PONDERING TERRARIA'S APPEAL
I don't understand the appeal of Terraria. So today I am going to spend a
little time trying to. I love Terraria. According to Steam I've sunk
around seventy hours into it - which for me, is right up there with my
favourite games. I enjoy playing the game both solo and with friends -
heck, I think it's so great that I taught my mum how to play it! But
when I fall out of the trance of relaxation the game puts me in, and
really think about what I am spending my time doing, it seems utterly
absurd.
I think one of the reasons I've always been more attracted to story-heavy games is that I can liken them to books, and I've always considered reading a highly valid pursuit. Free form games like Terraria kind of scare me, because I feel as though they are largely pointless. An argument can be made for Terraria as a creative medium - people spend a lot of game time creating beautiful buildings and towns. An argument can also be made for Terarria as an adventure game as it features a series of bosses, the defeat of which unlock more advanced features of the game. Although both of these are important, enjoyable elements of the game, when it comes down to it the main element of gameplay is exploration through mining. Mining is not viewed as a glamorous pursuit in society - on the contrary companies today have to offer relatively high pay rates to encourage people to undertake this difficult, dangerous and boring job. The only appeal I can see for mining in Terraria is the fact that it allows you to accumulate in-game goods. So is it the pervasive drive of capitalism which keeps this game interesting? I can think of little else! Creating better equipment means your character becomes tougher and is therefore able to explore new areas and find more things. This is basically the cycle of play. That idea saddens me - the idea that we only play from greed for more things. Or is it power? Do we continue to play in order to vanquish evil from our virtual worlds and be the dominant entity? Looking at a few forums it seems that nostalgia is an element of attraction for people towards Terarria - the 2D aesthetic is reminiscent of the magic of childhood. 2D games can also have a refreshing simplicity about them which must also contribute to the appeal of this game. Of course, Terraria is not the only game out there in which gathering, building and exploring are the main functions of play. Sandbox games have been around since the early 90s and, since 2009, Minecraft has become a genre-defining title for sandboxes.
Perhaps I am a pessamist. Perhaps Terraria's appeal stems from people's desire to be creative, make things and share them with their friends. However I feel that in a society wherein capitalism was not a major paradigm Terraria may not be as popular.
What do you think? Why does Terraria appeal (or not appeal) to you? Let me know what you think.
I think one of the reasons I've always been more attracted to story-heavy games is that I can liken them to books, and I've always considered reading a highly valid pursuit. Free form games like Terraria kind of scare me, because I feel as though they are largely pointless. An argument can be made for Terraria as a creative medium - people spend a lot of game time creating beautiful buildings and towns. An argument can also be made for Terarria as an adventure game as it features a series of bosses, the defeat of which unlock more advanced features of the game. Although both of these are important, enjoyable elements of the game, when it comes down to it the main element of gameplay is exploration through mining. Mining is not viewed as a glamorous pursuit in society - on the contrary companies today have to offer relatively high pay rates to encourage people to undertake this difficult, dangerous and boring job. The only appeal I can see for mining in Terraria is the fact that it allows you to accumulate in-game goods. So is it the pervasive drive of capitalism which keeps this game interesting? I can think of little else! Creating better equipment means your character becomes tougher and is therefore able to explore new areas and find more things. This is basically the cycle of play. That idea saddens me - the idea that we only play from greed for more things. Or is it power? Do we continue to play in order to vanquish evil from our virtual worlds and be the dominant entity? Looking at a few forums it seems that nostalgia is an element of attraction for people towards Terarria - the 2D aesthetic is reminiscent of the magic of childhood. 2D games can also have a refreshing simplicity about them which must also contribute to the appeal of this game. Of course, Terraria is not the only game out there in which gathering, building and exploring are the main functions of play. Sandbox games have been around since the early 90s and, since 2009, Minecraft has become a genre-defining title for sandboxes.
Perhaps I am a pessamist. Perhaps Terraria's appeal stems from people's desire to be creative, make things and share them with their friends. However I feel that in a society wherein capitalism was not a major paradigm Terraria may not be as popular.
What do you think? Why does Terraria appeal (or not appeal) to you? Let me know what you think.
