Terra Battle Review

From Mistwalker, the development studio started by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, comes Terra Battle: a strategy game exclusive to mobile devices. The turn-based gameplay is as far as comparisons go with the classic console series, as Terra Battle incorparates different RPG elements in order to create an excellent mixing pot of styles.

The game board consists of player and enemy character tiles, the latter of which display numbers that indicate how many turns are left before they strike. To attack, players must slide their tiles into a flanking position by surrounding their opponent on either side. Chain attacks occur as other members of the team add weight to a strike (as long as they are in line with a teammate), multiplying the damage points. Players can also shift the other pieces during a single sliding movement by pushing past them, moving them closer to an enemy or in line with their teammate. It's an accessible, intuitive, and enjoyable system that rewards strategic play.

In a similar manner to a trading card game, other characters are drawn at random from one of two packs of varying quality, each with their own skills that can be activated during combat. These characters come from one of 4 species that are at arms in the chaotic world Mistwalker have created. The sheer diversity of characters and abilities is impressive, adding significant incentive and longevity to Terra Battle in the long run.

The mandatory network connection is a pain, and if players quit the app halfway through a match it can lead to an inconvenient loss of progress. There is also a stamina system in place that quickly diminishes due to demanding energy costs for each battle. Still, none of these points are a deal breaker, which is clearly a testament to the game's appeal and the fact that each battle lasts a satisfying amount of time.

With VS and Co-Op battles coming to the currently sparsely populated Arena mode, and an ever-expanding character and enemy roster, and the developers promising to introduce new bonus content, new resources, and new rewards as more people download the game, the multi-faceted Terra Battle can only expand into something even greater.