A High-Octane Fusion of Survivors and Scrappage
The subject of today’s review is a bit of an odd one.
What if I said to you that someone had taken the gameplay style of Vampire Survivors, mixed it with a driving game, and then distributed it to the wider world? Do you think that would pique your interest? If you answered no to that question, then I don’t think we can be friends, sorry.
If you can answer ‘yes’, then you’ll want to get involved with TerraTech Legion from Mythwright and Payload Studios as this is a game that pits us against a swarm of AI bots across four different planets. The question is, can we build our way out of trouble, or are the AI bots just too smart?
Corporate Techs
We’ll start with the narrative, although it is somewhat limited. We are the pilots of Techs, representing four different corporations, each with their own style of vehicle and upgrades. The problem is, there is a swarm of AI bots that have decided to destroy anything in their path. Obviously that means we are the rogue Tech pilots that the universe needs in order to save the day. So, if it moves, shoot it, and if it doesn’t, shoot it anyway to be sure! That is the long and the short of the narrative, with the emphasis on the short.
Exploring Deserts, Swamps, and Lava Worlds
The presentation is much better. In TerraTech Legion we spend the majority of our time on a planet, with four distinct biomes. Each of the biomes is different, from a desert world, a swamp world, and the obligatory ice and lava worlds. These hold secrets for you to find, and you’ll spend a bit of time zooming about the surface hunting the best bases and silos to find. Those silos have a variety of temporary boosts inside, such as increased firepower, while bases come complete with a challenge that is unique to each one; although they usually involve about a thousand enemies jumping on your head.
From Basic Bots to Tail-Heavy Tanks
Each world is well designed, with multiple things to find as we explore the place, and everything moves at a fair old pace. As we drive our Tech about and add extra things to it, it evolves nicely, the look of the vehicle in-game changing to reflect the upgrades. In fact, at one point I ended up with a Tech that was too tail heavy, and spent the whole time wheelying about, which was entertaining!
The enemies that we face range from tiny swarms of annoying bots right up to elite level and even bosses, and these provide a lot more of a challenge. But what has impressed me most is the sheer amount of enemies that get thrown at you. Quite often you will be literally buried in enemies, and trying to see what is going on is very tricky. The menu screens, on the other hand, are clear and easy to read, whether that be the build screen on a run, or the character skill tree upgrades before you set off. We can stick a big tick to this part of TerraTech Legion
And frankly, the sound is also quite good, with a nice metallic thud as enemies are rammed or shot to pieces. There is also an equally alarming bang and siren sound if they make contact with your Tech. Yes, perhaps it is a little quiet on the sound front, but the presentation as a whole does what it needs to to get by.
Tactical Scrap-Hunting
It is in the gameplay where TerraTech Legion really starts to shine. The runs that you go on are fairly short, about 30 minutes if you survive long enough, and that means at no point does this outstay it’s welcome. The way the game is structured is to drop you on a planet in a basic Tech, leaving you to take on the swarms to get access to scrap, which is used to allow you to level up your Tech as you go. Think Exp orbs and Vampire Survivors and you won’t be too far off the mark. The levelling up here is a little more involved, however, as a certain amount of planning has to go into it. Let me explain.
Each of the four heroes not only has a different Tech and upgrade path, but a different layout as well. Sam, for instance, has a three wheeled Tech that is bloody awful, while Jean Pierre has a basic tank, and is by far my favourite character. Anyway, as we level up, various blocks are presented our way, and we need to choose one of three choices. There can be weapons, blocks used to expand the Tech, even blocks that have other effects, such as extra armour of health for the Tech. Not only do we have to add these blocks to the Tech in order to get stronger, but they have to be added in a way that doesn’t make it too heavy or too unsteady – remember my mention of a tail-happy beast from before!?
Progression and Persistent Upgrades
Planning a layout and looking at what each weapon needs to be successful can be key, as some fire forwards only, but others have a 360 degree arc of fire; mounting those above the main weaponry allows them to be used to their full extent. Each run, each Tech you build will be different, and this adds massively to the longevity: even successive runs on the same level can have vastly different results, and this really keeps things interesting.
Returning from a run usually sees a ton of accrued money, and this can be spent on our heroes in order to give them a better chance next time. Each character has four levels of upgrades to go at, and while maxing out a tree will take a serious investment, the rewards are there, with better starting Techs and even better abilities, like an increased pick up range and even extra starting weapons. And with four levels times four heroes, it will take a while to see everything that TerraTech Legion has to offer.
A Simple Hook with Surprising Depth
Keep playing the main game (again, there are four planets here, with three difficulty levels on each) and you will unlock Survival mode, which does exactly what it says on the tin – face an endless horde of enemies, level up you Tech and try to stay alive. This mode can be as open ended as you like, but it is properly tricky, I have to say.
TerraTech Legion comes with a simple concept, but there is just so much depth lurking under the surface. That gaming X-Factor is present here, pulling you in like there is no tomorrow. For simplicity and hook, TerraTech Legion nails it.
And with it being on Game Pass? Cherry. On. The. Cake.
Important Links
TerraTech Legion Hits Game Pass Day One With Chaotic Vehicle-Building Carnage – https://www.thexboxhub.com/terratech-legion-hits-game-pass-day-one-with-chaotic-vehicle-building-carnage/
Download from the Xbox Store, via Game Pass if you like – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/terratech-legion/9ng66k0z31lh
Great article. The game is so fresh I’m having difficulty finding answers. When building, weapon placement. Impact weapons still increase stats if not placed on the front (assuming a ram) or can plows, shredders, mining drills be placed anywhere and still increase damage.