TERA

Going into this review I was afraid TERA Online would stick too closely to the standard MMO tropes. I feared that I’d make a character, slog around the tutorial, and ultimately be bored after a few hours. None of that happened. Instead, TERA did a fantastic job of pulling me in, keeping me around, and gaining my respect. It’s not a perfect title, as six years of existence have produced a few unavoidable quirks.

I personally got a little bored later on, as the repetition definitely started getting to me, but as long as you keep your expectations in check and stop yourself from applying 2018 standards to it, there is fun to be had here. I just wish there was more of a reason for those who have already played it 3 years ago on their PC’s to return.

Endgame content is fun, but not everyone wants to spend the vast majority of their time in an MMO grinding enhancement materials to maybe get one extra +1 to their gear. There is something to be said for the journey of getting there that this game has regrettably forgotten. But, hey, at least slamming other 65s into the dirt will be easier than ever for a while.

TERA's console launch may be off to a rough start, but the amazing combat system should keep players coming back for more, even for players that just want to enjoy an MMORPG without paying a dime.

I'm happy that TERA discards the elements that make combat so tedious in other MMOs, but I wish it was bold enough to attempt to fix the many other shortcomings of the genre. If the action in TERA had a unique world, quality writing, or more interesting quests to back it up, it would be must-play; as it is, it's just a passing curiosity with some room for improvement.

But then, if there's a lesson to take from the emergence of genuinely great free-to-play titles, it's that time is the most valuable resource you can ask of a player. TERA wastes your time, and charges £10 a month for the privilege. That makes TERA difficult to score. I want to raise that 64% every time I jump into a group, and lower it every time I think back to the long, lonely road to that point. In the end, I've settled somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.