..TERA..

REVIEW |

Given everything going on, you may have missed out on trying TERA through all of their open beta events, and that's perfectly okay. There is already a lot to be said for TERA and it's not even been out for a solid month yet. TERA is an MMORPG adapted from Korea for international audiences, and it has a whole selection of game features not really seen before, which will be discussed below.

First of all, let's talk about the graphics for this game. TERA (previously titled TERA: Exiled, Realm of, Arborea) is absolutely beautiful. I found myself, to my detriment, taking time to observe the landscape around me. Everywhere you go in this game is absolutely stunning from top to bottom. It's very hard to find yourself somewhere that isn't just breath taking to look at for more than a few seconds. Unfortunately, like a lot of games these days, skins for monsters, armors, and weapons tend to get reused with a bit more frequency than would be desired. If I could, I'd spend a good article talking about the graphics of games these days, but that's not what makes a good game, so let's venture forth!

The bulk of what TERA brings to the table is its gameplay. It is what the developers call a "True Action MMO". Before going into it too far, unlike most games, everyone is on the same "side" but can PvP (fight other players) more freely with one another in the open world, and "factions" are essentially just different guilds using a similar guild system to other games out there. Everything relating to combat / skill usage in the game actually requires skill. When attacking monsters, you actually need to aim your skills with a crosshair that replaces the mouse cursor you see in games with which you may be familiar, like WoW and so forth. Even healing, with some skills, requires aim and precision. Furthermore, avoiding attacks can be somewhat dependent on class or simply just not being in the way of the attack. For example, Slayers actually have a skill to dodge away, while a Berserker actually blocks the attack if facing in the correct direction. All of these things together make for a high-adrenaline gaming experience. It makes PvP phenomenal.

Additionally, after level 50 with the new patches, Guild Leaders can apply to become Vanarchs, or rulers of regions, in the game. This provides numerous benefits to the guilds involved. Mounts, Vendors, and more become available to you if you win. You can win either by force or by being voted into the position by your peers. These are pretty sweet, slick new options that I've personally not seen in a game before now.

Unfortunately, TERA does fall short in some departments. While PvP is amazing and prevalent, the regular leveling aspect is exceptionally grindy after around level 20. This wouldn't be so bad if quests were engaging, but they aren't. In terms of the mind set, it boils down to "You can kill 20 piglings and I'll give you stuff, or you can just kill 20 piglings. Either way, you'll be killing something." I feel this is heavily related to the fact that TERA is originally Korean and was adapted for international audiences. There are also guild battles available, but they don't provide much benefit currently, although they may in future patches. Hopefully they'll bring more depth and less width into their PvP systems, as it is a major draw given how the game is played.

Like with most MMOs, there is crafting, guilds, pvp, and more. All together, the game is very solid and has a bright future if developed well from this point forward. I've definitely had a lot of fun with it and hope that it doesn't die like other MMOs have been prone to doing. It plays well, it's really easy to get into and learn but difficult to master, it has beautiful graphics (as we've come to expect), and it just does a solid job in trying to be community-oriented. If you get the chance for a free try, be it through a friend or if the website does a promotion, I highly recommend it. If not, you should still consider it if it's your kind of game.

GameDynamo's Score for TERA (PC)

Jack McGuinness

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