Terra Invicta

{{Infobox video game

| title = Terra Invicta

| image = Terra Invicta.jpg

| engine = Unity{{cite web|url=https://blog.unity.com/games/made-with-unity-2022-in-review|title=Made with Unity: 2022 in review|last=Saver|first=Michael|work=Unity Technologies|date=2022-12-27|accessdate=2023-07-31}}

| platforms = Windows

| released = September 26, 2022 (early access)

| genre = Grand strategy

| modes = Single-player

}}

Terra Invicta is a science fiction grand strategy video game developed by Pavonis Interactive and published by Hooded Horse for Windows that was released into early access in September 2022. The game is set during an alien invasion of Earth, and has players control a human faction and complete their geopolitical objectives while colonizing space. Terra Invicta represents the first game that developer Pavonis Interactive has developed independently after their previous modding work with Long War for XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Reception to the early access release has been generally positive.

Gameplay

File:Terra Invicta screenshot.jpg

In Terra Invicta, the player controls one of seven factions on Earth, each with their own goals and unique asymmetric ways to reach victory, as well as differing relations and rivalries based on their ideological beliefs.{{Cite web |last=Bolding |first=Jon |date=September 26, 2022 |title=Terra Invicta Early Access Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/terra-invicta-review |access-date=October 26, 2022 |website=IGN |language=en}} The game is split into two largely separated, yet interconnected parts. The first part is a geopolitical simulation on Earth, where the factions fight for influence in Earth's nations through methods ranging from espionage and military actions to research and development and industrialization. The other section of the game is a simulation of humanity's expansion into the Solar System in light of the encroaching alien threat, including the widespread militarization and industrialization of space as each faction vies for resources and control. Transferring resources from Earth to space takes extra resources because of gravity, incentivizing the player to build space infrastructure outside of Earth's atmosphere.{{Cite news |last=Hafer |first=Leana |date=September 22, 2022 |title=XCOM's best modders have made a mind-boggling grand strategy game |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/xcoms-best-modders-have-made-a-mind-boggling-grand-strategy-game/ |access-date=October 26, 2022}}

Setting

The base game of Terra Invicta is set after September 30, 2022, when an alien spacecraft crash-lands on Earth. More spacecraft are detected to be approaching Earth from the Kuiper belt with hostile intent, part of an alien species that lost their homeworld to a powerful alien empire and now seek to neuter similar highly-developed intelligent species that could pose a threat, such as humanity, through "domestication". To "domesticate" humanity, the aliens send space probes to gather intelligence on Earth, while abducting and body-snatching humans to serve as spies and remotely defeat humanity through infighting.

In the aftermath of first contact, various conflicting political movements arise based on how humanity should proceed that deeply influence the nations of Earth: The Resistance, an internationalist anti-alien coalition seeking to repel the aliens from the Solar System and secure humanity's independence; The Servants, a pro-alien global cult bent on supporting the aliens; Humanity First, a fanatically xenophobic force seeking to genocide the aliens and exterminate their human sympathizers; The Protectorate, a collaborationist movement seeking appeasement with the aliens while researching their species and motives; The Initiative, a kleptocratic conspiracy seeking to exploit the extraterrestrial crisis for personal gain; The Academy, a scientific organization seeking to form an equal galactic alliance between humanity and the aliens; and Project Exodus, a space colonization project led under the belief that humanity must abandon Earth to avoid the alien threat. The aliens themselves and their controlled territories are represented by a non-player faction, the Alien Administration, which seeks world domination on the pretense of "solving Earth's problems".

Development

After developing the Long War mod for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, the volunteers who had worked on the mod were contacted by Firaxis Games and paid to help with development for day-one mods and a Long War 2 mod for XCOM 2, the latter of which they received compensation for from Firaxis.{{cite podcast |last=Lumpkin |first=John |title=Interview with John Lumpkin on Terra Invicta & More! |website=eXplorminate |publisher=Hooded Horse |date=October 2020 |url=https://anchor.fm/explorminate/episodes/Episode-46-Site-Success-and-Terra-InVictoria-3-e1phrdc |access-date=October 26, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=Adam |date=February 5, 2016 |title=XCOM 2's Day One Mods Reviewed |language=en |work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/xcom-2-mods |access-date=October 26, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=Donnelly |first=Joe |date=July 28, 2016 |title=How one XCOM mod spawned a development studio |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/how-one-xcom-mod-spawned-a-development-studio/ |access-date=October 29, 2022}} After gaining experience working on both mods, the volunteers came together and formed a company called Long War Studios, which they eventually rebranded as Pavonis Interactive, and announced the development of Terra Invicta, their own grand strategy game.{{Cite news |last=Horti |first=Samuel |date=October 13, 2019 |title=Terra Invicta, the strategy game from XCOM's Long War modders, gets first trailer |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/terra-invicta-the-strategy-game-from-xcoms-long-war-modders-gets-first-trailer/ |access-date=October 26, 2022}}{{Cite news |last=O'Connor |first=Alice |date=November 11, 2021 |title=XCOM: Long War creators delay their own alien invasion strategy game |language=en |work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/xcom-long-war-creators-delay-their-own-alien-invasion-strategy-game |access-date=October 28, 2022}} The game began development in 2017. In 2020, Pavonis Interactive launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund development which quickly met its goal and eventually raised $216,000 at closing.{{Cite news |last=O'Connor |first=Alice |date=September 30, 2020 |title=XCOM: Long War studio hit their own alien invasion game's Kickstarter goal in six hours |language=en |work=Rock, Paper, Shotgun |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/xcom-long-war-studio-hit-their-own-alien-invasion-games-kickstarter-goal-in-six-hours |access-date=October 26, 2022}}{{Cite web |title=Terra Invicta, from the modders behind XCOM Long War, raises $216k on Kickstarter |url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/terra-invicta/kickstarter |access-date=October 26, 2022 |website=PCGamesN |date=October 30, 2020 |language=en-GB}} The game was delayed in late 2021 until a 2022 early access release date.{{Cite web |last=Kamen |first=Matt |date=November 12, 2021 |title='XCOM' inspired strategy title 'Terra Invicta' delayed until 2022 |url=https://www.nme.com/news/gaming-news/xcom-inspired-strategy-title-terra-invicta-delayed-until-2022-3094294 |access-date=October 26, 2022 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}

Reception

Critical reception to Terra Invicta's early access release has focused on its ambitious and interesting gameplay along with its complicated systems. IGN's Jon Bolding remarked that the gameplay was interesting and fun to play, but criticized the game's obtuse mechanics. PC Gamer's Leana Hafer noted that "the barrier to entry is high" but felt that she was "captivated by how it all comes together and delivers on its sky high promises while telling a compelling story with so many twists and turns." Vice's Renata Price noted in her initial thoughts on the game from playing just the very beginning of it that "it is possibly the densest game I’ve ever played, and I think I'm in love with it."{{Cite web |last=Price |first=Renata |date=September 29, 2022 |title=Terra Invicta Is a Super Dense, Terrifying Child of XCOM and Crusader Kings |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/terra-invicta-is-a-super-dense-terrifying-child-of-xcom-and-crusader-kings/ |access-date=October 26, 2022 |website=Vice |language=en}}