Terraria

[Mr_C_]

Ratings:

Violence:
Sexual themes:
Foul language:
Substance abuse:

Review:

OH!
THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.

--Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel

There are so many things you can do in this game, I've learned to set a goal for each gaming session. If you like digging, you'll dig. If you like crafting, almost everything (including the critters) is a crafting material. If you like magic, there are magical items; if you like swinging a sword, there are plenty of swords. If you want to be like the Belmonts from the Castlevania series and attack using a flail, you can do that. If you want to be like Spider-Man and throw out "webs" to pull yourself along, you can do that, too. And eventually, you will be able to fly.

I probably should not have started out with the larger world setting; over 200 hours into the game, I still have not wrapped around the map on the surface, much less dug deep enough to reach the laval. Speaking of maps, don't leave home without your wiki.[terraria.gamepedia.com] You'll need it to know the crafting recipes.

And yet, there are a couple of ratings items that may cause one to pause. The violence is almost a given. The enemies range from slimes (of several varieties and strengths) to bats to spiders to "face monsters" who make horrible noises as they roam the Crimson biomes. So yeah, it's violent. (Did I mention you get to craft weapons?) You will probably die more than once; I think I died at least 5 times on just the first night, and when you die a grave marker is dropped as a placeable item. You can even edit a message for it, and write your own epitaph.

The substance abuse is another issue, and is seen in different ways in the game. There is a NPC called the Tavernkeeper, for example, and he sells ale. You can also buy sake or make your own ale using the keg crafting station. When used, ale and sake provide a "buff" called "Tipsy", where you can do more damage but your defense drops for a certain amount of time. You can also use ale to craft a weapon, the Molotov Cocktail, which is pretty good for killing bunched up monsters (did I mention there's a comprehensive wiki?[terraria.gamepedia.com]).

As in all things, the thing to remember is in 1 Corinthians 10:23 (AMPC):

All things are legitimate {permissible—and we are free to do anything we please}, but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive {to character} and edifying {to spiritual life}.

But to close, Dr. Seuss sums it up nicely:

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not,
Alone will be something
you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance
you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.
There are some, down the road between hither and yon,
that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the Hakken-Kraks howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike.
And I know you’ll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You’ll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step.
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life’s
a Great Balancing Act.
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

                     Christian Gaming Community Reviews
                   Reviewing from the Christian Worldview:                    
                 -----------------------------------------
                  Retro, Rare, or Classic Underrated Gems, 
                Family Friendly Games, Couch/Local-Op Play, 
                  Pro-Family or Biblical/Scriptural Games, 
                      Online Teamwork/Cooperative Play,
               and Popular Games With No Overt Moral Context