Last week, Wizard101 unleashed its newest world - Mirage. To start adventuring, players must be level 110, have completed Polaris, and have access to the Test Realm. Although Mirage will be the highlight of this post, Wizard101's Fall 2016 Update came with much more.
Mirage includes:
- Legendary Weapons
- Faction Vendors
- Castle Magic (Check this out if you haven't already ... housing has turned into a whole different ball game!)
- Pip Conversion
You can see the full list of updates here.
Over the past week I've been questing through Mirage and exploring all that it has to offer. Those expecting a world similar to Polaris will be disappointed, but Mirage does shine in its own way. Here are some things that you might want to keep in mind as you quest through the sandy new world.
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Take it all in. Mirage is one of KingsIsle's most stunning worlds. Be on the lookout for small details in every nook and cranny. I know my personal favorite was the cat nursery.
It's (relatively) long. While Polaris took about 4-5 hours to complete, Mirage can easily take 10+ hours.
There's a steep difficulty increase. Mirage mobs alone have double the health of their Polaris counterparts. Not only that, but they hit hard ... and fast. Make sure your critical block is up to the task. In fact, I actually think the mobs might be the hardest part of Mirage. Although the bosses hit just as hard, their health hasn't increased that much (if at all). Either way, your enemies are getting smarter. They regularly use stacking blades, can obtain shadow pips, and even use enchanted spells.
Cheats. Cheats everywhere! I'm pretty sure there were more cheating bosses than there were non-cheating bosses; however, the good news is that these cheating bosses aren't too difficult. Most of them are pretty straightforward and only have one or two minor tricks up their sleeves.
Hey, you hear that? Turn your sound on! I know a lot of players like to listen to their own music while beating up bad guys, but the Mirage music is worth listening to. It gives me some serious Aladdin vibes, and I think it adds so much more to the overall atmosphere.
Love it or hate it: Grinding is back. Mirage is littered with defeat and collect quests. Don't panic yet though. The drop rate for quest items is actually very high - it's the AMOUNT of mob quests that gets tiring. So although you can easily get a required item on your first or second battle, you might have to repeat the process 2-3 times right after with different mobs.
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Get ready for betrayals and plot twists galore. Mirage continues the mysterious story of Old Cob ... no spoilers though! In fact, the final battle isn't available on Test Realm yet. If it's anything like the Pirate101 Test Realm a few months ago, the final fight should come in a few weeks time.
It's heavy on mobs and towers/dungeons. Mirage has close to no single bosses. Be prepared to fight a couple of battles before you meet your true match.
Overall, Mirage is neither my favorite nor least favorite world. I like to get right down to business so the mob grinding isn't for me; however, I know plenty of others that don't mind that aspect. Like any game, it's all about how you play and your personal preferences. So what do you think of Mirage?
