User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 799 Ratings

User score distribution:
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. Feb 6, 2013
    9
    Recently this game went free to play, but I couldn't try it earlier due to the fact that I can't really put more money for more than one subscription (still playing WoW with friends). I've been playing it for a month, playing with the unlimited trial, but eventually the game made me buy a copy before the free-to-play release in order to get some bonuses, and it was worth it! The game isn'tRecently this game went free to play, but I couldn't try it earlier due to the fact that I can't really put more money for more than one subscription (still playing WoW with friends). I've been playing it for a month, playing with the unlimited trial, but eventually the game made me buy a copy before the free-to-play release in order to get some bonuses, and it was worth it! The game isn't perfect of course but, in all honesty, it deserved much more than it ddoes: the system works, it's pretty fun and, like I said, very different than usual. The classes are pretty varied and only downside is that their restricted to one weapon, but I personally found that to be a good detail actually (it limits steals within a dungeon team, since weapons are class restricted). Also, the races have no limitations in classes and I found that to be a BIG positive remark, since it gives you a lot of combinations and there's no real con or pro: every class-race combination works greatly and gives you a huge variation for your characters. The graphics are very good...on the characters and monsters, while the areas and some places seems lacking details and have bland textures (although some cities and areas ARE gorgeous). On the other hand, the characters, the npcs, the monsters are greatly animated, greatly detailed and I was amazed how the graphics were. Of course, some characters (the females) may have some..."particular" detailing on them...and I'm personally not bothered that much; I do like when games attempt to be brave by having some revealing female characters, without mentioning that the males too are exagerated in both their body mass and their armors (some are revealing, some are massively big). For the rest, I do have some complains: firstly, I hated that there's NO vendor outside the villages or main cities, and if you're filled with trash to sell, you're basically forced to go back (either on foot, horse, or using a scroll if you're lucky) and sell your stuff. At least you can teleport to the nearest post. The enemies aren't hard to defeat...but if you aggro some by going nearby, 2 are the possibilities: 1) you get hit and you'll be in combat stance, with your weapons out, and your movement will be slower until you defeat your enemies or run away (hard to do). 2) you run away for a good amount of time..only to find them right behind you and forcing you to beat them go out of combat stance. This is SO annoying on so many levels because the enemies will almost never let you go and they can follow you almost for more than 1 minute (I even had fun running around with a mob following me around a fireplace...for five minutes straight! And he wouldn't leave!). At leas the enemies are slow, but sure are persistent. And for last...the quests. I read a lot of reviews mentioning that among their complains, was the the questing due to the lack of originality and boredom. I have one thing to say: it is true...but why only TERA gets the blame? I haven't played tons of mmorpgs, but in more than one I've had boring quests, yet nobody mentions that little factoid, and I'm talking of games like World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, Aion, The Secret World, and many other small games with the same kind of quests. Also in TERA the questing can be boring, but personally for the wrong reasons: my feeling was that most of these quests weren't that "great" and could have used more "challenges" too. Infact, the best quests were the group ones, because those big monsters were fun to fight and killing one takes a little more time than usual. Yet again, not the best quests ever, but I don't see much reasons of blaming the game while we have many other titles with the same issues that nobody ever mentions, and I'm the type of player who enjoys questing, so I may have a word about it!. And for last, the Free-to-Play limitations. I have bought the veteran status weeks before the free-to-play launch and with that purchase I got more bonuses (no char limit, more bank slot) so I can't judge the limitations properly. But here's what I think: the 2 character limitation IS a big flaw because of the variety of classes and races...but it was expected. However, the price for an additional slot is just too high at the moment and I wouldn't be surprised if people are annoyed by the price (about 30 euros for ONE slot). You have one bank slot as a f2p player...but the slot alone (about 72 spaces) is very big and I'm still using one (and I'm level 40). Also here however the price is high and not sure if worth it. Other limitations aren't very big so far (less "auction house" actions, a limited amount of gold sent, and few others), and that's surprising considering the game is actually big and, except for some other details, the game doesn't limit much else (unlike SWTOR). All in all, it's a good game and now that's a f2p with not too many limits, everyone can give it a shot and enjoy it, because I personally think the game deserved some more praise than it did. Expand
  2. Feb 2, 2013
    10
    Tera has beautiful Graphics and a great Combat System It´s much better then Guild Wars 2 !
    And in February it will be "Free to Play" with a Cash Shop but it will not be "Pay to Win"
  3. Jan 23, 2013
    5
    Innovative, Safe, and Mundane.... all at the same time

    I know its hard to lump all 3 of those words into the same category but with Tera, you can. I'll tell you what's innovative about it and I am sure this comes as no surprise, the combat . I am sure you have heard all about the combat in Tera and it is definitely lived up to its reputation. It's fun, engaging, fast and furious! It's
    Innovative, Safe, and Mundane.... all at the same time

    I know its hard to lump all 3 of those words into the same category but with Tera, you can. I'll tell you what's innovative about it and I am sure this comes as no surprise, the combat . I am sure you have heard all about the combat in Tera and it is definitely lived up to its reputation. It's fun, engaging, fast and furious! It's nice to play an MMO where the combat is measured with skill, and not just... who has the better skill bar. The combat is one of Tera's biggest draws for sure. The other big draw... is its graphics. Everything from the world, character models, animations, and effects have been truly realized in this fantasy setting. From the moment you step onto the island of dawn, you will be blown away by the colourful world that lay before you. The artists did an excellent job putting detail in just about everything you look at.

    But how does the game play out? Well...it plays out like a great 3rd person action game would. So far, I haven't really found any flaws in how the game feels. It seems the developers put a lot of time into ironing out any game play bugs and flaws. It's a very fluent, quick, responsive game and plays surprisingly well with an xbox 360 or PS3 controller. It almost feels like this game would have been the perfect match for a console MMO (and it almost feels like they had that in mind during development).

    Also its worth noting that the character creation and class selection is a very exciting process. The amount of choices for character creation and class selection is exceptional. They include just about every major class from the fantasy realm and include a few fresh ideas. Every class has its defined role... i.e. the Warrior is a fast, agile class that deals damage at a higher rate of attack, thus making it a front line DPS fighter...but, your not "limited" per say to that role. If you do want to venture out and play a different role with your character, you can, its just might be more challenging then sticking to the pre-defined role. It comes down to how you control your character during combat that defines your role. Once again, its actual player skills that counts.

    So I got the positives out of the way, now for some of the negatives...and when I say negatives, I mean major flaws. I am just going to come out and say it...the questing is absolutely TERRIBLE!!! (or Terable..hehe..I just had to do it). It's like the game directors gave the story and quest department some time off. The quests are the most unimaginative, boring, and mundane quests I've ever encountered in any MMO. They are the generic "kill X amount of this monster and come back to me", or "talk to so and so, then come back to me"...but done in the most boring fashion ever! There's not even voice over dialogue to keep you entertained (not even with the main story quest givers!!). IMO, the whole fetch quest system (in any game now a days) is in a desperate need of a face lift...or elimated from MMO's all together.

    Next would be the tedious grind through levels...It can get really old really fast. Do boring fetch quest, gain XP. Kill several mobs, gain XP. Repeat that over and over again. Now some people may say that you can never get away from that in MMO's. I say, not true. Lets take SWTOR for example. I know the game was a big let down but the questing, story, and voice over dialogue definitely kept me engaged for some time. Even GW2 adopted voice over dialogue with cut scenes for the main story quests. SOMETHING MORE!! is my point. To put absolutely no effort into keeping your players engaged in the story and questing is probably why they lost so many subscribers in a couple of months following release. It's like they thought the combat would suffice and they left it at that.

    Final Thought: It's a great game for new players to the MMO genre. It's fast and furious combat will keep gamers engaged for a bit. Unfortunately, this game took the most basic cookie cutter MMO mechanics and slapped a new coat of paint on it. It's a tedious and boring grind through levels. The game does has a saving grace (well 2 actually), Graphics and Combat. That's it. The other draw I guess is the fact its going F2P in less then a month. You can play now up to level 28 to get a head start. That should be enough time to decide for yourself. Is the innovative combat enough to keep you engaged? or does it feel...lifeless?
    Expand
  4. Jan 21, 2013
    6
    I am late writing this review, but since I played this game extensively I will give it a score.
    I will first begin with the Pros:
    - The combat in with game is really a big plus part in this game. Live action, blocking, dodging in a way that lets you kill high level and really powerful monster if you have enough skill. I can't really describe how great this approach is the mmo-combat.
    I am late writing this review, but since I played this game extensively I will give it a score.
    I will first begin with the Pros:

    - The combat in with game is really a big plus part in this game. Live action, blocking, dodging in a way that lets you kill high level and really powerful monster if you have enough skill. I can't really describe how great this approach is the mmo-combat.

    1-The graphics, TERA offers a beautiful world with smooth and incredible animations. Lighting, particles and everything visual that is taken for granted should be appreciated. A few times I stopped just to take a look around, and when you let the scenery sink in, you realize the developers did a great job.
    2-The games user interface is really user friendly and easy to get into. This makes veterans from other games get a familiar feel that is easy to pick up.

    3-Character creator and selection screen. A big thing for me in any RPG is character creation. I love creating a very unique character down to every detail. TERA offers this and it spent hours having fun playing with the options.
    These 3 points are what really stood out to me and I actually really had fun playing this game. it is in my opinion the best MMO to me released next to Guild Wars 2. Why did I stop playing you ask? We will discuss this in the Cons.

    Cons:
    1-The combat, the combat... though refreshing, fun and innovative is also part of the flaw in this game. Timing is 100% critical in this game and what really is terrible is the developers decided that your character, but finish up his/her attack/spell animation before you can do anything else. For example, if you are swinging your axe and you need to block because the boss is charging up a spell... well... 1-2 seconds can feel like forever as you cannot use your dodge or block till your character finishes the swing/cast. This will lead to frustrating mayhem. So add to this issue; the developers made it where you can only move in one direction in the game. Which is forward; so if you need to black up, your character will turn its back to the enemy to back up.(There is no walk backwards animation)In this game you must always face your enemy, specially if you are a tank. So turning your back to move out of a AOE spot will lead to your death. Taunting is a 1-2 second cast spell to taunt enemies, this is really difficult since the battlefield is always moving. All spells/attack anchor your character until the animation is complete, and this is what flaws the live action combat as it is not fluid like it should be.

    2-Instances Ques... oh the Instance/Dungeon Ques... If you are not a tank(Since tanking is really difficult because of con#1. Tanks are rare. With this being said instances Ques are incredible long for even Healers and especially DPS. As a Lancer I got instant Que's but that it not fair to the other players who need quests to wait 30-40+ minutes or longer for a brave soul who rolled a tank to Que up.

    3- Group Quests and special monsters... Most MMORPG have group quests, they are either optional to do, or they only require... 2-3 players(Since these are non-dungeon quests). TERA decided ALL group quests are 5 mans. Same thing with Elites, most games have lesser elites and powerful/boss elites. TERA has ALL 5play+elites that require a tank-DPS-Healer. As mentioned in Con#2 getting a group for a dungeon is almost impossible, so getting a group to till 1 elite for a zone quest is even more impossible. This leads you to skip good XP and good loot. However, with enough skill you can kill these monster on your own, BUT it will take you 30 minutes of constant battle to bring it down(With average quest gear.) So spending 1+ hour for 1 quest leads many player to skip these as you can do a dozen normal ones within that time for more XP.

    In conclusion: Since TERA has failed to address these HUGE issues mentioned above, this has caused a lot of the player population slowly dwindle away. (Can't do quests, can't do dungeons, combat is flawed.) Which are the heart and soul of any MMORPG. These things in my opinion is why I quit and I am sure many others. To address the problem NCsoft instead of fixing these problem instead convert the game to Free 2 Play. Might as well stabbed themselves in the chest. TERA is a great game, I liked, I really did. If the problems were fixed, I would have stayed, but NCsoft failed to heed our cries. With that in mind TERA will slowly die like the rest. :(
    Expand
  5. Jan 12, 2013
    0
    While Tera does feature some amazing graphics for a MMO, that's all it really has going for it. Contrary to the belief of western gamers, Tera does not feature original combat or content. In fact, zillions of MMOs are pumped out and kept inside Asia that we never get to see. A f-ton of these are considered to be 'action combat' just like Tera and feature more game than what Tera offers. SoWhile Tera does feature some amazing graphics for a MMO, that's all it really has going for it. Contrary to the belief of western gamers, Tera does not feature original combat or content. In fact, zillions of MMOs are pumped out and kept inside Asia that we never get to see. A f-ton of these are considered to be 'action combat' just like Tera and feature more game than what Tera offers. So what exactly does Tera offer outside of great graphics? A heavily repeating grind that rarely varies from one map to the next. Kill x monster x/x times and repeat until you do a handful of boss type monsters. You can lie to yourselves all you want, but Tera is just trying to cash in on the 'action combat' market that while extremely popular in Asia, has rarely been touched in the western market. For the reason of actually being able to have played a handful of good Asian 'action combat' MMOs throughout my time, I give Tera a solid 0 for bringing nothing new to the genre. Expand
  6. Jan 6, 2013
    8
    I played TERA since the beta, I pre-ordered it, was very excited for it. It did not let me down. I stopped playing it after having two characters over level 50 (Maximum was 60), and I enjoyed the experience quite a lot. There were some flaws with it, like the fact that the leveling was quite repetitive. You'd kill a few monsters for a quest, and then you'd do the same thing again withI played TERA since the beta, I pre-ordered it, was very excited for it. It did not let me down. I stopped playing it after having two characters over level 50 (Maximum was 60), and I enjoyed the experience quite a lot. There were some flaws with it, like the fact that the leveling was quite repetitive. You'd kill a few monsters for a quest, and then you'd do the same thing again with different monsters, all the way to level 60. The customer support was bad, and not a lot of people played it, which was a problem.
    What made the game amazing however, was the combat system, and the BAM (Big ass monster) battles. Every once in a while you'd come across a 5 man quest or dungeon, and that's where the game really began. The boss battles were very well designed, the combat was fun as a mage or warrior, and I loved the graphical style of the game. But eventually I stopped playing it since the community died out.
    Expand
  7. Dec 16, 2012
    6
    Had Tera been released in 2004 instead of WoW, it would've rewritten the MMO landscape, and today's MMO market would've been a drastically different place. Unfortunately, 2012 marks the release date of a game that, in the greater scheme of things, is far behind the competition. Despite Tera's landmark action combat system - which I truly believe is the prototype for great MMOs to come - itHad Tera been released in 2004 instead of WoW, it would've rewritten the MMO landscape, and today's MMO market would've been a drastically different place. Unfortunately, 2012 marks the release date of a game that, in the greater scheme of things, is far behind the competition. Despite Tera's landmark action combat system - which I truly believe is the prototype for great MMOs to come - it is unfortunately plagued by sheer, overwhelming mediocrity in the departments of questing, storyline, and interactivity with the environment. (those that try to climb ladders and vines will know part of what I'm talking about) The PvP is even a little off - what I expected to be an even playing field where skills matter than levels or gear, I was shocked that this game, which I had expected to pioneer normalized PvP, still rewarded grind time over actual skills such as reaction speed and hand-eye coordination (though it still does this far better than any MMO to date, it's not saying too much). I gave this a 9 in my first review, but after playing it for a while, I'm disappointed to say the least that this game, which I had VERY high expectations for, didn't fully deliver like I expected. I still have half a year of my subscription to go and hopefully things turn out a lot better, but if not then Tera has lost a very hopeful customer - someone that truly believed in the greatness it could've achieved. Expand
  8. Dec 9, 2012
    10
    TERA is a game that is definitely worth a try if you are interested in exciting combat and exploring a brilliantly crafted world. There are hundreds of regions and cities all with a different art style, and the combat is more similar to a game like skyrim than the dull usual in MMO's of tabbing and pressing one button every few seconds. The only complaint about it I have is that the normalTERA is a game that is definitely worth a try if you are interested in exciting combat and exploring a brilliantly crafted world. There are hundreds of regions and cities all with a different art style, and the combat is more similar to a game like skyrim than the dull usual in MMO's of tabbing and pressing one button every few seconds. The only complaint about it I have is that the normal quests don't have a particularly compelling storyline, but the game compensates for that in the government system and party/battleground/guild systems. Expand
  9. Nov 30, 2012
    8
    As a game, TERA is no doubt the best MMO out there. It's action based gameplay makes it unmatched in terms of fun (if you are skilled enough, of course) and the political system makes guilds very active. Character creation and art direction are brilliant. Story is OK, but what really is the weak point of TERA is the management company. Europe's Gameforge are making the game sink lower andAs a game, TERA is no doubt the best MMO out there. It's action based gameplay makes it unmatched in terms of fun (if you are skilled enough, of course) and the political system makes guilds very active. Character creation and art direction are brilliant. Story is OK, but what really is the weak point of TERA is the management company. Europe's Gameforge are making the game sink lower and lower, while NA Enmasse are doing a little better. Sad! Expand
  10. Oct 1, 2012
    0
    Tera offers almost nothing different or unique outside of it's combat and political system (even then, I'm not fond of a potentially retarded player being in charge of so much). It feels like they put a lot of effort into over hyping their combat system and not enough effort into...anything else. The game would have more potential if it wasn't a standard-style MMO with the most basic cutTera offers almost nothing different or unique outside of it's combat and political system (even then, I'm not fond of a potentially retarded player being in charge of so much). It feels like they put a lot of effort into over hyping their combat system and not enough effort into...anything else. The game would have more potential if it wasn't a standard-style MMO with the most basic cut and dry questing system available. If you want a story line, forget about it. Just expect to collect 10 boxes and kill 50 boars. Not just -any- boars though, but boars with the same model and skills you saw when you were level 5, forty levels ago. Yes, a lot of recycled mobs standing in a field. If you manage to stomach the horrible level 55 through 60 grind and make it to level cap, expect the game to be heavily dependent on gear (which you'll struggle in getting unless you know a Tank or you are a Tank). Otherwise, have fun in 2hr+ queues even if you're a healer. ==== As for the dungeons, it's probably the best part of the game, however their LFG system is flawed but it gets the job done (barely). What's wrong with the LFG system? Well, for starters, people AFK and that's not the worst part, the AFKers are usually the group leaders. Who can kick? Group leaders. By then, you'll probably have your tank leave out of frustration and your group falls apart. Another scenario, my personal favorite, is someone who "buys a tank" to tank for them in a dungeon but upon arrival, the Tank will leave as soon as everyone zones in. Again, the group falls apart. The next best part though is wiping. Since you get zoned into an instance, chances are you have no idea where this instance is, so if you wipe, you're ported back to a town somewhere in the zone. Thus, you have people leaving because 1) You wiped, 2) They're lost, 3) They're tired of waiting for the lost person to find their way. *Another* flaw is the fact that if you press "wait" before entering a Dungeon, there is no option to teleport back to the dungeon. Yeah..this wasn't thought through. ==== Finally, I don't think Tera offers enough to be deemed as "unique." The hype of the combat system will wither away after level 40 and I promise you'll be clawing your eyes out by the time you kill your 9823794872938479824 recycled quest mob. The depth of the quests is not worth reading (not even the "story" quest), the cut scenes are awful and poorly translated. There's just not much to do at cap to even justify putting yourself through so much pain and agony. Not to mention (take it as good or bad, as a female gamer I found it weird) all the female characters look and dress like porn stars. Tera took "battle thongs" to a whole new level. ==== PS: I hope you -really- like 100% gear based, stuns, back-to-back knockdowns, chain CC's, getting ganked/zerged, and getting two shot [unless...you're a lancer], because that's about what you can expect from Tera's PVP. So much for skill (because..aiming is hard or something?). Honestly, it's no wonder this game failed in other countries already. But don't take my word for it, try it for yourselves and make your own opinion. Expand
  11. Sep 29, 2012
    0
    Anyone heard of Final Fantasy: Spirits Within? It is a good example of what Tera is. A game made for certain fans, then modified to attract "normals", leaving it a product disliked by "normals" and fans.

    The focus in the game is animal girls and sexy women. The quality is unmatched by any other MMO, and makes this game number one in its category. But En Masse did not want to come across
    Anyone heard of Final Fantasy: Spirits Within? It is a good example of what Tera is. A game made for certain fans, then modified to attract "normals", leaving it a product disliked by "normals" and fans.

    The focus in the game is animal girls and sexy women. The quality is unmatched by any other MMO, and makes this game number one in its category. But En Masse did not want to come across as a company selling visual candy, they want to seem serious. So instead they tried to hide this, and highlight the combat instead. The combat, which is not in any way special compared to other MMOs released recently.

    So what is really the problem? The problem is that the people who know what it is, and the people who are fooled about action combat, come together in a community where they have completely different values. Which means that insults is more common than anything, giving Tera the worlds worst community. And a MMO is what its community is.

    The game is worth playing, but remember it is like inviting the school bully to insult you through the whole game. Unless you are said bully, in that case it is like a smorgasbord of victims to insult all day.
    Expand
  12. Sep 26, 2012
    6
    Well i only want to say one thing and i think most people that quit the game would've agree with me. Tera has the classic leveling system, you will eventually be at the level cap if you just grind the quest. Combat system is fine, UI is fine. but all these aint important. the reason this game failed, at least i think its going to fail is that the developer kept NERF the end game contentWell i only want to say one thing and i think most people that quit the game would've agree with me. Tera has the classic leveling system, you will eventually be at the level cap if you just grind the quest. Combat system is fine, UI is fine. but all these aint important. the reason this game failed, at least i think its going to fail is that the developer kept NERF the end game content and whats really bad about that unlike WOW is that WOW has more endgame content than this game. And yet this game Nerf things faster and heavier compare to even wow. For those have attempted hard-mode dungeons before the Queen patch probably know that before what i consider the biggest nerf, you get one Tier 13 item per average five runs. and after the patch you get one per run. and this just fluctuate the market makes ruining hard-mode pointless. whats even worse is the new dungeon normal mode for the queen patch drops the same Tier level items. For me I just dont see why bother running the new dungeon anymore. Expand
  13. Sep 23, 2012
    1
    Desperately looking for a new MMO-game or any rpg game, I was ready to accept almost any game. But this game is total crap. It's like being offered Root Beer in the dessert, even if it's your last option, you still say no to that nasty **** I got to admit, I haven't actually got in to the game that much. I believe I finished the first 2 or 3 quests, and then I deleted the game. TheDesperately looking for a new MMO-game or any rpg game, I was ready to accept almost any game. But this game is total crap. It's like being offered Root Beer in the dessert, even if it's your last option, you still say no to that nasty **** I got to admit, I haven't actually got in to the game that much. I believe I finished the first 2 or 3 quests, and then I deleted the game. The introduction and tutorial to this game is awful. Have seriously never been more let down. It took almost a whole day to download and install the 7-day trial, and when it finally starts, it's worse than any other MMO or Rpg I've ever played. Expand
  14. Sep 19, 2012
    5
    Tera as much have said have amazing gfx, but only when you're in a low pop location. The controls vary from excellent to worst(usual melee which sometimes are unresponsive). There are soo many bugs in this game for example constant memory leaks, low ~7 fps during events, glitchy bosses, attacks going through mobs. Not to mention how shady the business practice is with EME.Tera as much have said have amazing gfx, but only when you're in a low pop location. The controls vary from excellent to worst(usual melee which sometimes are unresponsive). There are soo many bugs in this game for example constant memory leaks, low ~7 fps during events, glitchy bosses, attacks going through mobs. Not to mention how shady the business practice is with EME. Micro-transactions are suppose to be micro... Not to mention how they censored loads of armor models and then decided to sell an expensive uncensored armor model, clearly against their philosophy at release and their reasoning for making all armor somewhat ugly. (imo it was to sell better looking ones for really high prices). The only thing it has going is the combat, best freaking combat in any MMO (if it worked 100% of the time). Also not grindy at all except for the dailies which is understandable... All in all Tera had lots of potential, just never delivered on it... Too many glitches and when you complain, they close down the thread... Ignoring these problems just compound them more and more. Sorry 1 more thing look at the Slayer class, it's main/major attack is so bugged that it only lands 50% of the time. I'm talking about heart thrust, a well known bug and no statements of fixes have been announced since release 4 months ago.

    My game experience covers, 5 classes: Mystic, Sorc, Priest, Slayer, and Lancer. Time played... I'd say pretty much 24/7 lol since release. All hard modes accomplished except QoA aka MC.
    Expand
  15. Sep 10, 2012
    10
    Tera Online, is one game that might just get overlooked. Most of the game titles of 2012, have been over looked due to bad reviews. Mostly, if its not a highly anticipated sage. or first person action shooter, or even console game, for your playstation or xbox game system, it doesn't get much thought. Most of 2012 have been fails, with the occasional gem. Tera Online, the exception to thatTera Online, is one game that might just get overlooked. Most of the game titles of 2012, have been over looked due to bad reviews. Mostly, if its not a highly anticipated sage. or first person action shooter, or even console game, for your playstation or xbox game system, it doesn't get much thought. Most of 2012 have been fails, with the occasional gem. Tera Online, the exception to that rule. Its simply the best out there right now for MMORPG's. The game is both beautiful and addictive. One thing I have learn over the years, is that you have you will always have fan boys for every game franchise. Having played Guild Wars2, Star Wars: TOR, and every mmo of 2012, this game is far superior. Expand
  16. Sep 4, 2012
    9
    Great game, somewhat boring mmo quests. It's really all about the graphics and fighting in fps if you cast of are a archer. Hack and slash for melee, but now we all get to have fun. One big thing I didn't like was the lack of a recount dps and heals. They seems to take a strong stance again "UI clutter" I wouldn't mind it being like really small, I just wanna see the stats of a fight as itGreat game, somewhat boring mmo quests. It's really all about the graphics and fighting in fps if you cast of are a archer. Hack and slash for melee, but now we all get to have fun. One big thing I didn't like was the lack of a recount dps and heals. They seems to take a strong stance again "UI clutter" I wouldn't mind it being like really small, I just wanna see the stats of a fight as it helps me improve as a player generally. Other than that I really love this game. I am planning on buying a year worth in September. Expand
  17. Sep 3, 2012
    2
    Great looking game... if they had only spent some of that money on gameplay. Extremely linear. All characters go through the same zones to level. Max 1 char and you've done all the PVE content. Meaningless PVP. Killing people gets you.. nothing. No points, no rewards, no reputation, no records, nothing. Endgame is nonexistent, and servers have become ghostowns where little happens except aGreat looking game... if they had only spent some of that money on gameplay. Extremely linear. All characters go through the same zones to level. Max 1 char and you've done all the PVE content. Meaningless PVP. Killing people gets you.. nothing. No points, no rewards, no reputation, no records, nothing. Endgame is nonexistent, and servers have become ghostowns where little happens except a few very dedicated guilds running the same dungeons over and over for gear. Expand
  18. Aug 31, 2012
    7
    Critics will rave about the combat, and so they should. But what of the rest of the game? I leveled to 38 in the free month that I got for buying TERA Online. The initial price isn't bad considering everything else out there is 60$. In my first experience with the game I felt like I was reinvigorated to play MMOs again. The combat is fun, skill-based, and satisfying when coming up withCritics will rave about the combat, and so they should. But what of the rest of the game? I leveled to 38 in the free month that I got for buying TERA Online. The initial price isn't bad considering everything else out there is 60$. In my first experience with the game I felt like I was reinvigorated to play MMOs again. The combat is fun, skill-based, and satisfying when coming up with your own combos. However, that's where my excitement stopped. You see, TERA is no different than your standard MMO. PvE has a story that you can follow. However, that story is drowned out by mundane errand quests that are copy and pasted into new areas. You literally go back and kill a re skinned, renamed version of the monster you killed 10 minutes ago. I QUICKLY found myself clicking through the quest text and gluing my eyes to the mini map to see what I needed to kill, how many, and where they were located. Then I realized I wasn't having any fun anymore. I was doing the exact same thing I was doing in other MMOs that I lost interest in. Then I realized I would have to pay 15$ monthly to do this mindless routine over and over again and I decided enough is enough. I have done all of this before only without the fun combat and it still wasn't enough to redeem this game. I got to level 38 out of principle. The lore isn't the most intriguing but it's there. The graphics on this game are great but only due to the fantastical sci-fi setting and aesthetics. It's actually just the Unreal 3 engine used in a great way and that's not a bad thing.

    In the end I didn't pay 15$ to continue this game. It's a shame because the combat was very fun but not enough to keep me interested. You'll see many reviews based on the combat alone and I think this is atrocious. MMO's should start being rated by their PvE content including story and questing mechanics as well. So many have accepted the mindless grind that they've developed stockholm syndrome with MMO's. We need to demand more.
    Expand
  19. Aug 28, 2012
    6
    Great game in many respects. Combat is fun and the whole game is beautiful. There are legitimate challenges to be found solo, and group content was fun. The non-tab targeting is a breath of fresh air. This is what I wanted Diablo III to be. I haven't made it t the endgame, so no comment there.

    Downsides: Very limited character power customization. Character customization is
    Great game in many respects. Combat is fun and the whole game is beautiful. There are legitimate challenges to be found solo, and group content was fun. The non-tab targeting is a breath of fresh air. This is what I wanted Diablo III to be. I haven't made it t the endgame, so no comment there.

    Downsides: Very limited character power customization.

    Character customization is pretty good, but your look will be dominated by the chestpiece you're wearing.

    Too many powers cause you to lose control of your character for a length of time, and it is never clear exactly when that time is over. I understand that this is an integral part of the combat system, but I feels very clunky even if it makes the animations prettier.

    Tiny text and the wide variety of items makes inventory management a bit of a drag (though not much worse than most MMOs, I suppose).

    The stamina system is a little baffling and completely unfun for me (arbitrary mechanic that rewards standing by a fire and not doing anything).
    Expand
  20. Aug 28, 2012
    9
    Awesome graphics and the best controls and play style I've ever seen in a MMORPG which makes, as they promised, a true combat game where you have to aim to hit your enemies and also aim your friends to heal them! There are some skills that lets you skip been hit by enemies and can be played with a game pad and an awesome combo system. The only reason why I don't rate this as a 10 isAwesome graphics and the best controls and play style I've ever seen in a MMORPG which makes, as they promised, a true combat game where you have to aim to hit your enemies and also aim your friends to heal them! There are some skills that lets you skip been hit by enemies and can be played with a game pad and an awesome combo system. The only reason why I don't rate this as a 10 is because the game is too lineal, you don't have too many different maps to play at each level range. Expand
  21. Aug 26, 2012
    7
    Interesting take on combat. Bland everything else. Visuals might make or brake it for some, this is mostly a matter of taste. Special mention to the horrid questing.
  22. Aug 13, 2012
    7
    Seeking new game? Wanna try something new? Get Tera online 7/10 star. Game was great for me for about 1 month but thats only because I wanted to play it for a month until gw2 came out and I can try that bad game. Tera was alot fun. New and decent graphics
  23. Aug 8, 2012
    5
    I spent a couple of evenings playing a Tera trial. I have to admit that. The graphics are great, didn't encounter any bugs, and everything was smooth.

    The combat is very interesting, I still remember my first experience: Activating the multishot skill, selecting my targets with the mouse, and then fire three-four arrows on the selected targets. The combat is suddenly a thrill, compared
    I spent a couple of evenings playing a Tera trial. I have to admit that. The graphics are great, didn't encounter any bugs, and everything was smooth.

    The combat is very interesting, I still remember my first experience: Activating the multishot skill, selecting my targets with the mouse, and then fire three-four arrows on the selected targets. The combat is suddenly a thrill, compared to previous mmo experiences.

    But I think companies have to rethink their subscription policy. I've tried Tera, Secret World, Aeon, Star Wars, even reopened my wow account within the last five months; but I just can't accept the lease feeling. Too casual gamer. Eve Online will have to go too, even I have four accounts at the moment.

    Reason: Guild wars 2. I might get bored, I might get disappointed, I might be surprised negatively. But I can decide that I will spend hours and hours on training my characters there. I own the game forever. Some might argument that this has nothing to do in a review. But I have to reason why I give Tera a 5. That's my max score on a subbed game, from now on. (Please disregard this being my first review here).
    Expand
  24. Aug 3, 2012
    3
    The graphics are impressive, if not in poor taste. The gameplay is laughably bad. Their idea of "action combat" is so rudimentary and simplistic, calling it "true action combat" is more than just a joke - it's borderline criminal false advertising.

    You have two choices for leveling up - grind big mobs in a party (BAMs) or grind little mobs over and over (quests.) This wouldn't be so
    The graphics are impressive, if not in poor taste. The gameplay is laughably bad. Their idea of "action combat" is so rudimentary and simplistic, calling it "true action combat" is more than just a joke - it's borderline criminal false advertising.

    You have two choices for leveling up - grind big mobs in a party (BAMs) or grind little mobs over and over (quests.) This wouldn't be so terrible if not for how bad the combat in this game really is. Look elsewhere. I wouldn't even recommend TERA if it were F2P - which it is destined to be.
    Expand
  25. Aug 3, 2012
    2
    If you like:
    - boring crafting
    - an incomplete political system ( a lot of guilds went inactive so certain teretorries are without a political leader and because of that without classteachers and certain merchants) - repetetive Quests/terretories - a really nice Combatsystem - nice graphics - boring Instances ( where you will be kicked if you are an archer/berserker) - lacking
    If you like:
    - boring crafting
    - an incomplete political system ( a lot of guilds went inactive so certain teretorries are without a political leader and because of that without classteachers and certain merchants)
    - repetetive Quests/terretories
    - a really nice Combatsystem
    - nice graphics
    - boring Instances ( where you will be kicked if you are an archer/berserker)
    - lacking support in the EU because of the 2nd worst publisher possible (after GOA)

    Then you will love this game, everyone else will play it for a month and toss it away like many did.
    Expand
  26. Jul 31, 2012
    8
    Let me start off by saying that I never intended on playing this game. Being a veteran of many past and current MMO's, I tried this game because of the available 7 day 23 level limit trial. Well, to my surprise I couldn't get over how fun the combat system is. I created a priest and was shocked at how awesome he is. Playing the classic Korean androgynous high elf I can thrash myLet me start off by saying that I never intended on playing this game. Being a veteran of many past and current MMO's, I tried this game because of the available 7 day 23 level limit trial. Well, to my surprise I couldn't get over how fun the combat system is. I created a priest and was shocked at how awesome he is. Playing the classic Korean androgynous high elf I can thrash my enemies with awesome combs and without having to repeat the normal rotations I am so used to in other MMO's. That is one of the large reasons why I prefer to play this game over many of my other MMO's. When I play Tera is fullfills my needs not only for an MMO, but for an action game in where my character placement and skill are actually important. I gave this game an 8 overall just because while the combat is great I feel that the quests could be a little more stimulating.
    One point that I must highlight about this game as well is the graphics. If you were, or are a fan of Lineage 2 and Korean games you will absolutely love this game. the character models are absolutely gorgeous, so make sure not to solicit your party members while in an important dungeon.
    In a very harsh MMO market, I believe that Tera will stay alive and well. The community seems good and the game brings to the market elements that no others contain. I for one see myself playing Tera for many more years to come and have faith that the additional endgame will fulfill its patrons. As the current dungeons are a very fun and unique experience.
    Expand
  27. Jul 24, 2012
    8
    The only downside I have noticed is that the questing system was obviously made by a 4 year old. It is as awful as everyone says it is. There is only one starter island, which kinda blows too especially when it is very boring. Other than that, the combat is amazingly fun (I like it way better with the PS3 controller), the graphics are solid (although I've found the environments to be justThe only downside I have noticed is that the questing system was obviously made by a 4 year old. It is as awful as everyone says it is. There is only one starter island, which kinda blows too especially when it is very boring. Other than that, the combat is amazingly fun (I like it way better with the PS3 controller), the graphics are solid (although I've found the environments to be just ok), and playing with people is a lot of fun. I thought it was neat that the different classes have varying difficulties from 2-5 stars, so once you are more familiar with the game, you can go on ahead and make a new character with the more difficult to master class.

    Overall it feels fluid and the only huge downside is questing.
    Expand
  28. Jul 21, 2012
    7
    As an MMO veteran who has played tons of MMOs dating back to Ultima Online, I really enjoyed playing TERA. The hands-on combat is refreshing and fun, and the world and character models are gorgeous. I have so many screenshots of the world as I was exploring, and many of them are being used as my desktop background. If you do the quests, leveling and acquiring gear upgrades is fun andAs an MMO veteran who has played tons of MMOs dating back to Ultima Online, I really enjoyed playing TERA. The hands-on combat is refreshing and fun, and the world and character models are gorgeous. I have so many screenshots of the world as I was exploring, and many of them are being used as my desktop background. If you do the quests, leveling and acquiring gear upgrades is fun and you rarely feel like you are stuck grinding, or being starved for upgrades as you level to 60. For a Korean MMO, this one is the least grindy I have ever experienced. Unfortunately where TERA is suffering right now, is mainly with their billing system, and lack of end game. I've placed more help tickets with their customer service trying to get various billing errors resolved (double billing, sub discount not applied, billing failed, etc) than I have ever placed with any other game I've ever played. Trying to sub to this game has been more frustrating than maintaining a PlayOnline account with FFXI, and that should say something. I have a normal Visa credit card in good standing, so the problems seem strange to me. Regarding end game, the Nexus events were added to give max leveled characters something to do, but it's usually scheduled at times I can't play, and when I can join in, it's a lag fest and not very fun. Also, the political system feels out of place on my server, which felt very low population last time I logged in. Not even all the territories have Vanarch's at the moment there, which is unfortunate. I may revisit this game in time, but until the billing system isn't such a mess, and there's more to the end game, I don't have a reason to be playing right now. Expand
  29. Jul 20, 2012
    10
    Tera is the best MMORPG of it's kind. The gameplay of TERA is like a fusion between WoW kind games and Lineage 2 kind, (when it was in the First chronicle: Harbingers of War). At first seem like WoW with outstanding graphics and Lineage 2 kind of artistic detail. But the gameplay is more Lineage 2 like with a fine tune target system like shooters have, not so precise of course. CombatTera is the best MMORPG of it's kind. The gameplay of TERA is like a fusion between WoW kind games and Lineage 2 kind, (when it was in the First chronicle: Harbingers of War). At first seem like WoW with outstanding graphics and Lineage 2 kind of artistic detail. But the gameplay is more Lineage 2 like with a fine tune target system like shooters have, not so precise of course. Combat balance, classes , skills , functionality on each one from the party, and pvp mechanics are similar of the old school Lineage 2, but better and faster. Political system too from Lineage 2 is much more better here for a not so open world game. In this game instances are a bubble where players can farm their gear or whatever, but in lineage 2 the fact of not having any instances and totally openworld pve and pvp, lead players to declare wars , take zones, protect them, exploit some mobs that drop unique items and controlling that resources for themselves , they controlled everything in a whole server... that FREE world of lineage 2 was balanced but savage in old times... time ruined the game. TERA revives the best gameplay, but more balanced, unique and with some things from others MMOS like world of warcraft. A "perfect" balance. Expand
  30. Jul 17, 2012
    6
    By now, I suspect most of you have read something about the game. I'll just chime in and say that the combat is fun, the character creation is sufficiently varied, and the questing/adventuring model is utterly tedious. It's just not possible for me to enjoy running to a quest hub, picking up all the quests without reading the text, killing everything in sight, then running back to theBy now, I suspect most of you have read something about the game. I'll just chime in and say that the combat is fun, the character creation is sufficiently varied, and the questing/adventuring model is utterly tedious. It's just not possible for me to enjoy running to a quest hub, picking up all the quests without reading the text, killing everything in sight, then running back to the quest hub any longer. And then you get a breadcrumb quest to run to the next hub, where you literally do the same things over and over again. The actual act of killing is energetic, however. That can't be denied, and it shouldn't be minimized. After all, a huge part of the game is centered around killing. But, seriously, killing thousands upon thousands of foozles, only to look back and see the next guy killing those same foozles...that model is really bankrupt at this point, wouldn't you agree? Expand
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 41
  2. Negative: 0 out of 41
  1. Aug 23, 2012
    70
    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.
  2. Aug 22, 2012
    75
    That being said, Tera is in surprisingly good shape for a game so early in its life cycle. The journey to level cap is mostly entertaining, endgame content is available, and the core gameplay elements are solid.
  3. Aug 13, 2012
    68
    Action-oriented combat and interesting graphics aren't enough to overcome what is overall a rather bland experience.