Terra Memoria
Last updated: 2025-06-14
- Charming story and likable main characters.
- Appealing and polished art style.
- Enjoyable and engaging combat system.
- Accessible, relaxing, casual gameplay.
- Poor localization and translation quality.
- Underdeveloped town-building mechanics.
Verdict
Mixed
Summary
Positive 72% · Negative 28%. Score: 28 / 100
Positives:
- The game features a charming and engaging narrative with well-developed, likable characters. The story is often described as lighthearted, humorous, and heartwarming, with character interactions being a highlight. Many reviewers appreciated the character-driven narrative and the emotional connection they felt with the cast.
- The game boasts a visually appealing art style, often described as cozy, charming, and polished. Reviewers praised the combination of pixel art and 3D environments, as well as the detailed character and world designs. The aesthetic contributes significantly to the game's overall positive atmosphere.
- The combat system is generally considered enjoyable and engaging, with unique mechanics that add depth without being overly complex. The game balances simplicity with strategic elements, such as elemental weaknesses and support character combinations. The combat is often described as not too difficult, making it accessible for casual players.
- The game is designed to be accessible and easy to pick up, offering a relaxing and casual experience. Reviewers noted its suitability for short play sessions and its gentle learning curve. The game is often compared to classic JRPGs, providing a nostalgic feel without excessive complexity or grind.
- The game respects the player's time by avoiding excessive grinding and padding. The game's length is well-paced, and the inclusion of quality-of-life features enhances the overall experience. Side quests are also well-designed and provide meaningful content.
Negatives:
- The game suffers from poor localization, with awkward translations and errors that hinder understanding and immersion. This issue is particularly pronounced in non-English versions, where machine translation and inconsistent terminology create confusion. The translation problems affect quest progression and world-building.
- The town-building aspect feels underdeveloped and not well-integrated into the core gameplay. Players found it tedious, pointless, and lacking depth, with limited replayability. The system doesn't offer enough guidance or meaningful rewards, making it feel like an afterthought.
- Quests suffer from poor guidance, unclear objectives, and excessive UI popups. Side quests are often tedious, unrewarding, and involve too much backtracking. The lack of clear direction makes it difficult to find quest givers and objectives, leading to frustration.
- The game is plagued by bugs, including game-breaking issues that force restarts due to a single save file. Players have reported lost progress, infinite loading screens, and unresponsive controls. These technical problems significantly detract from the overall experience.
- The game's ending is described as anticlimactic, rushed, and unsatisfying. The story resolution undermines the established lore and fails to deliver a compelling conclusion. Some reviewers felt the ending was abrupt and left them wanting more.
Gameplay:
- The game features a turn-based combat system with a timeline mechanic, elemental weaknesses, and armor values. Exploiting weaknesses delays enemy turns and breaking armor makes them vulnerable, reminiscent of Grandia and Octopath Traveler. Some late-game spells target all weaknesses, emphasizing interruption and burst damage.
- Combat involves three active characters and three support characters. Support characters randomly pair with active characters, modifying their skills and attributes, but this pairing can be configured to a degree.
- The game features a cooking mechanic where players collect ingredients to create dishes, often through a rhythm mini-game, that primarily increase maximum HP. Ingredients are divided into bought, harvested, and enemy drops, but the game lacks an in-game listing of where to find them.
- The game includes a town-building mode where players gather materials to construct and decorate buildings. Completing the second town's main quest unlocks a campsite that can be decorated and populated with recruited NPCs.
- The game features numerous side quests, but the rewards are often not substantial. Quest guidance is weak, and earning cash primarily involves completing tasks to buy ingredients.
Performance:
- The game generally runs smoothly and is well-optimized, even on Steam Deck. Some players have reported the ability to adjust graphics settings as needed. However, other players have experienced optimization issues in later parts of the game.
- Some players have encountered crashes leading to save file corruption, with standard troubleshooting steps proving ineffective. This is a critical issue that can severely impact player experience.
- The cyberpunk city's lighting effects are considered poorly implemented by some players. This is a specific visual critique that detracts from the game's aesthetic.
Recommendations:
- The game is recommended as a short, casual, and charming RPG experience, suitable for newcomers to the genre or those with limited time. It offers a complete experience without excessive grinding, making it ideal for relaxed gameplay during leisure time.
- Several reviews suggest the game is not worth its full price, recommending waiting for a significant discount or bundle deal. Some reviewers even suggest refunding the game after playing for less than 2 hours. Some reviews mention unbalanced combat and economy.
- Some reviewers express that the game has potential but needs further refinement, particularly in bug fixes and streamlining inconveniences. If these issues are addressed, the game could be a successful experimental title.
- Some reviewers found the combat to be lacking depth and polish, not catering to those seeking intense battles or deep tactical gameplay. The game may benefit from more varied combat.
- The demo is generous and representative of the full game, particularly in its combat and exploration elements. Reviewers recommend trying the demo to gauge interest before purchasing, especially if unsure.
Miscellaneous:
- The game was developed by the French studio La Moutarde and contains French cultural references. The game's French origins are noticeable, with some reviewers noting a distinct 'French flair'.
- The game features a 2.5D perspective with fixed camera angles, combining 3D graphics and pixel art. It presents a world populated by anthropomorphic animals where crystals power the world and robots are common enemies. Some reviewers compare the art style to games like Octopath Traveler and Breath of Fire.
- The main story is relatively short, taking around 11-12 hours to complete. Fast travel is available early in the game, which helps maintain a good pace. The plot is simple and straightforward, described as similar to a fairy tale.
- The story features a bodybuilder named Moshag who prefers magic and takes place in the city of Constancia. The city's lore involves a shift from valuing strength to recognizing the importance of knowledge.
- The game includes post-game content that focuses on character stories and town building. This extends the gameplay experience beyond the main storyline.
