Test Realm in a Nutshell: Empyrea P2 (No Spoilers...Kinda!)

SPOILER ALERT: Although this post will mostly be spoiler free in regards to what has been recently released in Test Realm (in terms of story, battle, visuals), this post will NOT leave out information regarding Empyrea P1, so if you do not want to read any P1 and mild P2 spoilers, LOOK AWAY!!

Usually around this time of the year, young wizards and witches will always have their attention drawn towards Test Realm. It falls into a cycle of Twizards constantly tagging the Wizard101 and Kingsisle accounts asking when it will open, theorizing on when it will open or tricking other Twizards into thinking it is open when it has not (I'm always a victim of this every year).

Given the fact that Test Realm was open a bit earlier (I've personally noticed that they usually open it in November and this year they opened in mid-October), it means that Kingsisle was ready to throw us further into the cosmic battle between Raven and Spider. So on Thursday, October 18th, the doors to Test Realm were opened and like any other logical wizard, I basically spent like, over 12 hours on Test in one sitting.

This post is just a general synopsis of part 2 in regards to story line, visuals and a bit about the battle difficulty. I can assure you that guides will be coming in soon!

If you're interested on learning more about this Test Realm update, you can click HERE for the page that discusses what is in the update, accessing TR through Steam, bug fixes, etc.

Want to join in on the Test Realm fun but don't know where to start? Click HERE to download Test Realm! 

When we ended Empyrea P1, the life of Mellori and basically the Spiral was hanging on a thread. It was stressed that if Mellori dies, the Spiral would follow suit, and as saviors of the Spiral, it's our job to save not only the Spiral but also Mellori.

 Image provided by @DestinyRain808 on Twitter

One thing that I have noticed lore-wise when I was questing through was that Kingsisle was making us go back to our roots (heh roots). The further we get involved into this epic battle, the greater our destiny is. We are growing and shaping into something more, but with all that responsibility doesn't mean that we can let our egos inflate. I just found that detail in part 2 interesting. This detail can have a different effect on players, given how far past worlds are depending on whether or not you have been questing on multiple wizards, stuck to one wizard or have had all your wizards constantly up to date level wise.

Image provided by @DestinyRain808 on Twitter

Not only do we go back to the past in a way, but we also face our nightmares. That's right, Kingsisle knows what the community likes and dislikes, and didn't hesitate to throw some of the community's most popular dislikes into our faces.

But in the end, we learn more about Mellori, the Spiral and the first world. We learn more or less what makes the Spiral tick and we're given the responsibility to ensure that nothing gets blown up (or that's what we had hoped).

Battle mechanics tell a different story. I will spoil this one detail just so you can prepare ahead of time but you will definitely come across bosses who don't really show you the exact numbers of their health. You'll come across a few bosses with ??? as their health numbers and depending on the boss, you might have to face a puzzle or just brace for impact. Street monsters are decent as usual, but then again, it's a lot more quicker to fight with friends than by yourself.

As for the graphics, it's simply beautiful! You come across vibrant colors, stretches of fields and some structures that kind of remind me of Pirate101's Valencia Part 2. There are a couple of street monsters that I would love to have as pets (yaknow, in case if any Kingsisle employee is reading this), such as the Snipe, the Horned Frog and the Shadowy Horned Frog. 

 Image provided by @SeffersTM on Twitter

My general response to part 2 quest-wise is that I'm dying to know what happens next. The further we get into this fight, the more divine beings we have to ally or go against with. I managed to get to as far as I could before the first weekend maintenance shutdown, but of course...

With that being said, for those who have quested through part 2, we're just going to sadly wait until it hits live. For those who are waiting until part 2 goes live, strap in for an interesting ride.