The first thing to know about Terra Invicta, the ambitious space strategy game from the creators of The Long War mod for XCOM, is that it’s very big. It’s probably bigger than you think it is. Following a delay announced last year, Terra Invicta is out today on Steam Early Access and on GOG, and there’s already enough of it for two full games.
Terra Invicta is a grand strategy game in which you play as a faction that forms in response to humanity’s first contact with aliens. They’ve arrived, they have a plan, and it’s up to you to spearhead a response. This isn’t an XCOM game, though – in the opening hours of the campaign, you’ll be playing a game that’s more akin to Paradox’s lineup of strategy games, sending a handful of agents around the world to shore up support for your faction, waylay other agents, and conduct research into new technologies that will help you fight (or embrace) the alien invasion.
At this level, there’s already a heck of a lot going on. Earth is simulated in a surprising degree of granularity, from the levels of political unrest in individual nations to the amount of anthropogenic climate change happening at any given time. However, Terra Invicta also includes an almost overwhelmingly detailed space combat simulation as well.
Not only will you be managing the politics and logistics of an earth-based faction looking to industrialise nearby space, you’ll also be designing, fielding, and commanding a fleet of space-based battleships and habitation stations. Once you’ve expanded into space, there’s a whole world of fleet tactics and Newtonian physics to explore – as well as enemy habs to infiltrate and take over.
It’s a lot to take in, so proceed with caution if you’re a newcomer to grand strategy games. If you’re ready for a challenge that’ll keep you biting your nails for dozens of hours, Terra Invicta may be just what you’ve been waiting for. You can find it on both Steam and GOG if you’re ready to dive in.