine my horror when I fight a boss of my school, who my already weak spells are further weakened against because we are the same, and has the gall to cast spells that cut my attack spells even further. I can't. Just. No.

I've definitely enjoyed my stay, and I'll be staying until I get to the max level, currently 95. The typical concern of a dwindling population isn't really present, but that is countered with a population varied in age. I have my frustrating stories, ones where I've almost finished a battle and some punk runs in, gets another enemy, says "sorry" and leaves. Hated him. Others where someone will queue up for a dungeon with me, I'll run into the battle, they'll walk around it and decide they don't want to fight in the dungeon anymore, leaving me with more enemies than I would have had without them. But I'll save those for some other time. The game is beautiful, smart and fun. It's an immersive, albeit repetitive, experience with a few downfalls, like major level gaps between spells and lots of fighting of the same exact enemies. I'll save the exact pros and cons for another post. I've enjoyed the experience, especially since I have a friend to share it with. You too can settle into constant fear if you give Wizard101 a try today!

Safe gaming!
Blu

Behold, my casa!