TERA

Tera features a truely great combat system but it actually hides cumbersome mechanics and repetitive quest grinding with poor endgame contents and a shallow PvP system. Next updates should provide a decent amount of content but in the meanwhile TERA is just a mediocre MMO with sexy ladies and cool gear.

Tera sure makes promise on the "true action combat" that it so advertises, but that change alone to the MMORPG formula isn't enough to flip the genre on its head, especially when you've forgotten about other aspects of it.

A nicely dressed game with a fun combat system, which also lets its Asian grinder-roots shine through. Especially during the quests they should have mustered more courage to try something new. There is fun to be had here, but you have to know, what you get yourself into.

TERA is faithful to the Korean tradition. However, while devoted to grinding, TERA introduces interesting new features such as the political system. The lack of appropriate endgame content, and the mismanagement by Frogster and Blue Hole are emptying the servers.

If simply taken as the sum of its parts, TERA might not seem all that impressive. But considering just how excellent its combat is and just how gorgeous everything in-game looks, it's impossible to dismiss the game as just another run-of-the-mill MMO.

Pushed to the extremes of an MMORPG, even the commendable highs of its unrelenting focus on combat run out of steam long before you even reach the level cap, and that's a terrible fate for a game that otherwise shows so much promise.

TERA is a game caught between MMO past and MMO future. Its action-based combat is a breath of fresh air for the genre, and makes tackling its giant enemy monsters all the more thrilling, but its quests are formulaic and repetitious, serving no real purpose other than to move you through zones while anticipating the next giant boss fight.

Tera will be remembered for two things: art and its implementation of a combat experience unique to the genre. But the use of familiar MMO tropes feels somewhat uninspired. From the beginning, taking down monsters and levelling up is easy and only after the player leaves the Island of Dawn do monsters pose more of a challenge, but the biggest enemy you'll have to contend with is boredom. While Tera has a strong focus on community and PvP and the combat certainly is an innovation that I'd like to see implemented in more MMOs, I've had a difficult time breaking through the monotony of the non-community experience.

Action-oriented combat and interesting graphics aren't enough to overcome what is overall a rather bland experience.

Tera's an action-MMO that nails the "action" part and then manages a face-palm-inducing face-plant on all the other bits.

Heavy grind will rightly put people off, but make it to grouping and its combat shines. Some of the races are still creepy though.