TerraTech Legion Brings Modular Building To The Survivors Genre, And It Could Be Amazing On Steam Deck - Preview

Ever since Vampire Survivors was released, we have been seeing lots and lots of iterations on the formula. Some just try to make it better, while others go out with some crazier ideas. While some of these stick and some don't, TerraTech Legion is breaking the mold more than I would usually expect for this type of game, and from what I have seen so far, I love it.

When developer Payload Studios created TerraTech, they clearly went in on their ambition. An open-world sandbox where you are constantly building out your modular vehicle sounds so complex, but in the end, they were able to do it. Translating that kind of experience over to a survivors-esque game sounds like a tall order, and in some ways it is, but from what I have seen so far during the preview presentation they hosted, they are making it work.

TerraTech Legion's general gameplay looks to be about the same as we would expect in the genre. You go around a field and kill enemies coming at you. They drop EXP, which levels you up, and there will be more and harder enemies to deal with as you progress. There are also core upgrades to give boosts to your runs. However, instead of gaining new perks or weapons directly, you instead get blocks to build out your vehicle, which opens up a lot of new possibilities and ways to not only build out your vehicle the way you want, but also shape your playstyle accordingly.

The blocks can range from giving you more health and weapons, to being more special, like extra wheels for more speed. All the blocks affect your stats and how your car looks, and allow for a much more modular way to decide how you want to tackle the rounds. On top of that, there are physics calculations involved, so weight distribution is going to play a key role in where you place your blocks. You also have the option to rebuild your vehicle as you please, so there will be lots of possibilities for experimentation.

On top of that, the world looks gorgeous. Even though the quality of the presentation wasn't amazing, I could see how vibrant and contrasting the colors are. It's going to make it enjoyable to look at and play, especially on an OLED screen.

TerraTech Legion should also be very playable on the Steam Deck! According to the team, the Deck is a huge reason why they wanted to make this game, so support and making sure it plays well are very important for them. At the time of the build they showed, they mentioned the game is already performing between 30-60 FPS, but more optimization is planned to make it better.

With the demo out now, I was able to test this for myself, and they did not oversell it. I was fighting hordes of enemies, and still hitting above 30 FPS. It didn't quite get to 60, but with the amount happening and enemies on screen, I was pleased with this demo's performance. I didn't have any battery/TDP limits on, so it was draining at the highest possible, but this is just a demo, so it isn't indicative of the final performance.

Overall, I was left extremely excited for the game. It looked like the team was trying something very different, while staying true to their roots and not compromising on quality. I love the whole concept of physically building out your vehicle and augmenting it to choose how to keep playing. It also sounds like it will be an amazing experience on the go, and I can't wait to play it for myself.

TerraTech Legion can be wishlisted on Steam, and there's a demo out now to try it for yourself!

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