After a couple of fun teases, KingsIsle finally opened the Wizard101 Test Realm on October 18th. Since then, wizards have been testing and exploring all that the new update has to offer. Below are a few highlights.
Empyrea Part One
Empyrea is the second world to be split into two parts. The first, Khrysalis, was the second arc's grand finale. Because of this, many players are speculating that Empyrea might be the conclusion of the third arc. However, this has not been confirmed. What I do know though is that Empyrea (part one at least) is a geek's paradise. Star Trek, Batman, and countless other pop culture references are scattered throughout the world. I haven't finished questing it yet, but what I've seen so far is promising. The world as a whole feels very cinematic and introduces some cool new areas and creatures. You can even earn a badge for dancing your heart out. ;)
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Since Empyrea is a two-parter, players will only be able to gain 5 levels instead of the usual 10. With the new max level comes an increased max gold allowance, new equipment, and a training point. If you've reached level 120 and completed the quest "Lost and Found," be sure to speak to Fitzhume in the Arcanum to begin your Empyrea adventures.
Other New Features
- Shadow Magic Spells. As part of the storyline, players will learn the brand new "Shadow Trickster" spell. You can learn more about how it works here. What I'm more excited about however is the new "Donate Shadow Pip" spell. I've been waiting for this since shadow magic was introduced and I'm so happy it's finally made its way into the game.
- Revered Crafting. This has certainly been one of the more controversial additions this update. Although some players didn't like how the Revered Crafter title required quite a bit of effort in different parts of the game (silver chests, PvP, fishing, etc...), KingsIsle has made it clear that this crafting rank was meant to be challenging. Luckily, those who aren't up to the task won't need it to continue regular crafting progression in future worlds. This "side branch" of crafting is just a cool bonus for those who wish to pursue it.
- More Space. Hallelujah! KingsIsle heard our cries for help! This update introduces an increased bank space (150 instead of 100) and a brand new "Expand Backpack Elixir." Each elixir increases backpack space by 50 slots, but can only be purchased twice. Still, I'll take it!
- Deck Organization. To make saving the Spiral just a tad easier, Monstrology spells now have their own section and treasure cards can be quick sold. To top it all off, treasure cards are now sorted by school. No more scouring through pages and pages of spells to find the one you want!
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To find more information about these new features and additional changes/fixes not mentioned here, be sure to take a look at the full list of update notes.
