Wizard 101

Game: Wizard 101

Publisher: Kings Isle

Download or web based: Download

What you get if you pay: Crowns are used to purchase enhanced items and pets and unlock additional areas and cities.

Review: In Wizard 101 a student wizard is embarking their first trip to school while undertaking the quest of stopping an evil wizard from taking over the worlds. Many worlds make up the Spiral universe than houses Wizard 101. They are accessed via the Wisdom Tree, .

Each basic element has it's own class and with it spells that can be learned. Equipment worn is also dependent on which element a character is.

After taking a short quiz or manually selecting an elemental class to join a player is introduced to and sent on a few introductory quests to meet the other professors and find out how the school runs. As quests are completed experienced is gained and levels are increased, allowing for more powerful “spells” to be learned from the chosen school. Spells utilizing other elements can be learned from the other schools by spending Training Points awarded for completing specific quests.

Combat can be loosely described as “card-based.” A player's collection of spells can be equipped into a deck whose size is limited by the exact deck equipped. Deck customization can be done at any time not in battle. Early on decks are limited to a small number of spells and only 3 copies of each spell are allowed. Later decks allow for larger numbers of spells and more copies to be placed in them.

During a battle a player is given 7 of their equipped spells to choose from. After selecting a spell and target each participant in the battle takes their own turn casting. Damage done to foes is dependent on the strength of the spell, its element, and the element of the targeted enemy. More powerful spells require Points that are gained once per round. These spells have longer animations and do more damage.

Damage from battles is healed by walking into red “sprites” that float around the various combat areas or automatically regenerated in the central areas of cities. Used Mana Points are recharged by walking into the blue “sprites” that also float in the combat areas. Mana Points do not automatically recharge but can be refilled by playing one of 8 mini-games themed in the Wizard 101 world. Potion bottles can be obtained from certain quests. These bottles instantly recharge Hit and Mana Points and can also be refilled from playing mini-games.

Each character is assigned a dorm room that can be used to store unused equipment and decorated with items won in battles or rewarded in quests. After reaching a certain level a house can be purchased and used to store more decorations. Houses come with a yard area that can be improved with trees, statues, and mock-ups of other buildings.


Rating: 3/10 Game play is great and combat varies from battle to battle enough to keep from getting monotonous. Animations from spell casting vary from exciting to funny. Areas and cities are beautiful (or spooky) enough to swallow a player into the environment. Low rating is based strictly on free aspect. Teasing players with the experience then requiring one to purchase Crowns to unlock additional areas to complete quests and advance the storyline is very frustrating. Without taking in to consideration the quick need to unlock areas this game is a definite 9/10.

Bite Fight

Game: Bite Fight

Publisher: Gameforge

Download or web based: Web

What you get if you pay: Hellstones can be purchased and redeemed for higher class weapons, “Shadow-Lord” status (extra gold, increase in allowed hunting time, and other benefits), and a chance to switch sides.

Review: Bite Fight is an age old battle between vampires and werewolves. However nobody sparkles in this text based game. One can enter the game as a newly bitten vampire or werewolf. It is possible to be “bitten” by an existing player, gaining a small bonus for the older player.

Quests are obtained by visiting the tavern. While quests do require exploration the areas available are around the small village the game is based in. After taking 10 minutes to “explore the area,” during which a battle may or may not occur, the quest goal is reached and a small conversation is read.

Gold is rewarded for going on manhunts, attacking members of the other “side” or working in the graveyard. Manhunts cost 10 gold, but can be done at 10 minute intervals for up to 2 hours a day. Rewards vary greatly and a battle can sometimes occur giving a small additional reward or an end to the day's activities. Attacking werewolves (or vampires) can also garner gold as well as experience points. Just beware of revenge attacks from offended players. Graveyard work is done in 1 hour intervals and earns a set amount of gold per hour depending on level.

A personal hideout is available for limited customization. Various aspects are upgradeable for a price, each upgrade being a larger or gloomier visual image of the entire hideout. Upgrading also gives extra protection from foes and an increase in inventory space.

Rating: 4/10 Okay as a distraction but a lack of content and the constant wait to get anything done detracts from any possible story.

Side Note This is one of many games available at MMOGame.com, all accessible with one account.

Earth Eternal

Game: Earth Eternal

Publisher: Sparkplayer

Download or web based: Web based but a small download is required.

What you get if you pay: Credits which can be used for various items including potions for faster running speed, experience boosts and other features.

Review: Earth Eternal isn't your average RPG. While all the characters are humanoid, there are no humans. Or dwarfs, or elves, or aliens for that matter. Characters from Earth Eternal come from the wide palate of the animal kingdom. Lizards and felines and bears (oh my!) are available for players' characters alongside mechanical Clockworks and mythic Cyclops and Daemons. While options to modify each species is very limited the variety of starting animals allows for a degree of personalization.

Quests start off with a couple basic seek-and-destroy or find-the-NPC types in the starting village. Wandering further is easy on the main roads with many foes close enough to the paths to make for easy attacks without many worries about random attacks.

Battle is a simple click-to-attack system. Special attacks and abilities are accessed with programmable hot keys. Enemies vary from walking plants to over sized butterflies. Even a few wandering crabs are sprinkled in for variety.

Rating: 5/10 With the exception of the anthropomorphic animalistic characters there is nothing unique about EE.

Shot Online

Game: Shot Online International

Publisher: Games Campus

Download or web based: Download

What you get if you pay: Campus credits are bought and used for items to boost strength, shot accuracy, and other skills as well as increasing experience gain. Clothes that have more than cosmetic effects are purchasable as well.

Review: Shot Online is a golf game. After a brief tutorial a beginner course can be played. Quests can be accepted to finish the course or completing single holes under given scores. As rounds are played and quests completed experience is gained that opens other courses.

As experience is gained character levels are increased. With each level up points are given that can be used to raise the various skills needed for a successful round of golf. Skills such as strength, which hits the ball further, and impact, which allows for more accurate hitting of the ball.

Courses can be played solo or against other players. When starting a round the number of players can be limited and passwords set to block out unwanted intruders. This allows for friendly games between known players or a wide open match anyone can join.

Rating: 5/10 A decent game visually with simple user interface. Character customization is easy with various outfits available at shops on the main street. Great play for golf enthusiasts, not so much for football fans.

Legends of Zork

Game: Legends of Zork

Publisher: Jolt Online

Download or web based: Web-based

What you get if you pay: Coconuts. They are used to gain Action Points, allowing for more battles per day. Coconuts can also be used to purchase avatar icons and carrying capacity increases, among other things.

Review: Largely text based, Legends of Zork is the adventuring of characters exploring the Underground. Combat is accomplished by selecting a field to enter and observing as enemy stats and combat round results appear on screen.

Starting at The White House and gallivanting off to The Dark Forest and The White Cliffs more areas become accessible as higher levels are reached.

Weapons and skills with interesting names are available, but no visuals of them is possible.

Rating: 4/10 OK if you want a brief distraction. Text based battles don't hold much interest. Many lands to explore, just not much more fascinating than a map view and limited pictures from each. Variety of enemies, none displayed as more than a single picture.

Fly for Fun

Game: Fly For Fun

Publisher: gPotato

Download or web based: Download

What you get if you pay: gPotatoes can be purchased and used to buy a large variety of items such as pets, skill and status boosts, and character costumes.

Review: Fly for Fun explores the world of Madrigal, starting on the island of Flaris. Despite the name, early exploring is accomplished by walking around the paths and fields on the island. Flight is easily accomplished after reaching level 20, and combat in the air is even possible.

Selecting enemies for combat is easy. By clicking on a foe its name and level appear, allowing for selection of targets in the right range to defeat without difficulty. Most enemies wandering the area are passive and won't attack unless provoked first. Those that are aggressive have their names in red, making them simple to spot and either avoid or take out first. Spawn times for basic monsters are low allowing for many players to kill in the same area with minimal downtime between fights.

Along with simple loot, monsters and enemies that carry quest items drop them regardless of whether or not the quest is active. This can make completing quests later simpler since the items can already be on hand, but it also clutters up a limited inventory space.

Appearance can be customized with costumes varying from sailor's suits to school uniforms. While not having much of an impact on stats the costumes do allow for a unique look.


Rating: 6/10 A slight cartoony look and feel. Combat is a breeze if a little repetitive. On hand inventory space appears quite large but can fill quickly.

Shadowtale

Game: Shadowtale

Publisher: Hyper Awesome Entertainment

Download or web based: Web

What you get if you pay: Various “Members Only” perks including exclusive weapons, areas, and quests.

Review: Shadowtale opens with a mysterious woman telling the player about them being a destined hero. A short tutorial quest follows explaining the basics of battle and movement.

The tutorial quest leaves off in the small village of Edgewood. Here many quests can be undertaken and equipment bought to start things off. Arrows on the main screen and a highlighted path on the mini-map make navigating to quest goals simple enough, even if defeating enemies or collecting items is more of a challenge. Enemies include boars, goblins, and some soldiers attacking a nearby castle.

Combat is a basic approach and attack style with free movement in the area and between areas. Using skills and casting spells increase experience in the job the skill is based in. For example, throwing a fireball at an offending blood wolf will increase points in wizardry whether the wolf is defeated with more fireballs or a slashing sword. While experience is gained with each foe defeated, a tone sounds and total experience required for the next level will be displayed when all on screen foes are defeated.

Rating: 7/10 Fairly simple game play in an open world and large number of quests. Graphics are decent for not requiring a download.