I finished Xibalba earlier today and was suprised by how the story ended for this world. I felt it was a great ending. The hero doesn't always make it in time, and sometimes the bad guys gets away with the crime. I actually sat there shocked after it was all done because I kept thinking "nah, they will have some 'writers convenience' that will allow you to save them in the end..."
Nope.
Story aside, I loved everything about this world. The intro into the Zocolo was well done, the color pallet was really pleasing to me, and all of the music references I ran across made me happy (I'm looking at you, whomever put the lyrics for Rob Zombies "Living Dead Girl" as one of the bosses intro/defeat speech).
The combat music was really nice too. Might be my favorite now, or at least up there with Marleybones for me.
The scope and size of the world felt enormous! Going from whirlpool lake bottoms to the very top of great mountains, and even a quick ride through a volcano!
I found myself actually seeking out the side quests to extend my time in the Azteca. I rarely seek out side quests in any world unless it's for spells, training points, or crafting related. I had them all done before I finished the last dungeon.
I am not sure why, but I really liked how many of the bosses seem to be dual-schooling their battles. It made sense to me seeing a storm boss casting tower shield or a healing spell, for instance.
At any rate, I just wanted to take a moment to say Azteca was a great W101 gaming experience for me, and I now have high expectations from the next world.
