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2phatgeeks: Tera Online not (yet) worth it.

Last updated on October 23, 2018

 

D:
The boobies...so many...so many boobies...

Tera online is a fantasy-ish MMORPG in beta, with no NDA restrictions currently even though it’s still in closed beta. This weekend I had the chance to try Tera Online.

The best I can do to sum up my experiences (and forgive me, those of you who have me added to your Facebook or Google+, as this will be a repeat performance) is: overtly sexualized child characters, jiggly tits, and Aion with a different UI and slight difference in combat.

I played roughly an hour, hour and a half. I played my first character, an Elin–whom I originally thought cute (one of the child-sized immortal characters)–and got her to level 4. That’s right. Level 4. It was a massive struggle to even play that long and level her that much. The game to me seems like such a blatant rip off of Aion (with some reminders of Rift graphically) and I found it  intensely boring immediately within the starter area.  I spent more of that hour time in the character creator than playing, and I enjoyed that more.

And I couldn’t fail to notice by the way, that the character creator is pretty much Aion’s character creator with a different background. Stunning jolly good first impression, if I do say so myself.

There’s no sympathy for clickers in Tera Online, either.  If you are a mouse clicker you’re out of luck. The game gives you WASD for movement, but your skills/spells cannot be used without pressing a key. You can map two skills to your left and right mouse buttons, but that’s generally only good for base skills. Everything else is key press.

And before I get the comment, “But key pressing is more efficient and fast!1!11one!” I know it is. But the plain fact of the matter is, there are people out there that mouse click. It’s what they are comfortable with. As such, they are going to hate Tera Online, a lot.

Another key ingredient into this sour tasting recipe of my early squick into my closing the game after and hour? Intensely uncomfortable playing the Elin race. It was my first choice out of–well, I admit it–cuteness factor. The cuter

Pink tree
A pink tree. Well...that's okay I suppose.

the character is in game the more I want to play it. Enlin are a childish looking, child-sized, well…child character (Hey. Did I say child yet?) with some uber sexualized poses and movements that ended up jarring me out of wanting to play them.

Story wise I found it lacking right after character creation as well. Players are given a bit movie that I’m not sure how it factors into anything once the game starts. Then a short movie of you flying into the starting island with, again, no backstory given as to anything other than “:D YEAH! GO DOWN THERE AND FIGHT 😀 😀 :D”  The quest NPC’s are the old fashioned “click & kill.” Click on the quest. Skip reading any of it, accept. Glance at your quest log on screen to go see what you have to kill and how many. Do it. Turn in quest. Rinse, repeat. I did see one cut scene that panned out to an enemy I had to kill with a 30 second voice over–but I gotta tell ya babies….SWTOR and Mass Effect and Skyrim and many other games have spoiled me when it comes to lore and backstory. To sum it up in an overtired, over used internet meme: Son I am disappoint with Tera Online’s idea of story and quest writing.

HOW
This really was the most modest female garb a--HOW DOES IT STAY ON??

The nail in the coffin for me were the gravity defying, jiggly, nipples-pointed-at-their-chins  female models all in horrible comic super hero postures. The most modest suit, frankly, was an outfit for the female archer that was slit from the top of her knee and open all the way past her side-boob to her neck. With no discerning explanation as to why every time she bound across my screen like a sparkly princess with a bow, everything didn’t just flop out all wibbly jibbly. I can only think these breast-defying suits are being held up with MAAAAAAAAAAGIC 😀 Picture me doing jazz hands sarcastically to accompany this.

In short?

2phatgeeks gives Tera Online a big fat no thanks. Perhaps things will change for the game in a couple of months of patches, member feed back and such. But right now as it is: I think it’s a pretty disappointing game given MMORPG’s this day and age.

If this game doesn’t go free to play in a year I will be pleasantly surprised. It’s definitely not a game tailored to a broad audience and it’s reallllly not for me. I’ve played a lot of free to play games over the years that have had more story and more thought given into their style than this. If you want a game that looks like Tera Online? Aion did it years ago and better. I actually recommend people trying out Aion instead of this.

This post an opinion based on personal preference of the poster. It does not represent everybody in the entire universe and 2phatgeeks doesn’t imply to be everybody in the universe.

Published inGames

18 Comments

  1. Antonio Antonio

    Someone needs to call this game for what it is. Force Feed on Youtbe has already did it, just like this review. It is disgusting the “oversexualization” and “objectification” of female characters in this game, but the same applied to children is just too much. It disgusts people, it gives a bad reputation to gamers and to the asian market. It’s just like the invasion of the teenage hormone controlled drones in Oblivion and Skyrim mod scene. They just want all female characters looking like semi-naked anime characters with boobs bouncing around. What’s next?

    • What scares me, Antonio, is that there are games out there even worse. (Scarlet Blade anyone?)

  2. I puchased and played fro ab out 6 weeks on release, then moved house, didn’t unpack gaming rig for a while, unsubbed…

    Now I’m back playing it because well, it has the combat system that I really enjoy and it’s now Free-to-Play!
    Now that I don’t need to justify my sporadic spare time I spend gaming into a monetary value it has become a lot more fun. However the same can be said for any subscription MMO I suppose, so I guess it’s the combat that draws me.

    It’s just fun.

    However I just saw some footage(review) on youtube of Neverwinter, so will likely look at that once release rolls closer… in the mean time Tera keeps me occupied.

    • It’s not a bad looking game, Nigel. I just wish, personally, that a pretty looking game could hold me. There was something about the game play and questing experience that also rubbed me the wrong way (as well as how the child characters were portrayed.)

  3. Bruno Bruno

    1 – I’m not a pro reviewer so “This is not a professional review site. It’s fairly obvious. They’re not obligated to play and complete 100% of this game’s content before posting a review. “ this also applies to me right? I think so ^^ I haven’t played a lot, I’m only trying the trial version.

    2 – I play WoW since 2006, so I think I’m qualified to say that this is not a WoW ripoff. I’ve played all the expansions, tried out all the characters, did many raids and spent a lot of time doing PvP. I don’t know why everyone keeps saying that it’s a ripoff, but I guess that ignorance knows best. Combat system, job system and even pve system are extremely different from one another. Wow = Lock, cast, move, jump, cast, cast. (off course the combos and the mechanisms are complex in it’s own way! I’m simply making it simple for comparison); TERA = Aim, atack, move, dodge, aim, atack… (even if both combat systems are complex, TERA seems a lot more realistic! Where you can solo your way through dungeons using skills alone! Or win at pvp with effort and skills, and not gear. If you play wow, you can’t solo anything. You can’t dodge, you can’t evade, you can’t escape.) Professions in WoW require you to raise alts, in TERA you can have only 1 char with all of the profs. Although it’s expensive, you can do it with time. And also, if you play wow for as many years as I did (btw I was not a hardcore player, just a casual player) you will notice that all the mobs will eventually be the same. Some are added, but most of them are copies of previous models. So it’s good to see a different type of monsters and surroundings in TERA.

    ALSO! Dafuq, TERA added the political system! You don’t need to review all the game but common x). I’m not going to post something about a game, almost raging about it without knowing its fundamental characteristics x). Just saying!…

    3 – This is a public site and a public post ^^ so if I want to ”lash out” I guess it’s okay. I lashed out at the post, and you guys are lashing out at me ^^. Simple and normal xD I just happened to pass by this post and felt like commenting aswell. It’s not forbidden ^^.

    4 – After thinking about it for a while and playing with the female characters a bit more, I see your point and yeah you guys changed my mind. The girls could be a little less sexist. Still think that sexy and raw female characters rock :b but the game should consider changing the minimum age for the game. I admit it, you guys are totally right about the female chars! ^^

    5 – I didn’t think that everyone would reply so fast xD nice aha.

  4. Shan Shan

    to be completely fair? Tera was always a garbage rip off of WoW. sad but true. I get it..fanboys wanna come here and complain “Ohnoes! she’s dissing our thing” but facts are facts. it got a 77 from metacritic, as well as wishy-washy reviews from a TON of games journalists (g4, joystiq, and others) so subjectively (because all reviews are subjective and play to the users own experiences with the game) the game was never great. If her review is, in fact, “shit” then why even comment?

    unless you’re so insecure about your own experiences that you need to lash out because someone is insulting something you happen to like. Maybe there is a bit of doubt in your mind that the game is awesome, so anyone who confirms that is instantly the “enemy.”

    fail comments are fail.

    how about you ask the developers to put some clothing on the underaged, over sexualized children in the game, and maybe her opinion might change, but as of right now? I’m in 100% agreement with her. over sexualizing kids (even for a game) is fuckin disgusting.

    I’m saddened that you’d lash out at people, but I know it’s probably hard when people are pointing out your nasty pedo-game is garbage.

  5. Ehzoterik Ehzoterik

    “And yeah, the characters might be a bit sexist, and it might be a little too much, but so what? Female characters need to be sexy and raw. You can’t have a female character that looks like a fucking book worm can you? It’s not about being 15 or 30, it’s about appeal!”

    Oh, Bruno. You sad, sad little man. Actually, you CAN have a female character that looks like a fucking book worm. You must not watch a lot of porn. If you did, you’d know that that shit sells. REALLY WELL.

  6. Bruno Bruno

    Yep, this review sucks… Since no one else is giving a different opinion I will.

    First of all, it might be grind-based game, but it could be great depending on how you engage it. Personally it gives me an opportunity to solo play, and to explore at my will without feeling the need to follow quests that send me to point A to point B, that will send me back to point A and then send me to point C.

    The grinding is way cooler with the new combat system that Tera is using. It’s a lot like MH3… You have to aim to attack and you can dodge your opponent skills. While most of the games require minimum effort to target, Tera gives you a whole new experience. Since it took you so long to get to lvl 4, maybe you were trying to click the mob and then waiting for your attacks to dmg your enemy while you were jumping or looking the other way (wow reference).

    And yeah, the characters might be a bit sexist, and it might be a little too much, but so what? Female characters need to be sexy and raw. You can’t have a female character that looks like a fucking book worm can you? It’s not about being 15 or 30, it’s about appeal!

    And most of you guys are talking about monotony? What the hell are you talking about? If you don’t explore every aspect of the game, and look at it as just another game similar too… of course it will be boring! What about the political system? Who’s reviewing it? I’m not even going to talk about it, it’s your review! If you don’t even consider the positive and cool new implemented aspects of a political system in a rpg, you sir are an idiot.

    A review covers all or most of the games aspects. It is meant to be done by people who actually studied and thought about the different things that compose the game. Since I’ve had all this trouble, THIS REVIEW IS SHIT! :b go look the game in a more detailed way, and be amazed lol.

    • @ Bruno

      1.) I think you missed the whole, “Personal blog not associated with a company or being paid to review, and therefore, not obligated to not be rife with own opinions. ” Let me quote a comment that you probably should read– because it’s awfully well put–by Xrez in case my explanation is not clear enough,

      “This is not a professional review site. It’s fairly obvious. They’re not obligated to play and complete 100% of this game’s content before posting a review. “

      2.)

      “And yeah, the characters might be a bit sexist, and it might be a little too much, but so what? Female characters need to be sexy and raw. You can’t have a female character that looks like a fucking book worm can you? It’s not about being 15 or 30, it’s about appeal!”

      I just want to quote this in case something happens to it. I want to keep this, right here–because it is possibly the second most ridiculous and idiotic remark I have had on my blog in a long time.

      FYI just because you think a large, bouncy boob laden woman with proportions that make Barbie look normal and waist that would snap at the slightest sign of flatulence and legs five times longer than a praying mantis on crack–is sexy and good looking–doesn’t mean the rest of the world does. It doesn’t mean that just because sex sells to a certain demographic that a game company should even stoop to that level…Especially in this day and age when female gamers are becoming part of the majority and not the minority.

      Sexism in games is no longer “okay,” just because “all the other game companies are doing it” or “have done it before.” For example: “Well, George kicked a kitten and got away with it. I know kicking kittens is wrong and horrible. But George got away with it! So I’ll do it too.” That? That mentality right there? Is what leads humanity into some of the darkest crevices known.

      Sexism and the obvious objectification of pre-pubescent girls is wrong. Defending it because it, “sells,” doesn’t help anyone.

      We need to get away from painting on cave walls and get started on canvass in video games.

      P.S. In my humble opinion, your comment, as you say, is shit.

  7. Xrez Xrez

    @Carbine This is not a professional review site. It’s fairly obvious. They’re not obligated to play and complete 100% of this game’s content before posting a review. He stated an opinion about a game that was too painful to play any further than lvl 4 for him. You’ll find similar cases EVERYWHERE. They are opinions and in all honesty, it’s a valid one that he went into detail explaining.

    I agree with this review. I FORCED myself to level to lvl 40 (get my money’s worth) and can say this game is just a typical run of the mill treadmill with a convoluted and obscured plot. It’s only gimmick is the combat, and while it IS pretty fun it doesn’t make up for the overall monotony of this game. I regret buying it.

  8. carbine carbine

    dissapointed in this review, and not cause you dont like tera, thats your opinion and you have all rights to it. but if you are trying to write proper reviews then they need to be unbiased, oh and hour and half playing to lvl 4? and you know the WHOLE game now? sorry but at level 4 in any game isnt going to give you any proper insight. ive played mmos that seemed great at level 4 and then died in my appeal.

    so yes i do like tera. but thats not the reason i disapprove this review. i disapprove of it do to the fact it was done inproperly.

  9. Emma Emma

    Hold up a second. Melissa, why are you thanking them? It’s as if it’s a good thing that the game is getting hate. I can see how you might have been disappointed by the game, but I know a lot of people that are satisfied with it.
    Personally, I haven’t played it, but I’ve watched friends demo it. And I am very confused with all the contradicting feedback this game has received. I do not agree with Steeeevo, but neither do I see how any of you are more sensible as I haven’t received any concrete examples as to how the game “sucks”.
    Would you care to explain your opinions on the game from a less narrow-minded perspective so that people who haven’t played the game might get some insight?

    Also, I am female, but do not think there’s anything wrong with the armor portrayed in the game. If anything, I think it is sexy. Also, Elins didn’t appear very “sexualized” to me.

  10. Gig Gig

    Atlast someone with same experience i had in tera online.

    In my case i created that animal looking race (sorry not best with names).

    Character was nice, but i just didnt found anything why i should continue to grind.

    And yea, grind is the right word. go kill 5 of tree looking monster, next quest get 5 of claws from same tree monsters, next quest, get get 5 of different items from elder tree monsters.

    All games require some sort of grind, difference is how they put it before you. In this game is just big asian style fail again.

    • Thank you, Gig. That’s what it felt like to me too. Honestly, Aion is a better game than TERA, in only that at least Aion isn’t pretentious enough anymore to charge people to play it. It went F2P and it’s the better choice.

  11. Ashlaran Ashlaran

    not sure why someone would think this review is “shit”. it gives exactly the view of an adult gamer who is NOT 15 years old and needs to see boobs all over the screen. i totally agree to most points since i played beta myself and i just can’t see myself playing tera :s

    • Thanks very much, Ashlaran. I like pretty things. I like pretty games with great graphics and fantastic character textures. But I don’t need to see breasts jiggling all over the place or little kids dressed in provocative clothing to know whether or not a game is good. Thanks for the comment!

  12. This review is full of sh!t.

    You guys are wrong on so many levels are you are more than likely just biased fan bois of GW2.

    Fail review is Fail

    • Yes, because saying, “this sucks,” or “this is full of shit,” it a such a better way to review or respond to something, isn’t it? Instead of, oh, I don’t know–actually playing the game and trying it out.

      I am so very amused by the TERA Online fan bois.

      Whenever you want to sit down with the rest of us adults playing games and actually review them instead of posting up knee-jerk reactions fueled by nerd rage, the sandbox (internet) is wide open. It is no doubt eagerly awaiting your mature, well-thought out responses and charming wit.

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