Developer: Payload Studios
Publisher: Payload Studios
Platform: PS4, PC, Xbox One
Tested on: PS4
TerraTech – Review
Ever since Minecraft, sandbox games have been on the rise, becoming more and more popular by the minute. Today we find ourselves discovering TerraTech, an open-world sandbox game made by Payload Studios, that has been in early access since 2015 and was recently released for the wider audience. A game where building vehicles and then destroying them to build even better ones, is the norm.
Story
There isn’t much story to TerraTech. The campaign mode of the game starts off as you crash land on an alien planet, complete with foreign scenery and unknown terrain. Your mission is to build your own vehicle out of blocks. This vehicle is called a tech and you will use this to explore your new domain. Along the way you’ll fight enemy tech, discover new resources, and complete missions to earn cash.
As in most open-world exploration games there aren’t any particular set goals for you to achieve, or a storyline to unfold, but rather there’s a heavy focus on exploration and choosing your own path.
Graphics
The graphics in TerraTech are surprisingly attractive, yet simple. The alien environments look very pleasing, with bright colors and weird shapes to keep players interested. As was already implied, most of the tech you drive around in consists of literal blocks, and as such the game is reminiscent of childhood memories of playing around with LEGO or similar toys. The nostalgia levels are through the roof with this one.
Sound
TerraTech has an amiable soundtrack that goes well with the game’s overall atmosphere. When engaging in battle the music becomes more frantic and upbeat, while just driving around exploring scenery will be accompanied by more relaxing music. The game has a day-night cycle and the music changes accordingly.
Gameplay
TerraTech isn’t your typical sand-box experience. At a glance, there might not seem much to this game, but it turns out to be a lot more complicated than it seems. As we’ve already said, the main goal of the campaign is for you to build a vehicle, known as a tech, which you can use to drive around the open-world map and discover all kinds of interesting things. You start out with a pretty basic set of blocks, such as standard wheels and simple machine guns, but along the way you’ll find more advanced stuff. Lasers, batteries, shields and radars are just some of the things you can pick up after exploring the map.
Mainly you garner these new blocks by finding and destroying enemy tech. These battles can range from ridiculously easy to surprisingly hard, depending on who you come across. But it’s always a thrill to take out a tech twice your size. After your destroy them, you can pick up the leftover enemy blocks and add them to your collection, so you can use them to upgrade your own tech even further. You’re not even limited to just cars, you can also build a plane or a tank if it takes your fancy.
Besides enemies, the alien planet is also full of precious resources. With the right equipment, you can collect these metals and sell them at a trade station. The cash you earn this way can be used to buy even more blocks, or to respawn when you inevitably meet your match on the battlefield. Trade stations also offer missions you can take on for various rewards. Missions can range from finding crates to destroying enemy bases, and anything in-between.
Sadly it is in the controls that this game finds its downfall. At least on console, the user interface isn’t very handy and there are countless buttons to remember the use of. The driving can be a bit fiddly, making it hard to fight enemy tech when you can so easily get stuck on a tree or similar environment assets. The camera doesn’t always cooperate like it should either.
Besides a campaign mode the game also has a creative mode, where you can build whatever you want without limitations. This mode is excellent for people who want to experiment with blocks and see what creations they can come up with, without having to fear losing all their progress by getting killed. There’s also Gauntlet mode, where you can make a tech and race it along a track. How fast you can accomplish this will determine your spot on the leaderboards.
Last but not least there currently is a Multiplayer mode where you can take on friend or foe alike at trying to score the most amount of kills in 15 minutes.
Conclusion
TerraTech is truly unique among its kind. There hasn’t been a game quite like it, and the developers seem to be adding more and more to this title as we speak, so it has a bright future ahead of it too. The small downsides of this game are more than made up by its interesting concept and hours of diverse fun. Whether you like sand-box games, building cars or battle royal-type combat, TerraTech has something for you.
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