This year I was recommended Terra Nil, a "reverse city builder" as the developer Free Lives call it in the store page. From screenshots and what gameplay I did see of it, my mind raced to games like SimCity 3000 and the potential of destroying a run down, or decaying city and returning it to nature.
What I played wasn't really that.
While yes, the last level involves cleaning up a Radioactive city that is flooded. This is less of a reverse SimCity, and more Zoo Tycoon or Jurassic World Evolution, where I am trying to get pens to fit an animal's preferred habitat. The scale is just a lot greater.
What would be a medium size SimCity 3000 map, is now a desolate waste land, where futuristic instant machines and tools clean up the land. Then give the habitat life.
There is also a bit of a Puzzle game element to it too, where you have "optional" objectives that involve changing the environment. Making it more, or less suitable for specific animals, and cataloguing them.
I feel that this is the main crux of the game, and it's fun. With gorgeous visuals, beautiful music, and a fun gameplay loop. I was left wishing there was more. With 4 unique maps, that have a alternative location, there is lots to do here. I picked this up during a Winter Sale, and while it's main asking price of $33 CAD is a bit for how short the game is, the ~$25 CAD I paid for it on sale is perfect for this bite sized adventure.
The game is sitting at 1.7 stars on Google play. What's with the disconnect between the reviews and the comments here?
Well, it's available on lots of platforms. Maybe the Android version isn't working so well for people...?
the reviews used for the star rating is picked based on similarity to "you", so looking at the same app from different locations or from different devices will produce different scores. Still, 1.7 is extremely low