TERA

TERA's console launch may be off to a rough start, but the amazing combat system should keep players coming back for more, even for players that just want to enjoy an MMORPG without paying a dime.

69%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

grinding, optimization

74% User Score Based on 3,432 reviews

Critic Score 67%Based on 10 reviews

Platforms

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About

TERA is a single player and multiplayer open world role playing game with fantasy, mystery and historical themes. It was developed by Bluehole, Inc. and was released on April 3, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

Tera is an epic fantasy mmorpg experience. Master the action-packed combat system and prove yourself in solo and multiplayer adventures - all in the stunningly beautiful world of Arborea!

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74%

Audience ScoreBased on 3,432 reviews

story97 positive mentions

grinding137 negative mentions

Unique and highly praised action combat system that is fluid, skill-based and satisfying
Visually impressive with beautiful graphics and diverse character customization options
Large world with engaging quests, dungeons, and challenging boss fights
Free-to-play with relatively fair monetization focusing on cosmetics and convenience
Good community and social interaction especially for players who find supportive guilds

Dwindling player base causing long queue times and empty towns, especially at endgame
Some classes are race- and gender-locked, which restricts player choice
Grinding can become repetitive and frustrating, especially at endgame
Previous account migration caused loss of many veteran players' characters and purchases
Game suffers from bugs, poor optimization, crashing issues and lag even on powerful PCs
In-game shop has expensive and pay-to-win tendencies with RNG loot boxes
Toxicity and elitism persist in community, especially in PvP and endgame dungeons

story
510 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
71%
10%
The story in the game is generally seen as linear, repetitive, and often overshadowed by grind-heavy quests, with many players finding it forgettable or unengaging. While some appreciate the lore and world-building, others criticize the lack of depth, immersion, and polished narrative, noting frequent bugs and a decline in story content over time. Overall, the story provides basic context for gameplay but is not the main draw compared to the combat system and multiplayer aspects.
- “Quests, dungeons, and storylines unfold within a detailed setting, immersing players in a fantasy realm filled with diverse landscapes and intriguing NPCs.”
- “The story is fascinating and it saddens me to know that some players skipped through the story, because each chapter has interesting bosses and an exciting ending.”
- “The story can keep you entertained for hundreds of hours when you play the storyline.”
- “If you want a game with great combat, this is the game for you. Sadly, this is all it has. The story is so jumbled and everywhere that it's not worth trying to understand. You feel like you're placed in an 8-hour tutorial, with only the endgame being when you're out of it.”
- “The story is bad, irrational, and irrelevant. It has a slight structure but often lacks rational connection. The majority of the story consists of boring and exhausting text boxes. The story is not rewarding, leading to longer leveling times and poor social character development.”
- “The main quest line becomes a grind once you hit level 68, even locking you out of the endgame story from 68-70. Quests are repetitive, mostly fetch or kill objectives, making the leveling experience boring and unengaging.”
gameplay
321 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
54%
6%
The gameplay of TERA is widely praised for its dynamic, skill-based combat mechanics that emphasize action, timing, and teamwork, especially in challenging and diverse dungeons with interesting boss mechanics. While the combat system is smooth and engaging, offering a variety of classes and customization, some players find the progression repetitive and the endgame content sometimes stale or heavily reliant on grinding. Performance issues, lack of clear in-game guidance on mechanics, and community challenges like finding cooperative groups can affect the experience, but overall the gameplay remains the standout feature that appeals to fans of action-oriented MMORPGs.
- “Many of the dungeons had actual mechanics and even though some of them were challenging, it was so much fun.”
- “Tera sets itself apart with its dynamic combat system that emphasizes skill-based gameplay.”
- “Lovely active battle system with a lot of dynamics to it, battle and boss mechanics in high level dungeons keep you on your toes and present you with a good challenge.”
- “The pve aspect is a mess of recycled bosses where the boss's mechanics being released now are always recycled either fully or a new boss that has a few mechanics from them.”
- “Most dungeons don't even explain mechanics and it's up to you to google them or ask experienced players.”
- “Gameplay was decent, but one major issue that in my opinion ultimately destroyed any hope for Tera was the very, very slow switch to 64bit that probably made more than one person scratch their head saying: "Why am I getting such low FPS?" making them quit the game as it might not have been a great experience for them.”
graphics
292 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
37%
6%
Tera's graphics are widely praised for their beautiful, unique art style and vibrant fantasy visuals that have aged well over the years, delivering stunning environments and detailed character designs. While some note that the graphics are now somewhat dated and optimization issues occur, especially on high settings, the game's visuals remain impressive and contribute significantly to its immersive and engaging gameplay experience.
- “Even years after release, the art style still holds up and gives the game a timeless fantasy charm.”
- “Tera was one of the first MMORPGs with an active combat system and insane graphics.”
- “The game was really fun back then, I remember it being hard at times but nothing impossible, graphics are great in my opinion and the community is okay.”
- “Graphically it looks pretty dated.”
- “The graphics are bad and poorly optimized.”
- “How can a game like this auto-adjust the graphics constantly to "potato-mode" running on an RTX 2080 due to some obnoxious auto-optimization feature that cannot be turned off properly?”
grinding
146 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
4%
94%
Grinding in the game is a core and often lengthy experience, especially past level 65, involving repetitive farming, dungeon runs, and gear upgrades that can feel tedious and frustrating due to RNG and resource demands. While some players appreciate the grind as part of the fun or social experience, many find it excessive, slow, and sometimes pay-to-win influenced, making progression challenging without spending real money. Overall, grinding is described as both a staple and a downside, with enjoyment often depending on player patience, social engagement, and tolerance for repetitive content.
- “It's still fun to play with many things to do and lots of PvE content, but there will be a time where you will have to put some money if you want to progress faster and not grind forever.”
- “A bit grindy sometimes.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Spent 200 hours grinding gear just for the game to give me prettier underwear as loot.”
- “Played 141 hours of this game and have played before and I have to admit the upgrade system is still trash—hours and hours of relentless grinding to get the materials you need to upgrade high-end gear only to be constantly trolled by the awful RNG. This game has RNG dominating everything, even in-game purchases with real money.”
- “I would say no, you can get everything yourself through grinding alone, but the aspect of the grind is spending around 15+ hours every day playing multiple characters and clearing dungeons, and one day you'd be able to attempt to enchant your weapon, only to be screwed over by the RNG—you wasted 1-2 months gathering resources, maybe got 1% done of what a big whale player got in 15 minutes after pay-to-win.”
optimization
96 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
51%
39%
Tera suffers from persistent and severe optimization issues, including frequent frame rate drops, stuttering, and long loading times, even on high-end PCs. Despite some improvements with the 64-bit client and DirectX 11 update, performance problems remain widespread, detracting significantly from gameplay and making the experience frustrating for many players. Overall, the game's outdated engine and lack of effective optimization updates continue to hinder smooth performance.
- “The game gained significant optimizations as of the 64bit client update.”
- “Performance and graphics wise, my 5 year old laptop (i5 7200u / GeForce 940mx 2GB / 768p screen) can run the game at top settings; bottleneck seems to be the CPU.”
- “Before the switch to 64-bit, the game lagged really hard and just wasn't optimized well, especially in crowded areas like Velkia, but it's improved pretty well with the new 64-bit.”
- “So poorly optimized it is unplayable on a modern system.”
- “The update from 32bit to 64bit has more than quadrupled the requirements to play the game, but has also made it obvious that the game suffers from an ungodly lack of optimization.”
- “The game has performance issues, where when you're trying to wander through the map, the game suddenly freezes for a few seconds before it starts responding again.”
stability
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from frequent and persistent bugs, glitches, and performance issues, including long freezes, crashes, and freezing in key areas like the main city, which significantly impact stability. Despite occasional playability, many players report a generally unstable experience worsened by outdated fixes and unaddressed problems. While some find it still enjoyable, the overall stability is notably poor, requiring troubleshooting and tolerance for a buggy, laggy gameplay.
- “Everyone knew there would be no updates to fix unplayable glitches and issues, and their last armour update killed any progression you could reasonably do without paying hundreds of actual dollars to get.”
- “Today, even my current computer, which can at least play Cyberpunk 2077 on medium without major drops, cannot even walk around the main city, resulting in 1-2 minute long freezes causing the game to temporarily not respond and my motherboard beeping, only to allow 3 seconds of movement before the cycle repeats.”
- “The game has performance issues where, when wandering through the map, it suddenly freezes for a few seconds before responding again.”
monetization
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
53%
37%
Monetization in the game is widely criticized for aggressive, overpriced microtransactions, including costly cosmetic items, convenience boosts, and subscription services that verge on pay-to-win. Many players feel the cash-grabs and RNG-dependent upgrades severely harm the gameplay experience and have contributed to the game's decline and dwindling player base. While the core gameplay remains enjoyable, the intrusive and expensive monetization detracts significantly from its overall appeal.
- “Optional microtransactions focus primarily on cosmetic items and convenience boosts, maintaining a fair balance for free and paying players.”
- “If you report an error about your in-game purchases, expect a quick resolution.”
- “The in-game purchases are extremely overpriced but I find the game still enjoyable without buying anything.”
- “From a straight up buying system to free-to-play with microtransactions everywhere to almost pay-to-win with ridiculous prices on everything in the cash shop and adding a monthly subscription service, ruining the game down to a huge cash grab.”
- “Stay away from the microtransactions and the surprise boxes, they are a real scam, just like the ones found in videogames published by EA.”
- “The game became a source of income for the developers through microtransactions that make you progress faster (or just progress at all, because you cannot without it after a short time), or just simply richer than anyone else.”
music
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The music in the game receives mixed but generally positive feedback, with many praising its ability to enhance immersion, atmosphere, and emotional engagement, even being memorable enough to listen to outside the game. However, some find the soundtrack repetitive or lacking the depth and atmospheric impact expected from a fantasy genre, labeling it as forgettable or merely adequate. Overall, the music is considered a strong and enjoyable aspect, contributing well to the game's experience for most players.
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- “It had great scenery and graphics, insane music with the best combat system in any MMO, one of the few games that I could truly immerse myself in for 15h at a time, after 8 years I can still remember the names of random NPCs, names of towns, raids and bosses.”
- “I love the music in this game, if you take time to even pay attention to the score you'll find most of it dramatic and gorgeous.”
- “That is actually quite a pity, since the maps have somewhat alright designs, which may quickly be ruined by the music they placed on them.”
- “Music/soundtracks: 5/10”
- “I'm missing that atmospheric feeling which the music can bring out immensely, if well done.”
humor
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is often described as lighthearted and enjoyable, especially when playing with friends, featuring funny character interactions, amusing mechanics, and entertaining side quests. While some find the game's quirky visuals and transmogs humorous, others note that the storyline is less comedic but enriched with intriguing conspiracies. Overall, moments of laughter and fun are common, though humor can fade as gameplay becomes repetitive.
- “The monkey boss with the funny banana mechanics.”
- “I will always remember meeting my best friend both being berserkers and her struggling to parry (hilarious), and me teaching her and then leveling together before finally exchanging real life details.”
- “Especially fun with friends and has some really funny side quests!”
character development
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
38%
14%
Character development in the game is praised for its visually appealing and diverse character designs, engaging NPC backstories, and fun customization options. However, some players feel the character progression lacks flexibility, potentially limiting gameplay variety and social engagement. Overall, the blend of stylish designs and narrative depth is appreciated, though opinions vary on the execution of character growth.
- “Lots of character development of NPCs and even backstory for the most important ones; it's written fun and exciting.”
- “I love the combat system and the character design in this game; they're the best ones of all the MMORPGs I have played.”
- “Tera has a really nice art style, cool character designs, pretty locations, and good-looking animations.”
- “Also, sometimes I think there could be more flexibility in character development, which may limit the gameplay experience for some players.”
- “That is still not the whole mess: the story is not rewarding, in terms of extremely longer time to level and in social character development.”
- “Bad character design.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game is praised for its immersive and warm atmosphere, enhanced by player interaction, cooperative gameplay, and scenic world exploration. High-quality graphics, character designs, and subtle sound design contribute positively, though occasional disruptive player elements can detract from the experience. Overall, the atmosphere encourages both social engagement and a slow-paced appreciation of the expansive world.
- “Top MMORPG of all time. I spent over the years hours and good times in this game. The gameplay, graphics, and atmosphere in this game, playing with friends was a pretty cool time.”
- “The interaction between players and the sense of cooperation make this game offer a warm community atmosphere.”
- “More games should do this, because then players can choose for themselves from the start whether they want to move through the world at a fast speed or rather take it slow and capture more of the atmosphere.”
- “Idk why, maybe atmosphere, maybe character designs.”
- “First of all, the races are very good looking (especially the female ones), and the world looks good as well, but some random costumes and weird trashy signs that people can put on the ground instantly destroy the atmosphere.”
- “More games should do this, because then players can choose for themselves from the start whether they want to move through the world at a fast speed or rather take it slow per food and capture more of the atmosphere.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Replayability in the game is mixed: while trying different classes like sorcerer and valkyrie offers varied experiences, overall progression is considered boring, limiting long-term replay value. The storyline remains somewhat enjoyable upon replay, but outside of dungeons, content feels repetitive and less engaging after the initial playthrough.
- “Oh, and the storyline is pretty replayable.”
- “I've played as Sorcerer and Valkyrie, and they both feel incredibly different from each other, so there's much replayability if you want to try out a new class.”
- “Some classes were playable only for certain races.”
- “Based on my experience with the gameplay of this game, it has 0 replay value because of the boring progression.”
- “Not very replayable after the first time playing or creating another character.”
- “Some classes are playable only for certain races.”
emotional
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express strong emotional attachments to the game, feeling heartbroken over its decline or removal from platforms. While some appreciate the mechanics and progression, many are disappointed by bugs and limited emotional impact beyond a few key characters.
- “I can't tell you how happy I was with TERA; seeing how it's gone (off Steam) makes me emotional.”
- “So heartbreaking that it’s gone, I wish it would be rebooted.”
- “They are mostly totally lame, only some characters will be emotionally important for you (mostly the antagonists).”