Part of the Journey is the End

We’ve seen it grow. Throughout the years, Terraria has upped its game with each update, creating new items, new bosses, new gameplay mechanics, most anything you can think of. Now, after nine years of development, Terraria has announced its final major update. While some may count this as a loss, because of the realization that there will be no more updates past this, there are many new things that are added to the game that should be accounted for and played before we even think towards the future of the game. So, without further ado, here are some of the more important things that Terraria offers in its Journey’s End update!

1. Timing is Everything

The Journey's End title to signify this big event

Originally announced as update 1.3.6 to Terraria, the Terraria: Journey’s End update is the last major update for this beloved game. Update 1.4 will be released to its supporting players on May 16th 2020, the 9th anniversary of the game, though it was initially rumored to be released some time in 2019. Terrarians are excited for its release as it adds a plethora of new features, items, and gameplay in general.

2. The More The Merrier!

A new system means more innovation for building!

Terrarian NPCs seem to be just stagnant characters, seeming to have not much fluctuation unless it was appearance or name. As much as I was surprised to find my guide to be Ben Shapiro, I know that I, as well as other players, would like some change. NPCs in the Journey’s End update will have two major new features: Happiness and Towns. 

When 3 or more NPCs are grouped together, they form a town. This new area rewards being creative with your building, instead of having a home base at the initial spawn point. Of course, this method is completely optional for those who do not like building as much as others, but it’ll allow you to develop interesting nooks of NPCs.

Working together with the town system, happiness works on a scale of location. If the NPC is near people they like, in a biome they’re comfortable in, and aren’t overcrowded with other NPCs, their Happiness stat will be higher. With this addition, there are ways to see how to make them happier with a new dialogue option. This Happiness trait directly impacts the prices of items in the shop, as well as a new system of …

3. Traveling the World

Pylons can be used in different locations as long as you have your NPCs around!

In your endeavors to make your NPCs happier by spreading them throughout your world on different biomes, you may unlock a Pylon for that biome. These little gems act as a teleportation service throughout the world, making your main base connected to all the other outposts you’ve built throughout the world. 

There are a few known guidelines for these amazing transporters. They must be in their specified biome and only one per type. For example, a world can only have one snow Pylon per world. The Pylons also have to be near two NPCs in the biome. With these requirements, the Pylons created are utilized on the Map screen. Clicking on a nearby Pylon will bring you to the Map, which you can then teleport to another Pylon in another biome by clicking on it.

4. Pocket Purse

This mystical pouch is a useful, portable chest!

The Journey’s End update also adds another bit of ease when it comes to items. When exploring the world, inventory size is a little problem. Now, you could get a mod like the Magic Storage mod, adding a new storage system that can be accessed remotely with the right items.

Or, there is now a furniture item that does just that in Vanilla Terraria. The Void Vault is a chest that can be accessed from anywhere by using the Void Bag. It acts as an extra bit of inventory as items that normally can’t be picked up because of a full inventory are transferred to this little pocket plane, shown by purple item names when picked up. 

5. A Touch Harder

The new game creation screen shows many new features

With all of these improvements to ease your Terraria experience, there has to be something to even it out somewhat. This balance comes in the form of two new modes, as seen in the new WorldGen menu above. The new Journey mode is supposedly a type of creative mode that centers around world creation instead of survival. This is not like other creative modes, like Minecraft, where all the items are given to you. Instead you will have to earn the items somehow, though the methods are not yet shown. 

The new Master mode is a step harder than Expert mode, with boosted stats for enemies, as well as two exclusive boss item drops that aren’t weapons or accessories. That leaves us to wonder what these drops could be and anticipate their greatness. 

6. The More the Merrier?

This new enemy, the Goblin Shark, looks menacing

If the buffed Master mode is leaving you a little questionable about its difficulty as a new challenge or if you want another scurrying pet to have at your side, then look at the other revisited section of the game: creatures. The Blood Moon seems to be the center of attention when looking at new enemies. A Goblin Shark is the highlight, as it’s the only one that’s been seen in action, but there are other notable mentions such as an eel with black eyes or a flying red squid. If fishing during this event, you can even summon a new miniboss known as the Blood Nautilus. Aside from the Blood Moon, small antlions and a new boss located in the Hallow are to be added, as well as a respriting of many enemies like goblins and those in dungeons. 

If you’d like a new companion to accompany you, then turn your eyes to the new cats and dogs, along with the ability to pet them! To make the game seem even friendlier, there have been additions of creatures that look like sea turtles, sea horses, seagulls, dolphins, dragonflies, ducks, and owls! These creatures will be located where you’d expect them to most likely, the sea creatures in the Ocean biomes, the dragonflies and ducks in the Forest near lakes and ponds, and the Owls appearing in the Forests at night.

7. Take Note

Your average inventory screen, with a few improvements!

The creatures are not the only addition to general gameplay. In the inventory screen, there are known to be three new features added. Above the coin and ammo slots, there is an achievement suggestion space that highlights a goal the player should reach, creating an interesting, goal-oriented reminder to stimulate gameplay.

Along with this addition, there are two new items left of the trash can: an open book and a speech bubble. These are assumed to symbolize the brand new bestiary and emote system. The bestiary is an amazing tool that will create a great way to see stats of creatures. Though we don’t know if creatures are unlocked by kills or if they are all available at the beginning, it is useful to see the damages, armors, and item drop rates that each enemy has. The second button, though more cosmetic than gameplay-advancing, is emotes. Displaying a speech bubble above the player’s head, the emote ability creates a fun experience by speaking in symbols. These symbols may include generic emoticons, as well as items.

8. Extra Equipment

The new minecart looks a little fishy

Revisiting all parts of Terraria, the development team couldn’t possibly ignore the possibility of new items. There are currently 1056 item IDs to be added to the game. This may include some unused and unavailable items, but the grand total of usable items is going to be enough to stimulate these improved worlds. From a new version of the star cannon to a new fish-themed minecraft known as the MineCarp, there are a ton of new ways these items can improve combat and transportation. The Pogo Stick is a favorite of mine, as well as the new Scarab Bombs that explode in a straight line for a certain range. These Scarab Bombs come from the new and improved Underground Desert biome, where new items that help mining and digging, as well as a new boot accessory, are added. 

New items could not be added without the addition of new decorations. From a helmet stand to a pinwheel, many new furnitures are being added, as well as themed furniture for Sandstone, Corruption, Spider, Vortex, Solar, and Bamboo. To increase the likability of these new items, as well as building in general, Terraria has added a new feature that will ease any building frustrations: Block Swap. Now in Vanilla Terraria, players can now switch blocks that are already there with other blocks, based on your highest pickaxe efficiency so as not to break the game. These additions can give you a new look for your bases that are spread throughout the world, trying to get Pylons. But, there are other ways that this game is getting a new look…

9. Leaves in the Wind

A windy day in Terraria, with vines and leaves blowing with it

If there was anything that would make Terraria realistic, despite the game having walking fish and sentient rocks, it would be wind and beautiful wind effects. This has been added in the Journey’s End update in the form of falling leaves, as well as movement on trees, vines and plants. This new feature also adds a little bit of fun for those who like to enjoy these types of changes: kites. Acting against the wind, all of these changes create a fun, moving experience for the player. 

Visual appeal is key in games that have similar landscape throughout the world. Though the game is very diverse in its biomes and worldgen, there sometimes needs to be a change from the normal. Terraria, then, is adding new backgrounds, music, and map borders to the game. Furthermore, a feature that many Terrarians are excited about, the Boss Healthbar, is an amazing and helpful insertion into the game.  

10. What's Next?

A pogo stick, for your bouncing and jumping pleasure!

Whether you’re flying a kite, cruising with your new rainbow trail, or bouncing along on your pogostick, you might be wondering what could be after this. As mentioned earlier, this is the last major update for Terraria, with only minor bug fixes to follow. There is supposedly a Terraria 2 in development, including an infinite world and cool character progression. However, if you are impatient and don’t want to wait for this lore-full game, then the developers already have a way to satisfy your needs. 

With the release of Journey’s End, the tModLoader mod will be a DLC to expand your Terraria experience. The best part of video games is the ability to continue the developers’ work and share ideas, which is what Terraria is giving to its community. Through the tModLoader interface, you will be able to download mods that add extra content, fun changes, and wacky additions. The updates may be done, but the community is still able to create, expand, and enjoy the world Terraria has to offer. 

I know I didn’t cover every single addition that Journey’s End brings, such as the new game added inside the game, Golf, but you can read the extra notes for yourself at the Official Terraria Wiki, as well as the Terraria forums for Journey’s End to see the mostly complete list of spoilers in picture and gif form. Until this release, though, we can stay in anticipation with the new items and try to figure out how to incorporate new decor into our bases!

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