Terra Memoria Evaluation – Evaluation

RPGs are considered one of my favourite genres, however they’re typically very lengthy undertakings. Whereas I typically love an extended RPG to essentially sink my tooth into, I’m additionally a working grownup who generally needs to only take it simple and chill with a shorter sport that may be a bit cozier, which appears to be what Terra Memoria goes for.

Terra Memoria is an RPG that’s set in a world of magic, the place the magic crystals that function the each day lifetime of inhabitants of this world are operating scarce. Your celebration, a bunch that finally ends up rising to 6 folks, is tasked with investigating what is occurring to trigger these crystal shortages, in addition to determine their very own private quests. In fact, being an RPG, there are a variety of aspect quests as properly.

The core gameplay is flip based mostly battling, however actually emphasizes the flip based mostly nature of the system. The entire characters who battle use some type of magic, however quite than any form of consumable MP system every spell is forged with realizing how lengthy they will transfer once more. For instance, a weaker spell may permit the character to forged one other spell in 5 turns, whereas a extra highly effective spell may take as much as ten turns. This permits for a enjoyable technique, because the weaker spell may permit your character to forged one other one earlier than an enemy even will get a flip, however the stronger spell is perhaps sufficient to complete off the enemy. That is additionally sophisticated by a component based mostly weak point system, the place chipping away at an enemy’s weaknesses can push them to the again of the queue. Three characters are battling, however three characters are help and may modify present abilities as properly, in order that provides a way of randomness to the system as properly. Whereas it may be irritating that you just don’t select which help character works with which battling character (although you’ll be able to veto sure combos you don’t like) it provides a brand new dimension to planning out fights. It is a enjoyable, distinctive system that actually rewards technique and was enjoyable to dig into. My largest problem with this technique was, by the top of the sport, it did really feel very repetitive. All through you’ll be able to unlock new spells and enhance your stats, however all assaults mainly do the identical factor and the technique is basically the identical battle to battle. It’s a system I’d like to see expanded upon additional, although!

As one other facet of the sport is that it’s a comfortable RPG (the builders have said they need to bridge the hole between cozy video games and JRPGs) there are different methods at play, particularly a cooking mini sport, crafting, and city constructing components. You could find and purchase elements all around the sport map, in addition to discover recipes, and any time you discover an inn or campfire you’ll be able to prepare dinner by way of these recipes. These add a cumulative bonus to the HP stat for all your celebration, so that is one thing to hunt out, and also you prepare dinner with a mini rhythm sport. I want there was a bit extra to this technique, because it’s a enjoyable thought (and the meals artwork seems to be unimaginable), equivalent to getting a small bonus for acing the cooking minigame or having totally different recipes give totally different results, but it surely’s a pleasant distraction. Partway by way of you discover a new city which you can assist construct up, which is a system I want had a bit extra to it as properly, although I didn’t spend as a lot time with that system on account of focusing my cash on shopping for meals for cooking, which felt extra related to the fight system.

Talking of the meals artwork, the visible design for Terra Memoria is fantastic. The characters are proven as pixel artwork sprites on a 3D background, however all the things pops and appears nice. The character designs look implausible, and the enemy sprites are very properly designed. I additionally loved the music, although it felt extra like background music than being a spotlight within the forefront, and contemplating there are a number of music based mostly story beats I want it’d had been given a bit extra focus.

The story and characters in Terra Memoria had been strong, however the worldbuilding was what actually shone. I used to be always curious about studying extra concerning the historical past of the world, the methods of magic, and going from metropolis to metropolis to be taught extra. I didn’t discover myself as drawn to the overarching story moments as I want I had been, but it surely was these worldbuilding components that saved me coming again for extra. I may see this setting being the beginning of different new video games, and I’d be completely satisfied to have that. A giant concentrate on this sport is new beginnings, and I hope to see Terra Memoria as a brand new starting in its personal proper. Whereas a number of the points didn’t really feel totally baked, equivalent to a number of the quests being fairly fundamental fetch quests, it seems like Terra Memoria is the beginning of one thing good.

General, whereas there have been some flaws to my time in Terra Memoria, I’m glad I used to be capable of expertise this fascinating world which was stuffed with nice concepts, lovely artwork, and an entertaining fight system. Some points felt not totally realized, however hopefully this implies the developer is simply getting began.