Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri

About

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri is a single player and multiplayer tactical shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Looking Glass Studios and was released on July 23, 2015. It received very positive reviews from critics and overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri is a combat-focused game that puts you in command of an elite fighting team. Equip your Powered Battle Armor and fight against the Earth Hegemony and a new, powerful breed of pirates on four unique worlds. Lead your team in over 30 missions, including recon, rescue, and night raids, while uncovering the dark secret behind the pirates' growing military might. Bonus content includes music from Tribe, manuals, desktop themes, and more.

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Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri screenshot

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95%

Audience ScoreBased on 81 reviews

story24 positive mentions

optimization2 negative mentions

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri is a pioneering tactical first-person shooter that combines strategic planning with fast-paced action, offering a deep and rewarding gameplay experience.
The game features impressive graphics for its time, with expansive 3D environments, dynamic elements, and a variety of weapons and customization options that enhance gameplay.
The immersive audio design, including a compelling soundtrack and engaging voice acting, complements the tactical gameplay and enhances the overall experience.

The controls can be clunky and difficult to master, lacking modern features like mouse look, which may deter some players from fully enjoying the game.
Despite its innovative mechanics, the game suffers from balance issues, with some weapons being less effective than others, leading to a less varied combat experience.
The story and lore, while interesting, can feel underdeveloped and may not engage players who prefer a more fleshed-out narrative.

story
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
3%
The game's story is an ambitious blend of immersive narrative and tactical gameplay, set against a backdrop of intergalactic conflict and authoritarianism. While some players find the plot to be cheesy and somewhat generic, it is enriched by detailed mission briefings and a wealth of lore that enhances the overall experience. The missions, though often short, offer a variety of objectives and strategic options, contributing to replayability and engagement within the game's narrative framework.
- “Its ambitious mix of squad-based tactics, immersive storytelling, and innovative technology made it a standout title of its era, earning critical praise even as it struggled commercially, ultimately achieving cult classic status among dedicated fans.”
- “The game employs some cheesy-fun FMV to tell its operatic sci-fi story about the dangers of intergalactic authoritarianism.”
- “The amount of lore put into the story - even if you have to look for it for a bit - puts this game on the list of many games that were far ahead of its time.”
- “The progression is not very engaging; the story just does not really translate well with the pixelated briefing windows and the bad cutscenes.”
- “The story is kind of silly and generic, but very fun and tongue-in-cheek.”
- “As far as stories go, it's a bit on the weak/cliché side, but the style of storytelling was so neat, how sudden events in missions shaped what happened narratively (at least it seemed to).”
graphics
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
28%
55%
17%
The graphics of the game, while undeniably dated and pixelated, were pioneering for their time and still hold a certain charm today. Many players appreciate the retro aesthetic and find the visuals to be crisp and functional, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience despite the archaic design. Overall, the graphics may not meet modern standards, but they are considered a nostalgic and integral part of the game's appeal.
- “While its graphics may appear dated today, they were pioneering at the time, creating a sense of scale and atmosphere rarely seen in shooters of that era.”
- “Holds up really well and is incredibly fun to play - I love the feel, the controls, the graphics, the sound, the music; it honestly blows my mind how Looking Glass Studios managed to create a new revolutionary title with every release they did in the '90s, and Terra Nova manages to still feel ambitious, innovative, and exciting to this day!”
- “The graphics, while obviously old, still work and are not ugly or distracting.”
- “The graphics look pixelated, the FMVs look poorly compressed and are in many cases shown in a smaller window.”
- “This is a DOS game: very old, very pixelish graphics.”
- “Sure, the graphics are crusty as a crab but the gameplay... oh it's just so amazing.”
gameplay
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
53%
18%
Gameplay in this sci-fi action game is centered around powered battle armor, offering enhanced mobility and tactical versatility across varied terrains. While its complex mechanics and ambitious integration of narrative and technology provide a rewarding experience for dedicated players, they may pose a challenge for newcomers in a competitive market of more accessible shooters. The game features engaging audio design and unique elements like jump jets, contributing to its standout gameplay, despite some dated graphics.
- “Gameplay revolves around the use of powered battle armor (PBA), which grants enhanced mobility, firepower, and tactical versatility.”
- “The combination of varied terrain, interactive environmental features, and procedurally animated elements helped the game stand out in a crowded market and contributed to its unique gameplay experience.”
- “Its ambitious integration of narrative, technology, and tactical gameplay provides a deep and rewarding experience for players willing to invest in mastering its systems.”
- “Its complex mechanics, while praised by critics, may have been intimidating to a broader audience, and it entered a competitive market filled with more accessible shooters.”
- “This is a sci-fi action game with tactical and FPS gameplay, and full-motion video cutscenes that have aged gloriously bad.”
- “...gameplay-wise, this game is like Rainbow Six and Battlefield mixed with jump jets, or something.”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
56%
The music in the game is highly praised for its ability to enhance tense moments and complement gameplay, with standout contributions from composers Eric and Terri Brosius. Reviewers highlight the dynamic nature of the soundtrack, which reacts to player actions, and note that it remains one of the best soundtracks they've experienced, adding depth to the overall gaming experience. The sound effects and voice acting also receive commendations, contributing to the game's immersive atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack underscores tense moments and high-stakes combat, while sound effects provide critical feedback for player actions and enemy movements.”
- “The music is by Eric and Terri Brosius, the sound effects by Eric Brosius, and voice acting by Terri Brosius are still great!”
- “One of the best soundtracks I've ever heard (albeit pretty biased), a story that starts very cheesy but then keeps punching you in the face with plot-twists and the gameplay is nothing short of excellent either.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game offers significant replayability with 37 missions that can be approached in various ways, alongside a random mission generator that allows players to customize their experience. The variety in mission types, equipment, and the ability to choose loadouts contribute to a dynamic gameplay experience, encouraging experimentation and strategic planning. Overall, players find that these elements enhance the game's replay value considerably.
- “Despite this, there are 37 missions in total, and because the game lets you tackle most of them in various different ways, there is certainly replayability in Terra Nova. Besides the main campaign, there is also a random mission generator that allows the player to set a game mode (head-on attack, finding a target, or defending a target), the number and toughness of the enemies, and the number of allies, on a number of different maps, which offers even more playtime and room for experimentation.”
- “There's a good amount of variety between the missions, and the fact that you can bring your own loadout for most missions also makes for some great replay value.”
- “This important decision-making at all times and getting your carefully planned strategy to work is, in my opinion, the biggest charm of the game and one of the key factors contributing to its high replay value.”
- “Despite this, there are 37 missions in total, and because the game lets you tackle most of them in various different ways, there is certainly replayability in Terra Nova. Besides the main campaign, there is also a random mission generator that allows the player to set a game mode (head-on attack, finding a target, or defending a target), the number and toughness of the enemies, and the number of allies, across a variety of different maps, which offers even more playtime and room for experimentation.”
- “There are also plenty of other equipment that you get to use throughout the game, providing both replay value and variety between the missions.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is characterized by its pioneering graphics, which, despite appearing dated now, effectively create a unique sense of scale and character. The blend of polygons and sprites, along with detailed weather and texturing, contributes to a distinctive and immersive environment.
- “The design blends polygons with sprites for an interesting atmosphere, and the weather and texturing give the grounds you'll be stomping some distinctive character.”
- “While its graphics may appear dated today, they were pioneering at the time, creating a sense of scale and atmosphere rarely seen in shooters of that era.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game's optimization is criticized for significant audio stuttering and the use of dos4gw instead of dos32a, which restricts its overall performance and speed.
- “The use of dos4gw instead of dos32a in the disk operating system emulator is notable, as it limits the maximum performance and speed of Terra Nova.”
- “This game has a lot of audio stuttering.”
- “Also notable is the use of dos4gw instead of dos32a in the disk operating system emulator, limiting the maximum performance and speed of Terra Nova.”
stability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Users report that the game transitions smoothly between windowed and full screen modes using Cmd+f, even in instances where the game experiences freezing, indicating a generally stable performance in this regard.
- “The game frequently crashes, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experience constant lag and stuttering, which ruins the overall experience.”
- “The stability issues are so severe that I often lose progress due to unexpected shutdowns.”

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92%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Terra Nova Review
Gamespot.com
92%

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Frequently Asked Questions

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri is a tactical shooter game with science fiction theme.

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows, Linux and others.

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri was released on July 23, 2015.

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri was developed by Looking Glass Studios.

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri has received very positive reviews from players and very positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its atmosphere.

Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Valkyria Chronicles, Templar Battleforce, Ground Control, Tower of Time, House of the Dying Sun and others.

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