Gaming and the geek community has always seems to go hand-in-hand, and there are some games that really seem to capture the whole community. One such game is Terraria, an Indie game that is still in development, and also quite unknown by many.
While Minecraft has taken not only the geek community but the whole world by storm, Terraria is another similar game that is equally as fun, if not more. What is it, you may ask? Put quite simply, it is a version of Minecraft that focuses mainly on the adventuring aspect of the game. This 2D scroller is a ton of fun for those who aren’t as excited by building structures and punching tree, but are rather more excited by the sense of adventure that can come with a journey into the unknown.
Terraria is quite similar to Minecraft, though drastically different as well; Each map is randomly generated for the play. One difference in this process is the players character. You are allowed to have multiple characters that will continue to evolve and earn more items on any map that the player chooses to play on. Whether online or offline, your items and stats are all transferred when you play.
Another notable difference is, obviously, the 2D aspect of the game. This is quite different than Minecraft, really focusing players into exploring the world, one that scrolls left and right, as well as up to the heavens and down to the pits of Hell. Through Caves, Caverns, Corruption, and even battling an Old Man, Terraria is an adventure game designed to keep players interested for a long time. Constant updating by the creators is always a plus, and this is another huge aspect that keeps Terraria not only interesting, but ever evolving.
For those of you who may be thinking that Terraria is a direct rip-off of Minecraft, I ask you to reconsider your opinion. The two teams actually get along quite well and are seen frequently complimenting/giving suggestions to each other via Twitter. Terraria is available at the Steam online store for $10.
With a few hours behind your character, you’ll be amazed at how quickly one can progress, that is if you know what to do and what to look for. While it will take a short while to figure out what to craft (and how to craft it), where to go, and how to unlock/defeat the bosses in Terraria, once one does it will be a breeze. One aspect that the game does need to improve on, in my opinion, is it’s entrance. New players are thrown into a world they have never known before nor experienced, and although a Guide is given to the player, events can unfold quite slowly, and sometimes with extreme difficulty. The lowly enemies that you encounter at first, Slimes, are not a major issue (though can be if swarmed by them), but when attacked by a group of Zombies or Demon Eyes, new players who are ill equipped with armor or higher-level weapons will face a little challenge. Looking back on my recent playing, I can say that I (as an experienced player) did not share these difficulties as I have had experience playing this great game for quite some time now, but I certainly had difficulties when I first started. Again, just a suggestion, but certainly something that could be touched upon in some way.
Thankfully, Terraria has a variety of official and fan-based pages to help players all around, from complete n00bs to hardcore vets. Players can visit the Official Steam Community Group, check out the Official Terraria Forums (great for finding answers to just about any questions, as well as upcoming patch notes), and also check out my favorite, the Official Terraria Wiki. With so many areas, items, and NPCs, a Wiki is helpful.
