Sunday, December 25, 2016

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all my readers and KingsIsle! I hope you all have an amazing holiday! Enjoy this Christmas card from Vaden & I :)


Aren't my editing skills fabulous? Have a great day! See you around the Spiral!

-Cheyenne Caster

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Top 5 Most Interesting Worlds of the Spiral (Wizard101)

Wizard101 worlds are so intriguing. The storyline is complex, the scenery is gorgeous, and the experience is often memorable. I picked 5 worlds with an amazing plot, breathtaking scenery, and unforgettable characters.

5. Zafaria
Having a jungle themed world in the Spiral adds so much character. Its fun atmosphere under a beating hot sun is an excellent combination. The scenery is really pretty. The characters and plot are one of the best in the game.

The world itself is actually pretty uplifting. Despite the semi-dark plot, everything about Zafaria seems happy. The characters don't seem to be at a loss of will. In fact, they are all pretty wise and calm in such a turbulent situation. Zafaria boasts some of the most breathtaking areas in the game. Jungles, savannahs, waterfalls, graveyards, mountains- all thoroughly represented in one world. Zafaria is just so diverse and really fun to play through!


Image via Wizard101.com
Apart from its awesome scenery and story line, Zafaria has some of the coolest cut scenes in the game. It really immerses you in what's going on. My favorite is all the cut scenes in Mirror Lake. It makes the long dungeon seem more interactive and overall worth coming back to.

Even the gear in Zafaria is super cool. The wands, rings, athames, and amulets make you feel like you're actually a tribal leader. (Combined with Azteca gear= Tribal God!) Plus, The Lion King fans would love this world. So what's not to love? Pat on the back to KingsIsle for making an excellent world!

4. Grizzleheim (and Wintertusk)
I may be a little biased, but Grizzleheim is super interesting. Viking culture and mythology is presented in a unique way. The scenery is as refreshing as the music in the background.

Grizzleheim is a beautiful world. The airy forests, the flowing streams, the towering glaciers- all breathtaking.  I think it even sports the best waterfalls in the game! There's just something about each part of Grizzleheim that is gorgeous. I really like Vigrid Roughland, Nidavellir, and Vestrilund. Nidavellir is so intricate and I wish there was more to that part of Grizzleheim. It kind of feels a little homey.

You can often see a great representation of Viking life in Grizzleheim. From camps and shop owners to warriors and fisherman, the game immerses you into a Nordic lifestyle. It's too bad Grizzleheim is a side world and isn't as a developed story as others are.

Wintertusk has the best music in the game. It's soothing and sounds like a musical score for a major motion picture. I think each one perfectly captures the mood of it's corresponding area. I love listening to Wintertusk music whenever I need to focus. My favorites are Nordrilund and Austrilund music. KingsIsle (Nick Jonas) did an incredible job on it!

3. Marleybone
Marleybone is a world that everyone has either mixed feelings about or compete hatred for. It was likely the first world to begin making people quit the game. It was frustrating, hard, and long. But despite all these negatives, it's actually a very interesting world.

If you remember one thing from Marleybone, it's probably all the battles you got pulled into while on the rooftops. It seemed like you couldn't even travel 5 seconds to get a health wisp before getting pulled in. (5 Seconds of Freedom, am I right?) However, it was cool to be on top of the buildings, instead of walking past them. Our wizards fought a gang...and won. That alone is pretty impressive.



What I really enjoyed is the night time city feel. If you think about it, your wizard literally had a night life while playing through Marleybone. The fact that there's a modern world in the Spiral makes the game a little more relatable. Not to mention, the sky is so so so gorgeous. Marleybone even has tasteful outfits to go along with such a sophisticated atmosphere.

Even cooler yet was all the real life places, such as Barkingham Palace. Meeting the Queen was an excellent experience! The Royal Museum is so interesting that I wish it was more interactive, just like a real museum.

2. Aquila
Yes, it's technically an expansion dungeon zone, not a world. Aquila feels like its own world, though. Everything about it is so cool! It's a Greek themed world with a ton of references to mythology. In fact, the whole thing is basically interactive mythology.

The Greek theme is just so awesome. It's so cool to play with and against The Olympians in such iconic locations. Mount Olympus was pretty, but Tartarus was intricately detailed. Playing through the domains of the Big Three has got to be one of the most memorable experiences in the game!


The zone is so awesome to look at! It's unique, attractive and picturesque all in a small area. I really wish it was its own world, because there's so much to work with. (Pirate101 did a great job doing that.) Everything about Aquila is resplendent. It's truly astounding experience to play and explore through Aquila.

1. Avalon
Avalon is just one of those worlds that is all around magnificent. The plot, frequently referencing the tales of King Arthur and Camelot, is really interesting. Many of the NPCs, creatures, and locations reference these stories.


The world itself is gorgeous. The Wyrd is my favorite area. The Wild, Dun Dara, and Tomb of the Nameless all connect there. Everything is a little dark, but it's beautiful in its own way. On the happier side of town, the music for Abbey Road is awesome! Caer Lyon and Keep of Ganelon is really fun to explore. Lakeshore, though raining all the time, is also awesome. Avalon is a really cool world to simply explore.

The NPCs and creatures are very interesting. Many of them are warriors trying to regain lost honor. I think it is actually humbling for our wizards to get to help King Artorius. One of the interesting things I found is that Uther Pendragon (King Arthur's father) is portrayed as the Pendragon, a tough boss to beat.

Honorable Mentions
Azteca
Krokotopia
Polaris

What's your top 5 most interesting worlds of the Spiral? Do you agree or disagree with mine?