I’m Captain Planet
The usual city builder game sees players start from humble beginnings only to end up with a massive, sprawling city or empire. The path to get there filled with upgrades, probably battles either actual enemies or against mother nature. But with Terra Nil, the developers at Free Lives are looking to turn that very idea on its head. You see friends, in Terra Nil players won’t be erecting a new empire but instead cleaning up after one so to speak.
MSRP: $24.99
Platforms: PC
Price I’d Pay: $19.99
Instead of starting with a patch of green earth ready for the first steps of progress, in Terra Nil players will begin with patches of brown dead earth. And while it might seem an overwhelming task to terraform this space, it’s surprisingly easy. Placing a wind turbine on a stone space will provide electricity for buildings, which will be used to clean up this place. Putting down a toxic scrubber will begin to clean the earth and space, readying it for irrigation and new growth. While this all may sound like it’s difficult, I assure you it’s not, Terra Nil plays more like a chill puzzle game than anything else.
When putting down new buildings players will have to pay attention to how much land is being cleaned to maximize resources. As players continue to grow forests, seed oceans and clear brush they will receive points that can be used to build new buildings and tools. Once players have the land cleaned it’s ready to be converted and upgraded into various biomes. These include Wetlands, meadows and more, once these are in place it will attract new live. Gators, deer, bears and all manners of beasts will return to the world once players have successfully cleaned the area. All the while players are serenaded with chill beats and sound effects. The sounds of a bubbling creek, and the wind blowing along with the lo-fi beats make for a game that can be used as a great stress reliever.
In the final stages of Terra Nil, which I think is just perfect, players will utilize drones to recycle all their buildings and devices. With the materials recycled they will build an airship which will take them away from the land and leave no trace of their presence behind. For this reason, players will have to take care of how and where they place buildings as it will be important when it comes to an end phase as you have to recycle everything you have built and the drones do have their limits.
There are lots of games about the environment here lately and it’s understandable as to why given that is a very hot button issue in society today. Terra Nil’s approach to take that very real fear of the worst environmental disaster but instead of continually stoking the flames of that fear they present you with the tools of opportunity of recovering from the brink, in a word showing that there is hope for a better tomorrow. Much like the avatar that players will play as in game, Terra Nil is a fantastic little game that comes in, does its job and vanishes into the night once it’s done.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
