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Terraria is a 2D platformer Minecraft style game where the player must survive in a randomly generated world through crafting objects. It costs $4.99 and has zero in app purchases.
The gameplay consists of starting in a randomly generated world where the player must survive by collecting objects that can be crafted into equipment and building materials. The equipment is used to protect oneself from enemies while the building materials are used to create shelters. It is an open ended game that has no specific goals other than survive.
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Allows for great freedom of expression
The game has all kinds of tools and materials that you can acquire and use to build whatever you can imagine.
Pro Intriguing world
Terraria uses a bright color palette and an upbeat chiptune soundtrack to ease you into its world. However, once you start exploring and spend time in it you'll notice it's not as cozy as it first seemed to be. Blood Moons that rouse the dead from their graves. Goblin armies trying to destroy everything in their wake. Vast and dark cave systems, filled with odd creatures and various dangers. Ancient ruins, teeming with the restless dead and evil spirits. Pockets of decaying land, thriving with misshapen monstrosities. It's really fun to explore and discover something new about the world of Terraria.
Pro Lots of community servers, tutorials, and streams
Terraria has a large community of players on every platform including mobile, desktop, and console. Because of this, there are many servers to play on, as well as tutorials and Let's Plays. Finding content or help getting started is quite easy.
Pro Has an extensive crafting system
The vast majority of items in Terraria can be used to create other items, often requiring specific crafting stations (which themselves must be crafted). This is the core of character advancement, since gear defines nearly everything about your character.
Pro Survival-horror elements give a sense of urgency
Instead of building a deliberate feeling of suspense, Terraria uses bright palettes and arcade action to provide a fun experience outside of the survival elements. When those elements gradually appear one by one, each is all the more shocking from the contrast which makes for an ever growing sense of urgency in the game to craft a safe space as well as weapons to protect oneself.
Pro Fun combat
It starts out simple, with you whacking away at slow moving zombies and flying eyes, gradually shifting to more fierce and fearsome enemies such as flying demons, agile lizardmen, and many more. To survive you'll have to be always on the move, dodge enemy attacks, and be accurate when you retaliate.
There are also plenty of weapons to choose from. Melee weapons such as swords, hammers, lances, and flails. Ranged weapons such as bows, crossbows, rifles, and miniguns. And various items that allow you to cast spells. Whatever you choose, it feels great to destroy hordes of enemies.
Pro Free demo for easy testing
A trial version of the game can be downloaded on Google Play. A feature of the trial version is that it does have a full game unlock through in app purchase, for those that don't want to lose their games progress by downloading a different version of the game.
Cons
Con Low replay value for those who play it as an adventure game
Terraria is a sandbox platform-adventure game, so it partly hinges on beating various bosses. If you play it purely for the sake of defeating all the bosses, you might have little else to do afterwards. Restarting the game won't be as enjoyable either because you'll already know what to expect, causing continued play without a new goal feel mundane or boring.