No one has played every video game. Not even the experts. In Backlog, Digital Trends’ gaming team goes back to the important games they’ve never played to see what makes them so special … or not.
After hearing the somewhat overlookedTerrariareceived its final update an astonishing nine years after release, I dusted my copy off ready to give it a real run. The cover was the same, with its odd mix a grassy 8-bit logo and a warrior in armor in an entirely different art style. But that’s actually the charm of the game.
PlayingTerrariain 2020, your thoughts will likely turn towardStardew Valley(though,Terrariawas released first) thanks to their similar aesthetic and shared mix of farming and fighting. But there’s more than meets the eye. Literally.
As hinted at by its name,Terrarialets — encourages, really — players to explore the underbelly of the world. you’re able to mine for treasures or merely explore. And it’s no walk in the park. You’ll often be caught by monsters, some of which wouldn’t be out of place in your typical action-platformer.
More than a clone
It might not have the broader name recognition of the titles it’s compared to, butTerrariamore than holds its own.Fans have shared their worlds and homes all over the internet, and it’s sold a stunning 30 million copies. The fact the community is still active and celebrating the last update, almost a decade after release, is impressive.
Which, of course, made me wonder. What am I missing?
Every new player is greeted by an NPC guide that gives basic instructions, but I still felt lost. I tried venturing on my own to explore a cavern and struggled to make my way back to land once night set in the world was covered in darkness.
This is where comparisons toStardew Valleycome in. They both drop players in with little direction as they take on farming, mining, battling, and relationships with NPCs. You are free to choose what to focus on in each game, whether that means becoming a master battler or building up your homestead. Overall, the gameplay is similar and the two are often compared.
However,Stardew Valleyplaces far greater emphasis on relationships, allowing you to eventually marry. Farming is central while battling takes a backseat.Terrariaoffers big bosses, exploration, terraforming, and building.
And that last bit was what madeTerrariareally stand out to me as I attempted to build my own house.
There’s something about designing a home of my own, instead of making do with the predetermined abode found inStardew Valley(and many other games in this genre). This is where the influence ofMinecraft,which precededTerrariaby only a few years, is felt. However,Terrariaalso sets itself apart from Mojang’s monstrously popular title with side-scrolling gameplay that works well.
I wasn’t just building a home for the sake of it. When the last wood block fell into place, effectively offering the shelter and protection a home is meant to offer, I felt like I finally had the upper had on the zombies at my door. I watched as they struggled to get inside, continuously bumping against my sound structure.
Then, of course, my extremely helpful NPC friend got too close to the door and let the horde in. Perhaps the A.I. could still use some work.
Charm meets danger
My home was modest, but it let me toil away at larger crafting projects. Soon, I had better weapons and defenses, the luxury of furniture, and the chance to catch my breath and take a deeper look at the expansive menu.
However, opening the menu doesn’t pause what’s happening around you. You can easily be crafting or checking your stock when you’re suddenly attacked by slime. You can change this in the menu, but it’s not automatic.
I learned the hard way that when you start seeing sand on your mining quest, it’s time to turn back. It will fall and eventually suffocate you, leaving a drab gravestone as a bitter reminder of your mistakes.
You don’t even get to see what time it is until you find or craft an object that will tell you. And forget charming your neighbors. You need to make homes for all of them to move into.
There’s a great deal of work to do, and I soon realized nothing inTerrariacomes easy. It’s fundamentally a more difficult game than eitherStardew ValleyorMinecraft. But this also gave me the freedom to make the world I wanted.
Terraria’s8-bit graphics translate to lots of tedious block placing and subtle movements to create an awesome, and functional, home base.Terraria’sgameplay, however, leans on combat for challenge. While you’ll need to build a base, just as inMinecraft, there’s not quite as much depth in the base-building systems.
Instead, you’ll find depth in how your work interacts with the games more challenging combat and very complex crafting. It’s hard to say whetherTerrariaorMinecraftultimately offers more for veteran players to dig into, butTerrariacertainly feels like a rival to its 3D predecessor.
Terraria still lets you take it easy
I’m sure more experiencedTerrariaplayers prefer more intense playthroughs. But the slow burn I let myself enjoy was a delight that didn’t feel like a cheap copy of other similar games I’ve enjoyed. It felt like a reminder of some of their best qualities in a new form.
Terrarialacks the charm of laid-back games likeStardew ValleyandAnimal Crossing, and it doesn’t give me the same creative release and building a home inMinecraftmight. But it’s clear this game has a place in my list of “things to play when I need a mental break.”
