It isn’t uncommon for video games to also attempt to help people learn languages, and Terra Alia attempts to combine that with exploring another world in VR. However, it is a rudimentary experience that only covers one chapter, and it is one that doesn’t always make the best impression.
Terra Alia essentially starts by players heading to a parallel world where magic and otherworldly beings exist, and players end up invited to an academy by their mentor Esperanto. Except the former teacher isn’t there, just a painting with a message. Something is afoot. So players work with Falco and learn a new language words to perform magic since Language Wards are suppressing their magical abilities. You need to learn the names of things around you to proceed and solve puzzles. (Also, there are RPG-style magical battles.) However, it is important to note that it only took me about two hours, and this is only the first part. The developer promised updates, but it is a situation where if you want the full experience, you may want to wait.
Especially since Terra Alia also feels designed for a certain sort of language learning. Basically, it isn’t the full educational experience. Rather, I feel like the value here comes from if you already have some passing knowledge of a second language, as it might help as a refresher or with assisting in picking up certain words. I started with Japanese, but then eventually switched to Spanish since my level of skill with it is better and I’d worried it’d have an effect on the battles. (Said fights aren’t too troublesome, so feel free to go with something you aren’t as familiar with if you’d like.)
It’s fairly easy to find and pick up new words, and the puzzles rely upon language to keep the focus on learning. The voice acting isn’t always great, with pronunciation sometimes sounding inaccurate in some situations, and there were a few localization choices that made me pause a bit in both languages I tried. Which, again, reinforced my thinking that this is best for someone who is already starting to learn a language, knows a bit, and is using this as a companion piece.
As far as gameplay goes, another thing about Terra Alia is that it shifts between being occasionally clunky and downright buggy. When it started in VR, the book that opens for the main menu was at eye level even though I properly calibrated my Quest 3 and had it set to register my standing. So to make any selection, I’d need to reach up over my head. When I first started playing, I chose the “teleport” move option. Except then it wouldn’t work. I was trapped and needed to completely restart a new save, then go with more traditional movement. (That did fix the issue.) Sometimes, it seemed like the grabbing elements didn’t always click to pick up things I needed. Areas felt empty, with textures that might have even looked dated on a PS2 and bland character models. I had an issue with some quests not triggering properly sometimes. Also as it doesn’t have the same sort of motion-sickness accommodations as games like Asgard’s Wrath 2 and Assassin’s Creed Nexus, I felt like I could only really play in 15-20 minute bursts. Given the quality of the Quest 3 in other games, I knew any issues I experienced weren’t on my end.
I appreciate what Terra Alia is trying to do. I think it could even help some people who are already learning a language and want more practical experience seeing items and picking up vocabulary, if people don’t mind a rudimentary experience. However, someone going into it should know it is basic and isn’t one of the best looking Meta Quest games. It might be a good idea to wait a few weeks or months for more updates, especially since 30 Parallel has been discussing patches and additional content regularly, and to be sure it’s something you’d want to play.
Terra Alia is available in VR for the Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest 3, and Meta Quest Pro.
Published: Jan 14, 2024 12:00 pm