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Worlds Apart

Vanessa Mythdust Posted:
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Wizard101 has a plethora of worlds to explore, but some are more likeable than others. Today I'm sharing my favorite and least favorite worlds in the spiral. I know there are some grey areas when it comes to what's considered a "world" nowadays. Places like Darkmoor and Aquila for example, have their own hubs, but are still accessed through Wizard City. Personally, I consider any location accessed by the spiral door a true "world." Aquila, Darkmoor, and other add-ons are more of a "dungeon zone" to me. They all lack wandering mobs and the depth that the other areas have, so I excluded them when I made this list.

The Best

1. Avalon

My absolute favorite world thus far is Avalon. One of the elements that really made me fall in love with Avalon was how different each area felt. You went from the villagy Caer Lyon to the eeriness of The Wyrd, to the popping colors of Lake Shore, to the glowing jewels in the Crystal Caves. Each zone had a distinct personality, yet all of them fit perfectly into both the story and the theme. Speaking of which, Avalon's story kept me intrigued and laughing all the way through. I especially enjoyed learning a little bit more about Morganthe's past and trying to piece together all of the medieval history. Plus, I thought KingsIsle nailed the difficulty level.

2. Khrysalis

Like Avalon, Khrysalis had a lot to offer in the storyline department. The addition of the "companions" also helped forge a more personal relationship to the surrounding characters. Not to mention that the extra boosts were a welcomed change in my book! Khrysalis is a very lengthy world (it was released in two parts), but it never seemed like a chore to quest through. I haven't counted, but I'm almost certain Khrysalis contains the most cheating bosses. Even though some may not have been pleased by that, I thought it helped keep the world very unique. My only wish is that the cheating bosses were a bit more spread out - they all seemed to be clumped in The Hive.

3. Polaris

Polaris was a short world, but the minor details made it worthwhile. The celebratory dancing, cinematic animations, and one very special dance routine helped make this world stand out from the rest. And who can forget the puns?! Keeping the trend from Khrysalis going, Polaris also offered us some companions to help us on our missions. In fact, one of them, Mellori, is actually one of my favorite characters. I do admit Polaris had very little challenge besides the final showdown with The Rat, but I still enjoyed playing through it regardless.

The Worst

1. Zafaria

The big thing that killed Zafaria for me was the grind. KingsIsle has adjusted the drop rates since the time I quested there, but at the time it was an absolute disaster. Greyhorn Mercenaries and Fire Lion Ravagers were the bane of my existence. In addition, Zafaria didn't have any zones or instances that really stood out to me. All of it was a blur and I just couldn't enjoy the storyline as much as I had in other worlds. However, I did like how the postcard changed each time we rescued a missing student.

2. Azteca

For me, Azteca suffered from many of the same problems Zafaria did. At the time of its release, it was extremely repetitive and grindy. The difficulty level was also a huge turnoff. Those dinosaurs hit hard and I had to make many adjustments to get through the world alive. Don't get me wrong, I like challenges. I did however think that the steep difference between Avalon and Azteca was too much. Luckily, things are much better than they used to be. Despite all its frustrations, Azteca did have an interesting ending which helped propel the story forward in a big way.

3. Marleybone

I really wasn't a fan of Marleybone's lack of sidewalks. Those planks that guided me from rooftop to rooftop often caused me to bump into enemies that I had no intention of tangling with. The world as a whole felt very dreary and I remember just wanting to be done with it as soon as possible. Though, there were a lot of great references throughout the world (Sherlock Bones for example) which made me smile.

What are your favorite and least favorite worlds of the spiral? Share your opinions in the comments!