Here’s a complete review of Terra Memoria, the new indie RPG game by La Moutarde.
Those of us who grew up with the SNES or the Original PlayStation have experienced our fair share of golden-era adventure RPGs during childhood. And while the genre has evolved a lot over the years, there’s just something about the classics like Grandia or Breath of Fire that will forever hold a special place in our hearts.
Naturally, when we saw a game like Terra Memoria, we had to try it out. Developed by an indie studio called La Moutarde, this adventure RPG borrows plenty of inspiration from the classics while adding some modern twists of its own.
Terra Memoria is out now on all platforms, but if you’re still on the fence about it, maybe our hands-on review will help you decide whether the game deserves a spot on your digital library. Let’s get started!
A Vibrant World to Explore
The world of Terra Memoria is beautiful; there’s simply no other word for it. The map is massive, offering plenty of regions, each unique in its own way, ripe for exploration. And each of these regions feels completely polished, jam-packed with endless adventure.
Whether you’re wandering through the lush farmlands of the Southfield, shuffling across the snowy landscapes of the Lake Crossing, or exploring the vibrant, multi-layered town of Constance, you’ll continually stumble upon new secrets and quests waiting around every twist and turn. The world is anything but boring.
Colorful Cast of Characters
Terra Memoria gives you a total of 6 characters, 4 of which you unlock pretty much two hours into the game. Each of the characters in the game have their own set of abilities, strengths and weaknesses. They also have their own special reason to be a part of the journey.
But unlike traditional RPGs, where you get to play with and level up every single character, this game only lets you play with three: Moshang, Syl, and Opal. You can level them up to learn new abilities or equip them with gears as you progress.
The other 3 characters(Alto, Edson, and Meta) are dubbed Assist Characters that pair with the 3 main characters and buff them up in certain ways. It’s a pretty unique way to utilize all the members of your party and also introduce some RNG to the game at the same time, and frankly, we had a lot of fun with it.
Unique Combat Design
At first glance, Terra Memoria’s combat feels like any other turn-based RPG. You go into battle with your party and use their abilities to defeat the enemy—simple, straightforward.
But the combat truly opens up once you get your hands on an Assist Character. Alto is the first one who joins your party and his special ability lets you turn your damage spells into healing abilities and vice versa. So even if your characters have no healing abilities, with Alto, you can always get some heals when you absolutely need it.
The Assist Characters randomly pair with one of your Main Characters when you start a battle. As the other two Assist Characters join, it completely changes how you fight each battle.
The Timeline system in the game adds another layer of strategy to the game. The enemies start with a shield that you can break as you deal damage. Dealing with the elemental damage that your enemies are weak against will deplete their shields faster.
Once their shield gets depleted, they get pushed further down the timeline allowing you to potentially keep hitting your enemies without them hitting you back.
Besides, your Main Characters all gain experience and level up whenever you rest at a Campfire. As they grow stronger, their stats increase, and they learn different abilities. You can also Cook Food at Campfires to give your characters a permanent health buff in the game.
Plenty of Mini-games and Side Quests
Terra Memoria has a nice, deep plot that has you investigating the sudden shortage of magical crystals and why ancient machines are coming back to life and attacking villages. The story is pretty decent, but it’s not anything we haven’t seen before.
Apart from the main quest, you also will find plenty of side quests that you can unlock by talking to the NPCs in different regions. Some of them are fetch quests, while some of them have you fighting powerful monsters and bosses.
But what we loved the most here were the mini-games, and the game has plenty of those. Even in campfires where you level up and rest your characters, you can play a cooking mini-game after unlocking certain recipes and gathering the required ingredients. Clearing each game rewards your characters with bonus health for each unique recipe.
There are also crafting and building mini games that you unlock as you keep playing the game, which are every bit as fun.
Cute Pixel 3d Graphics
The art style in Terra Memoria is breathtakingly beautiful. The moment you start it up, it’s clear that it draws inspiration from Octopath Traveler with its blend of Pixel and 3D art style. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
As you move from one region to the next, the world feels truly alive, with plenty of NPCs doing their own things. The lush landscape of regions like the Southfield or Mirevale Forest offers an immersive experience unlike any that we’ve seen in recent years.
Terra Memoria Review – 8.5/10
For fans of the Adventure RPG genre, Terra Memoria is a must-have. It’s not as complicated or taxing as games like Unicorn Overlord or Octopath Traveler. So, if you plan on really pushing your party management and combat skills to the limits, the game is not for you.
However, if you’re looking for a cute, cozy adventure with a vast, beautiful world to explore, you can easily sink hours into the game. We loved it, and we hope you love it as well. Good luck!