Indie Spotlight: TerraTech, the Physics-Based Vehicle Construction and Combat Game

If you’re looking for a fun project to back on KickStarter, look no further than TerraTech, a project described as a ‘physics-based vehicle construction and combat’ game. In development by the folks at Terra Tek Studios Ltd, the game has a pre-alpha demo available for download at Indie DB, as well as on Steam.

I downloaded the demo myself and began to play around with it. The tutorial is quick and easy, and will pop back up any time you pick up a new piece to instruct you how to use it. The premise of the game is simple: You’re sent to prospect alien planets in the wake of Earth’s natural resources being depleted. Sounds easy, right? Not when other prospectors are there trying to gather resources as well.

The vehicles that you can build depend on which corporations you have unlocked. In the pre-alpha demo, I’ve only managed to play as GSO so far, which appears to be fairly standard. The controls were a bit too sensitive at first, but it is a pre-alpha build. I was pleased to see a strong grasp of physics in such an early build, however. How I constructed my vehicle really did affect how fast my vehicle moved, how sharply it turned, and if I was in danger of toppling over from building it too tall. Not going to lie, I was sorely tempted to build an Eiffel Tower vehicle!

I satisfied myself by making Optimus Prime’s prospecting brother, Prospectus Prime, instead.

The customization is pretty easy, though it’s a bit glitchy in the demo. I can’t wait to see the full version of it. It feels like Starcraft, Minecraft, and Twisted Metal had a love-child; a love child that steals guns from its enemies and races around crystals firing at everything that moves.

There’s no background music in the demo — at least none that I heard — but hopefully there will be some addicting music to get your head bobbing as you race around destroying vehicles and stealing their parts.

The released images of the full game are actually rather pretty. The demo isn’t nearly as detailed, but the basics are there to give you an idea of the game. Currently in the demo, there’s the Normal Game (single player/tutorial), Sumo Showdown!, Rocket Challenge, and Checkpoint Race. I’ve only seen the grassland/forest level, and the images of the desert level so far, so hopefully more levels are in the works for some variety.

The game is on KickStarter, but is currently under the 72 hour mark. They still have a chunk of the goal to meet, and can use all the help they can. If you’re interested TerraTech, check out the links below:

• TerraTech’s KickStarter page
• Official website of TerraTech and Terra Tek Studios Ltd
• Demo on Steam
• Demo on Indie DB
• The TerraTech Twitter account
• TerraTech on FaceBook
• The official TerraTech YouTube Channel
• TerraTech’s Twitch channel (Streams every day at 5pm UK)
• Even a Reddit page for TerraTech!

At the time that I was writing this article, TerraTech had 1,186 backers with £25,534/£35,000 to go, or $34,381/$41,125 to go, with just 63 hours left.

Kayla Swenson is an aspiring author and former DJ from Seattle, WA that procrastinates far too much with video games to get a book out. When she’s not gaming until carpal tunnel sets in, she’s working on dreams of being a voice actor as well as a published writer. Fond of RPGs, she will happily disappear into the void to tackle whatever bad voice acting awaits. Contact her at the email above, or on all major systems/networks as Beltravi.