Empyrea has raised the bar in terms of difficulty. The amount of tough fights in this new world is what you'd expect and want for high level Wizards. Even though most of the expansion can be soloed without much trouble, there are boss fights and dungeons you'll want your friends to tag along for more fun.
The strong points
KingsIsle has been adding cinematics since Polaris, and the ones in Empyrea are truly magnificent. From rich dialogues to the sumptuous environments, refined details and polished effects, Empyrea is a mix of several worlds we've visited so far, and the final product is beyond splendid! The planet is home to many races of the Spiral, and the diversity of faces and textures make it so unique. Not to mention the graphics are simply mesmerizing, and the soundtrack is super catchy!
In this new update, you'll have to solve a few puzzles along the way and the plethora of quests make it more entertaining and exciting. There are many pets and music scrolls to obtain, rare reagents to collect, and a lot of crafting to do. When it comes to characters, villains have never had so much depth!
The downsides
For me, the last boss' cheats are a little excessive and I can see him being nerfed in a future update. Also, the expansion felt a bit short, but that's to be expected from a world that was divided in two parts. However, side activities are sure to keep you busy for a while, especially if you want to craft one of those revered wands and farm for your Level 125 gear.
The verdict
Empyrea is filled with countless unexpected turn of events and unforseen changes of heart, leading to an epic finale that will surely leave you eager for Part 2, which is expected to see the light in the Fall 2018.
All in all, the first half of the newly released expansion is packed with Batman, Game of Thrones, Star Wars and The Hobbit/Lord of the Rings references, which add significant depth to an all-around fantastic storyline, making it one of Wizard101's greatest updates yet.
Overall grade: A