Video Game Review - Terraria (2011 - PC/Windows)

I am a big fan of Toby "Tobuscus" Turner 's videos on YouTube.  He is very funny and makes videos one after another, seemingly without stopping.  At the time of this writing he is off at PAX 2011 doing live performances of his "Literal Trailers", but I went through his past video game clips and found some funny videos for PC like F.E.A.R. 3 and the game I am reviewing now, Terraria.
 Developed by Re-Logic, this game has been called "a 2D version of Minecraft".  I've read that in Game Informer Magazine and that's exactly the vibe I got when I looked at the game as Toby recorded his progress through the game.  I decided to play and I am hooked.  The sandbox design of the game and character customization are what I have been asking for for a very long time in almost every game I play.  I play Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach for character customization, but I have yet to invest in the hardware that would allow me the sandbox feel of Minecraft.  What I have done instead is further my complex to reshape the world as I see fit.

I've build castles and honeycombed the earth, I've laid flat the sand dunes and driven the water deep underground.  I've even spanned jungle valleys and the craters of the corrupted zones.  This I do in search of materials and even greater tools to aid in my quest to...not sure what the main goal is in the game, but they provide several bosses to fight via Summoning Altars.  You don't level up, but you can find extra hearts and mana stars to lessen the damage.  Trust me; you'll need 'em. 
There are several zones to explore (jungle, corrupted, desert, ocean, etc.), in addition to various hazards to encounter along the way (monsters, nature, etc.)--all within a customizable options menu that determines the size of the world on which you play at the outset.  Currently, I'm playing in a Small-sized world; Toby's playing in a Medium-sized world.  I can only imagine the madness that a Large-size world would be...

There so much to the game that I can't fit all of it into this article, but I will add this tidbit: I've heard rumors about a floating island in the game made of gold ore, but I'll have to test that theory out for myself.  Not unlike a rare nugget, Terraria gets a great recommendation from me.

RATING: 9/10