Terra Nova: Strike Force Centauri - Reception

Reception

Although Terra Nova sold more than 100,000 units, it was a commercial failure because it did not recoup its development costs. Designer Tim Stellmach later characterized its performance as "a disaster". Despite this, the game was acclaimed by critics, with several publications drawing comparisons to the 1995 video game MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. Reception of its graphics ranged from positive to negative, and many noted the game's high system requirements.

John Payne of The Washington Post wrote, "Depending on your point of view, Terra Nova is either a stripped-down Mechwarrior or a souped-up Doom." However, he stated that it was "fun" regardless of which perspective was taken. While he described the game's animation as "fluid", he found its graphics in general to be "fairly blocky, even at a distance". He finished his review by stating that the game "requires more practice than action fans are used to" but provides "a nice payoff". Next Generation Magazine wrote, "Looking Glass has always been known for breaking the barriers of conventional gameplay, and it has done it again with Terra Nova". The magazine considered the game to be "an all around stunning effort".

The Sunday Star-Times' Peter Eley found the game to be extremely complex, and noted the originality of its "real-time, full motion and 3D combat simulation". He called its sound and music "stunning", but found that its graphics "aren't as crisp as some other games", and described performance issues. Lee Perkins of The Age also found the game's performance and graphics lacking, but said, "In spite of its visual shortcomings, Terra Nova has the same level of inherent player appeal as System Shock". He concluded by stating that the game's "tactical demands ... are probably its strongest point", and that "although isn't quite up in the Mechwarrior 2 league, it's making some very loud noises with avid mech-combat fans". Computer Games Strategy Plus' Tim Royal offered similar praise for its strategic elements; however, like the other two, he noted the game's performance issues, and called its graphics "above average, but not mind-boggling". He finished, "I ... won't say it beats System Shock. It doesn't. ... But Terra Nova offers a wonderful variety of terrain, mission types, and scenarios".

William Wong of Computer Shopper called it "a great game that is backed by good graphics and sound, and will keep you going for hours"; he also praised its cutscenes. He concluded, "If the multiplayer pack is as good as the standalone version, Terra Nova could be a strike force to be reckoned with." PC Gamer UK's James Flynn praised the game's graphics, sense of realism, and free-form missions; about the latter, he wrote, "There's no right or wrong way to complete any of the missions in Terra Nova, and this is one of its strongest assets." He noted that it was "virtually impossible to recommend" the game to those with lower-end computers, but believed that it was also "impossible to condemn Looking Glass for programming the game this way, because it feels so real, and its authenticity is what makes it so much fun". Michael E. Ryan of PC Magazine praised the game's artificial intelligence and called its graphical quality "spectacular", but found its movement controls to be "awkward". He concluded, "Terra Nova is an exceptional game that combines frenetic, fast-paced action with real-time squad-level tactics. It doesn't get much better than this".