Terra Invicta
- September 26, 2022
- Pavonis Interactive
- 45h median play time
Get on Steam"Terra Invicta" is a global strategy game where players lead Earth's defense against an alien invasion. They must research technology, manage resources, and engage in diplomacy and warfare to unite the world against the extraterrestrial threat. The game features a realistic geopolitical model, deep strategic options, and the possibility of either saving humanity or succumbing to the alien occupation.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Unique blend of grand strategy and hard sci-fi elements, providing a fresh take on the genre.
- Deep and complex gameplay with a rich tech tree and engaging narrative, allowing for various strategies and playstyles.
- Active development and community support, with regular updates improving gameplay and addressing player feedback.
- Steep learning curve with a confusing tutorial and UI, making it difficult for new players to grasp the mechanics.
- Pacing issues, particularly in the mid to late game, where gameplay can feel tedious and overly grindy.
- AI behavior can be frustrating, often prioritizing the player over other factions and leading to unbalanced gameplay.
- gameplay1,005 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 74 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Terra Invicta" is characterized by its complex mechanics and steep learning curve, requiring significant time investment to fully grasp its systems. Players engage in a mix of geopolitical strategy and space exploration, with a focus on managing councilors and resources, but many find the repetitive nature of tasks and poorly explained mechanics detract from the experience. While the game offers deep strategic elements and innovative concepts, it suffers from a cumbersome UI and a gameplay loop that can feel tedious, especially in the early stages.
“If you love complex and non-linear 4X gameplay, I'd recommend it.”
“The scale, quality, balance, and coherency of everything from mechanical systems to artwork to writing is incredible for an indie studio whose only previous experience is in modding for an entirely different genre.”
“Terra Invicta is a captivating addition to the strategy genre, offering a complex and nuanced experience that will appeal to players who relish the challenge of mastering intricate game mechanics and delving into the strategic intricacies of interstellar conflict and diplomacy.”
“Gameplay feels like a constant chore and is not fun in the slightest, so I guess it's designed to condition us to become mindless slave-drones of galactic bureaucracy.”
“The gameplay loop bogs down and quite frankly kind of wastes the player's time.”
“The core gameplay that you as the player are doing 90% of the time is assigning your councilors/agents on missions, the basis of your effects in the game world.”
- story596 mentions
- 12 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story in "Terra Invicta" is praised for its depth and complexity, with players appreciating the rich lore and the unique narratives associated with each faction. However, many reviewers express frustration with the pacing and execution, noting that the gameplay often devolves into repetitive mission assignments that detract from the overall narrative experience. While the game offers an intriguing backdrop of political intrigue and alien invasion, the mechanics can feel tedious, leading to a disconnect between the engaging story and the gameplay loop.
“Pavonis really outdid themselves with the slow-burn storytelling, letting you dig out and uncover the story behind the alien invaders.”
“The story and the setting of the game are its strongest points; this game is overflowing with lore and it's really well written; the developers are really invested in the story and writing of this game and it shows.”
“The story is shockingly interesting, and the different factions are interesting.”
“The game is very laggy, it's a very slow game that does not grab you at all, next to no story, almost nothing to do other than send your councilors on missions that generally always end up in failure, no guide as to how to use the councilors or what to do with them, it feels very incomplete as in this is the alpha stage, maybe a few hours of work have gone into it but not much thought put into how the game operates.”
“I know it's early access but the story is weak and slow as hell, after 14 hours I feel that was a waste of my time.”
“The core gameplay that you as the player are doing 90% of the time is assigning your councilors/agents on missions, the basis of your effects in the game world.”
- grinding172 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews consistently highlight that the game suffers from excessive grinding and tedious gameplay, particularly in the late game where players often find themselves repeating the same actions and managing numerous tasks without meaningful progression. While some players appreciate the depth and complexity of the game, many express frustration with the slow pacing, micromanagement, and lack of rewarding gameplay, leading to a sense of monotony and frustration. Overall, the game's ambitious concepts are overshadowed by its grindy nature, making it difficult for players to fully enjoy the experience.
“I know the screenshots look cool, but the good reviews and the content you are seeing are the small payoffs in between real-life days of grinding.”
“You hit the cap of regions you can control very quickly, so you're just waiting for resources to accumulate and research to complete, repeating the same tedious actions over and over in order to pass the time.”
“The primary loop of the game is insanely tedious and yet somehow simultaneously pointless after the early game.”
- optimization110 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a significant concern among players, with many reporting poor performance, especially in late-game scenarios, and frequent crashes. While some users have noted improvements with recent patches, the user interface is often described as clunky and inefficient, exacerbating performance issues. Many players express hope for further optimization and stability enhancements as the game continues to develop in early access.
“The devs are still actively supporting the game, and I've seen marked improvement in AI and performance every time they patch, to the point that the AI actually still really challenges me even after 200 hours in-game.”
“Highly recommended if you're looking for actual strategy, good graphics, smooth performance.”
“This game is made by an indie studio that was just a bunch of modders yesterday and yet it provides a bug-free, feature-complete, decently optimized experience and gameplay with significant depth.”
“I encountered a game-breaking bug while playing with low graphics and the smallest system size to mitigate performance, and the posts I find talking about it are from two years ago.”
“The game is very performance heavy (for no apparent reason), laggy, and buggy.”
“The performance late game, especially when doing the full solar system option, is slow as hell.”
- graphics89 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the attention to detail and overall aesthetic, particularly in space combat and environmental design. However, some users criticize the user interface as clunky and the graphics as lacking polish compared to contemporary titles, suggesting a need for improvement in both visual quality and functionality. Overall, while the game showcases impressive visuals for an indie title, it struggles with performance issues and a cumbersome UI that detracts from the experience.
“The scale, quality, balance, and coherency of everything from mechanical systems to artwork to writing is incredible for an indie studio whose only previous experience is in modding for an entirely different genre.”
“The graphics are superb; name and asset customization allows for a sandbox element as well, and most of all, the science fiction aspect is grounded in realism.”
“The graphics and sound design create a visually stunning and immersive experience, truly bringing the space opera to life.”
“I encountered a game-breaking bug while playing with low graphics and smallest system size to mitigate performance, and the posts I find talking about it are from two years ago.”
“The UI is so clunky as to be unpleasant to use, and the performance is horrible for the bad graphics that are offered.”
“The graphics are barebones and the complexity is hardcore, so I'm not sure if I would have known a particular thing was off.”
- replayability80 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its diverse factions, each with unique characteristics and strategies that can drastically alter gameplay. Players can expect hundreds of hours of varied experiences, as different approaches and random elements contribute to a fresh feel in each playthrough. However, some reviewers noted that despite the depth, certain gameplay mechanics and similarities between factions may limit long-term replay value.
“The variety of factions and their unique characteristics add depth and replayability, ensuring each playthrough feels fresh and exciting.”
“Overall the game is extremely engrossing, extremely replayable with many different possible strategies even for just one faction, delightfully challenging, and the geopolitics mechanics are well fleshed out.”
“This game is an incredibly deep, hard sci-fi strategy game with tons of replayability.”
“The weak part is that despite some differences in end goals, and a few other relatively minor things, almost all factions play very similarly, so the replay value of that is limited, but it is there.”
“But is a nightmare to learn and enjoy right now and has a lot of balance, gameplay, UI, and replayability issues.”
“So if I have to invest 200 hours for learning a game, I want at least 2000 hours of replayability to the game, and frankly, that's not the case here.”
- stability49 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a mixed bag, with many users reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and performance issues, particularly during complex gameplay moments. While some players appreciate the game's potential and ongoing development, they express frustration over the current state, citing it as a "buggy nightmare" that detracts from the overall experience. Despite these challenges, a few reviews note that the game runs surprisingly well on certain systems and has moments of solid gameplay, indicating that improvements may be on the horizon.
“Graphics are good, space combat and the ship designs are all really cool, the simulation of the solar system is actually really complex, but still runs great on both my old PC and my current machine.”
“But hey, it's bug free, there is a lot of development progress and it's fun - so I totally recommend it.”
“Still needs a lot of polishing and quality of life touches but it's surprisingly bug free and stable given how complex it is.”
“The game and the idea is very promising, but it's obviously not ready yet, as basic functionalities are not working properly, the game is very performance heavy (for no apparent reason), laggy, and buggy.”
“I've lost 4 games now due to consistent unavoidable crashes, freezes, and not being allowed to press play again in the middle of a real-time section.”
“This game is buggy and crashes all the time.”
- music36 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received for its quality and atmospheric fit, but many players find the limited number of tracks leads to repetitiveness over time. While the soundtrack enhances immersion, there is a strong desire for more diverse and varied music to sustain interest throughout longer play sessions. Overall, the music is considered solid but in need of expansion to better complement the game's length and complexity.
“The soundtrack and sound design complement the game's atmosphere, enhancing the immersion of leading humanity's foray into the unknown.”
“Also on a funny note, the best music plays when you're fighting alien spaceships, meaning you get an awesome soundtrack while getting your teeth kicked in, rad.”
“Deep, complex, and the soundtrack slaps.”
“The soundtrack, while powerful, is far too short on tracks for a game of this length and grows repetitive.”
“One wish though: for god's sake, please add more diverse music!”
“One song does not cut it and probably 95% of us just turn off the music within 20 minutes.”
- humor26 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- -8 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is frequently highlighted as a standout feature, with players enjoying the absurdity of the tech tree, the comical geopolitical scenarios, and the ironic challenges of being hilariously outmatched by aliens. The writing is noted for its wit, with funny quotes from characters and amusing situations arising from gameplay mechanics, such as the unpredictability of success rates in missions. Overall, the blend of humor with strategic elements creates an entertaining experience that keeps players engaged and laughing throughout their journey.
“The 'ah-ha!' moments are great in this game, along with the really interesting and sometimes funny geopolitics at play.”
“The writing is frequently hilarious.”
“You're going to be looking at 10 hours minimum before you're looking at building your first warship, and that warship will likely be a very ramshackle, leaky lifeboat with guns taped on that will be gutted by the first alien that looks at it funny, or even stranded in space if you try to send it beyond the moon.”
“The humor in this game often falls flat, especially when high success percentages lead to repeated failures. It's hard to find it funny when my well-prepared missions fail in comical succession due to RNG.”
“I expected some lighthearted moments, but the humor often feels forced and doesn't land. It's frustrating when the game tries to be funny but ends up just being annoying.”
“The attempts at humor in the game can be more irritating than amusing, especially when the mechanics lead to absurd situations that aren't actually funny.”
- atmosphere25 mentions
- 52 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its immersive and plausible depiction of global environmental issues, enhanced by effective sound design and graphics that create a captivating experience. Players appreciate the strategic depth and the engaging narrative that intertwines with real-world climate data, making the atmosphere feel both relevant and compelling. Overall, the combination of thematic elements and attention to detail contributes to a rich and atmospheric gameplay experience.
“I'm a sucker for atmospheric games, and it hits the nail on the head here.”
“The atmosphere all comes together in a way that makes this scenario feel perfectly plausible in reality.”
“The soundtrack and sound design complement the game's atmosphere, enhancing the immersion of leading humanity's foray into the unknown.”
“The graphics and sound design create a visually stunning and immersive space opera, adding to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“I'm not sure if I need to fire lasers through the upper atmosphere more often, or add more to spoils and economy.”
- emotional15 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to evoke deep feelings through the existential threat posed by aliens, prompting players to consider complex moral responses. Players appreciate the relatable motivations of various factions, which enhance the emotional engagement, while the game's intricate mechanics and strategic depth create a sense of immersion akin to being a pivotal decision-maker in a grand narrative. However, some express disappointment over the lack of significant development post-early access, which may detract from the overall emotional experience.
“The threat of the aliens is emotionally evocative and makes you think about what response might be correct; almost all of the factions are coming from a standpoint that is at minimum understandable and somewhat rational while also appealing to a human emotional response.”
“No game has ever made me feel as close to being the 'man behind the desk' in a grand strategy.”
“I could write a novel about the 90-year-old councilors with near superhuman abilities defending Earth against the aliens and hundreds of other emotional moments that, if you consider them happening in the real world rather than as pixels on the screen, are heart-wrenching.”
- monetization4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that it fails to deliver on its advertising promises and is plagued by bugs. Many recommend against purchasing it, citing a lack of return options if the game does not meet expectations after initial play.
“Cash grab, gets stupid repetitive after an hour and just watch a map move.”
“Steam is putting out products that don't match the advertising and are full of bugs more and more lately.”
“Don't bother buying the game since you will not be able to return it when it fails to live up to the advertising.”
- character development1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its integration with various gameplay systems, including space combat and politics, allowing for a multifaceted experience. While the reviewer has not completed a playthrough, they believe the game effectively combines these elements to enhance character progression.
“There is a lot coming together in this game; it brings together diverse systems such as 4X gameplay, space combat, base-building, politics, and character development. In my opinion, it does this well, although I have to admit I have not finished a playthrough yet.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
“I was disappointed by the limited choices in character development; it feels like the game doesn't allow for any real growth or change.”
“Despite the game's ambitious scope, the character development is underwhelming and fails to engage players on a deeper level.”
