When you're the North American publisher of a Korean MMO like TERA Online, the biggest hurdle you have to face is convincing the western audience that your game isn't just another pretty grindfest. Here's En Masse Entertainment's attempt.
Developed in Seoul, Korea, by Bluehole Entertainment, TERA, also known as The Exiled Realm of Arborea, sets itself apart from other massively-multiplayer online role-playing games by incorporating action game combat and cursor-based targeting. Instead of pointing and clicking, you're aiming and actively fighting the massive foes you come across, more God of War than World of Warcraft.
I played TERA briefly at GamesCom in Germany last year, and the combat system definitely has a unique feel to it. As one of the diminutive, animal-like Popori I found myself squaring off against tree creatures easily ten times my size. Combat was fast-paced and highly positional, definitely not your average targeting and auto-attacking.
Will this fresh take on combat be enough to help TERA Online avoid the stigma of being just another Korean MMO? We'll find out when the game launches in North America and Europe later this year.