It isn’t much, but we call it home
What is awesome is that your character is persistent and can be used in any world that exists. Where Terraria really sets itself apart is the character development, and being able to progress your character with health and mana upgrades as well as amazing weapons and armor. Even though there is no over arching goal of the game, Re-Logic has included some really interesting sub-quests that you can build towards. Within the game you can complete specific challenges that will recruit NPCs to inhabit your buildings. For example, In order to get the merchant to live in your house you need to earn fifty silver coins, as well as actually have a livable house for them to stay in. Once the characters move into your house, they will offer their services that come in very handy; the nurse heals wounds, the merchant allows you to purchase goods, and so on. Having these NPC’s become your cohabitants creates a sense of community on the surface of your Terraria world and it is eerily satisfying how much it helps to have others around you at night.
World crafting and character building aside, the one unique aspect about Terraria that kept me playing was the random events that can occur. While our group was peacefully gathering some iron or actively pursuing some slime mobs, out of nowhere a message popped up saying ‘something is watching us’ and we stumbled into a boss battle! I’ve yet to experience some of the other instances but I have heard party members tell me stories of goblin invasions and meteorite crashes. These events alone set Terraria apart from any other mining game out there as they provide the world with so much charm and character. All of the above is possible alone, but I highly recommend playing this game with as many people as possible. The camaraderie that comes from digging as a group is cathartic and I spent countless hours every night just doing “one more dig”. Having a group to co-op build, craft, and create will allow for an efficient use of time within your Terraria world and serves as a great bonding experience when you run into rare occurrences throughout your explorations.
Just one of the random encounters you may have
One thing that I have a problem with in Terraria is that it does not offer anything to players who have ‘completed’ the game. Once you have seen all the instances, have all the best loot, and you have built your amazing castle there is little to do. Maybe I was spoiled with the challenges presented throughout the game and I forgot that there was no goal to the game, but the end game gets pretty boring. A quick and dirty remedy is to hit the reset button and start a new world, but even in that all you are left to do is build bigger and better structures. I have a feeling that Re-Logic will include updates to the game that will add a constant influx of content into the world of Terraria but for now all that is left for our group to do is explore until we reach the ends of the land.
Terraria is not Minecraft, nor does it resemble the game in any way but the mining and crafting bit. Of course these are major components of the game but the loot, challenges, boss encounters, and faster paced action really sets Terraria apart from its 3d predecessor. Both games offer completely different experiences and I think they can coexist in the height of the ‘mining sim’ time that we live in. Personally I prefer the look and feel of Terraria, as it has charm and creativity oozing from every crevice. The game is a steal for ten dollars on Steam, and it is a great way to spend time with a bunch of friends. If three dimensions is too many, grab Terraria and get digging with a couple friends and explore what this world has to offer you.
Verdict
Co-Op Score
Overall
The Co-Op Experience: Terraria is a world building open ended side scrolling action game. Think of it like Minecraft in 2D.
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.