To say that the MMORPG space is competitive is an understatement of epic proportions, which is why I’m always willing to give an independent MMO a chance. Wild Terra 2 is a polarizing game; players seem to love it or hate it. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground. I think I can see why, and hopefully, you will as well.
Plotless Sandbox
I can’t really call this section “Plot Ahoy!” because Wild Terra 2: New Lands does not have a plot, and that’s by design. Wild Terra 2 is designed to be an open sandbox in the purest sense of the word. There’s no storyline; players make of the medieval-inspired world what they can and will.
Players also have the option of going wherever and doing whatever they wish, and the world economy is player driven. The players find themselves harvesting resources and crafting the wherewithal to survive in the world against monsters and other players.
Review Notes
Wild Terra 2 forced me to ask and answer the question of what do I do in the absence of a plot, and I’ve got to tell you, gentle readers, a plot is pretty important to the gaming experience, at least for me. Wild Terra 2 requires a tremendous amount of grinding resources, whether that grinding involves slaying wild life or monsters or acquiring resources.
I need to be entirely honest. Grinding has rarely been my favorite part of an MMO, and in the absence of a storyline, the grinding becomes the game’s focus. Unsurprisingly, given that the grinding is at least fifty percent of the gameplay, most crafting recipes are incredibly resource intensive. Players will spend a truly impressive amount of time amassing resources, so unless you’re the kind of player that has large blocks of time to devote to gameplay, Wild Terra 2 is going to be a very frustrating experience. The game features an overactive hunger mechanic to drive some of that grinding, and the amount of food the player character requires is weirdly huge.
Unsurprisingly, the profession system requires as much grinding as anything else does, but what’s interesting about Wild Terra 2 is how integrated the professions are with class abilities. We’ve all needed elixirs and potions to add buffs in dungeons, but in Wild Terra 2, it’s not just a question of maximizing DPS or heals; in some ways, these crafting items seem required to make your character function appropriately.
The grind also includes a repetitive combat system, and the damage to your equipment is intense. Repairs alone are exorbitant, much less the ammunition you might need. In games like this, I prefer ranged DPS over melee, but I ended up defaulting to sword and shield because I couldn’t keep up with repair costs. There’s also a high level of PvP that ate into my resources. Wild Terra 2 is very player driven, and that isn’t just the auction house. Wild Terra 2 features the usual assortment of guilds, and with the usual assortment of guilds come the usual motley crew of roving gank squads.
Visually, Wild Terra 2 isn’t anything to write home about, and while the soundtrack fits the medieval setting, the general sound experience is similarly blah. I will say that the game plays solidly, with bugs and glitches remaining minimal if at all present. The controls function as expected, and the scheme is intuitive enough not to detract from the gameplay experience.
TLDR
Wild Terra 2 is going to appeal to a very specific type of gamer. If you enjoy playing titles in which you feel as though you’ve earned your win, and I do mean earned here, you’ll enjoy Wild Terra 2. If you aren’t or otherwise don’t have a lot of spare time, you might want to give this one a pass.
Wild Terra 2 is on special sale for $25.99 until March 23 on Steam.
Stray Thoughts From Behind the Keyboard
- Wild Terra 2 offers a pet mechanic which is nice.
- The PvP areas are color-coded, ranging from full loot to no loot, so you do actually know when you move into gank squad territory. I’m just not entirely certain that PvP can be avoided completely.
- While the crafting is tedious, you can build yourself your own house and a farm…eventually.