While players are still free to explore, craft, and pursue objectives in any order that they see fit, there’s a core storyline and overall objective to shape the gameplay. The particular beats of that story are somewhat randomized and recombined in an effort to make each playthrough unique. Unlike the first game, NPCs act as more than just merchants; they also have their own lore and story to uncover.
The larger progression revolves around clearing Corruption from the land. This is done by crafting and activating Purifying Towers, which use the power of crystals to push back the Corruption and cleanse the surrounding land. Doing so draws the ire of monsters, however, which means the towers must be defended. No player can be everywhere at once, and so customizable Wartowers can be built to supplement the towers’ defense. These can be customized with a variety of weapons, and are powered by the nearby Crystals that they defend. Wartowers can be combined with other means of defense already established in the base game such as walls, moats, and sand/lava traps.
Characters also have a more nuanced progression than in the previous game. Skills are developed organically through feedback as the player takes actions. There are no classes to choose from; rather, the more a particular style is used — melee, ranged, and magic — the more it improves. The buff applies to both general weapon types (such as swords) and specific weapons (such as a silver sword). Using one weapon improves your facility with both the weapon’s category and the particular weapon itself. In this way, weaker weapons that you rely on extensively can be more effective, at least initially, than ostensibly higher-tier weapons.
Development is currently underway for Mac and Windows. PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are also being seriously considered, and Re-Logic intends to self-publish on these platforms, if at all. Other devices, such as mobile and handheld, are up for consideration after release. No date has been given other than 2015. Notably, there will be no form of Early Access. Unlike the first Terraria, which came out incrementally, Re-Logic will release Terraria: Otherworld as a “full/finished” game at launch.
