Tag: Terra Nova

Completed Terra Nova.
There are a few visual effects that I was particularly impressed with. First is the Thermal Disruptor weapon, which projects a kind of heatwave, something that would require years for a fully 3D-engine to manage.

And second, is the water reflections. Those are real time.

Also, it’s a nice touch that they designed how the pirate suit looks like from the inside, just for that single mission where you impose as a pirate.

Completing M29, where you need to protect both trucks and landing pad was no small feat. Not because there are particularly many enemies, but because you can’t be at two places at once, and your teammates are pretty useless at defending anything.
Also, the enemy gets mechs at that point, proper bipedal mechs, not the suits that you usually encounter. And tanks. Those aren’t particularly difficult, but worth noting that they are 3D models, not sprites like the suits.

The last mission is on the easier side, I’d say. Your squad is even given a superweapon, which is just a supercharged mortar, really. You blow Hegemonie’s fuel tank, together with the base, and apparently the evil Ambassador himself, although I missed how it happened.

For a game that is 30 years old, being still playable is already quite something. And despite slight jankiness, it is still a surprisingly well thought and executed game.

Gameplay is brutal. Enemies died quickly, in a few seconds, but you do as well. Luckily your teammates are quite capable, and can be killed only during the storyline, otherwise they always eject to return in the next mission.

The story revolves around, you won’t believe it, Earth Hegemony waging a proxy war on its colonies using pirates. Your task force mostly tried to track a shimpment of powerful grenades (more like rockets) stolen from one of the clans, but does odd jobs as well, like helping a besieged farmer or rescuing a stranded pilot from another unit.
It’s impressive that squadmates have some mission-specific quotes as well. Nice touch.
One of the best moments is when you’re sent on another recoinsance mission just for your airship to be blown and you captured instead. Talk about plot twists!

I had a demo of Terra Nova when I was a kid, and I played it through and through. Made by Looking Glass in 96, after System Shock, and before Thief.
Things I didn’t expect is full motion video cut scenes, and 13 characters with distinct specialisations and biographies.

The tactical options for 96 are incredible. Your powerarmor can launch drones that you control from a minimap for recoinsance, or you can drop autonomous turrets.

The control scheme to support this is interesting. You move with WASD, and attack with your mouse by pointing and clicking, without shifting your view. You also activate various systems, like the minimap, night vision or drone controls using your mouse. It’s a control scheme that still works almost 30 years later.
Also, it’s impressive how every mission starts with you being dropped from a troop carrier, and then it flies to pick you up.