[Review] Terra Nil | Nintendo Switch

Welcome to EXPlay, (Explain & Play) the review series where we care not for scores but tell it how it is when it comes to every game we get our hands on, whilst also taking the time to include some lengthy gameplay, to give you the reader, the chance to shape your own impressions and views whilst watching and reading.

In this explanatory review, we’re covering the Terra Nil by developer Free Lives:

Terra Nil (The Explanation)

Terra Nil takes the typical simulation world building game and deconstructs it. It’s not your typical video game power fantasy. There are no dragons and evil kings; this one tackles the important stuff—climate change! Developed by Free Lives and published by Developer Digital, it’s all about fixing up a messed-up planet. Each map starts off with a barren wasteland where your job is to turn it into a lively, green paradise. On top of that, the game is surprisingly chill.

 

You got four regions to fix, detoxify, plant some grass, and welcome animals back into the biomes. You’ll need to tweak the climate a bit, but it’s not difficult, mostly. And the resources to buy new stuff comes from the way you clean up the environment so that you can purchase new technologies that help clean up and care for the world.

 

The Switch version’s plays well most of the time, but there were a few times where the animations lagged. It crashed on me a few times, but only one time was it truly costly that I lost an hour of progress on one of the biomes. Some frame rate hiccups and the recycle drone acting up didn’t help either. With a few patches the game can be fixed, but at the time of my EXPlay it isn’t exactly a smooth experience.

 

Despite the issues I had, I couldn’t pull away. Terra Nil plays like a city-building strategy game that makes you think about planning your moves. Space is a hot commodity, especially when you’re squeezing in different biomes. Once you’re done, you scan to see what critters came back, and that’s a puzzle on its own. Bears on a hill with a forest and beehive? Deer wander into fields with serene animations and fish flop out of the water. The pixel art aesthetics never got old for me and the subtle animations helped bring the thriving land to life as you replenish the green in the land.

 

A unique twist on the simulation city-building genre is in the second act for each biome of Terra Nil. At the end you get have to clean up the land and it is the best part. You need to use your resources gain to purchase recycling equipment, wiping away traces of technology and leaving the world as if you were never there—it’s like a message to Mother Nature that humans can clean up their mess. The equipment you gain helps you restore bees, flowers, forests, and riverlife.

 

Terra Nil is not the toughest game out there, but that’s the point. It’s meant to be accessible. The overall campaign will take around six to eight hours to finish the base maps. There does seem to be room for the developers to add more content in the future, but as an overall package Terra Nil seems complete and concise and a joy to play.

 

Another subtle feature in the game is Terra Nil’s soundtrack. There are small sound effects included with each piece of technology you drop in the world. The background music is soothing to chill to.

 

Rebuilding a wrecked world felt oddly therapeutic. Terra Nil has got a subtle environmental message without being preachy. The world is colorful, especially as you begin growing plants and animals come back to the world as you replenish the land. This is “pure relaxation” in game form—if that sounds like something you are interested in, give it a shot!

Terra Nil (The Gameplay)

Game Specifications:

Developer: Free Lives
Publisher: Devolver Digital
Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Category: Simulation, Strategy Puzzle, Other
No. of Players: 1 (Single System)
Release Date: NA| EU: December 18, 2023
Price: $24.99
File Size: 848 MB
Nintendo.com Listing