A bias Calamity Mod Review.

[Toxophilite [East]]

I definitely wouldn't recommend playing on Death Mode for a person who's relatively new to Calamity. I would suggest playing on plain expert mode or normal, and that may lessen the difficulty and open up more options for exploration. I mainly play on Normal, and with a large pack of mods that includes Calamity, and so exploring is a bit more rewarded and easier to do.

Well, I didn't go into Calamity Mod with any real expectations, aside from what I'd kept hearing other Terrarians say about it. Honestly, the strength of me reviewing these Mods rests solely on the consistent praise & word-of-mouth it received. Word-of-mouth is one of those types of praise that can rarely be faked, so I was really expected more than what I inevitably got.

Because of the praise, I wanted a very specific experience with the Mod & I did make sure to ask questions first before diving in. I wanted the "Calamity experience", which is the only reason I went all-in. I also wanted to test very specific things the Mod had to offer, such as, a better "Master Mode" & improved Boss A.I. Some things were certainly great, but the Rose Tented Glasses involved in Calamity's praises weren't hard to discern at all.

• Are there a few aspects of Calamity that are good-enough to compare to Master Mode in Journeys End? "Of course..."
• Is Calamity Mod a great example of the direction the Devs should've gone with Journey's End/ Master Mode? "H*ll no! That's a reach!"

Also, by any chance do you play Minecraft? I know it's kind of unrelated, however if you play modded minecraft the mods are a lot more varied. And generally, minecraft is a lot more exploration based.

Unfortunately no, I haven't. When deciding to buy Terraria, I ended up making a choice between the two games. Terraria was the closest to what I wanted in that genre, so it's the one I decided to go with. I do keep up with Minecraft from time to time & it was the Adventure Maps that nearly sold me. There was something about Terraria that felt special though, that I couldn't quite put my finger on at the time.

 

[Doodles]

Well, I didn't go into Calamity Mod with any real expectations, aside from what I'd kept hearing other Terrarians say about it. Honestly, the strength of me reviewing these Mods rests solely on the consistent praise & word-of-mouth it received. Word-of-mouth is one of those types of praise that can rarely be faked, so I was really expected more than what I inevitably got.

The praise that Calamity gets is most likely because 1. Calamity is no doubt the most well-known mods. 2. Calamity is one of the biggest mods. But when you actually look at it, there isn't much except for plentiful content and loads of bosses and some pretty good music. There are other mods with much more to get out of them than Calamity like Thorium, Spirit, Redemption and Ancients Awakened.

 

[Toxophilite [East]]

It's stuff like this, that will always be the reason I can't ever fully love this Mod. Why... why make these Security Turrets invincible? There's literally NO reason to do this. If you wanna make them immune to cheese... fine, if you wanna make them immune to Minion targeting, fine, but you can't even attack them either!?

I seriously hope that I'm mistaken here & I'm just doing something wrong. It was nice to see some pretty cool changes to the World, while traveling the skies, in search for a Red Balloon, but it's lil' stuff like this... "bad design" that get in the way of being able to fully appreciate these additions. I mean, I also found an Enchanted Sword Island so... I guess that's pretty cool?

I'm assuming, one of the biggest mistakes I made was going back to 1.4.2 after the updates, it's gonna be challenging for me to not compare the two-to each other, but I'm sure my critique of the newer Sky Islands is a legitimate criticism. Cool furniture & stuff, but... if I ever have to ask the question "what's the point of this, or that thing?", it likely wasn't implemented very well.

I'd have preferred the Security Turrets have the ability to shoot through walls & then be destructible, or able to be targeted by Minions; anything other than what I got. Like seriously... why!?

 

[The Owler]

It's stuff like this, that will always be the reason I can't ever fully love this Mod. Why... why make these Security Turrets invincible? There's literally NO reason to do this. If you wanna make them immune to cheese... fine, if you wanna make them immune to Minion targeting, fine, but you can't even attack them either!?
View attachment 315524

I seriously hope that I'm mistaken here & I'm just doing something wrong. It was nice to see some pretty cool changes to the World, while traveling the skies, in search for a Red Balloon, but it's lil' stuff like this... "bad design" that get in the way of being able to fully appreciate these additions. I mean, I also found an Enchanted Sword Island so... I guess that's pretty cool?
View attachment 315525

I'm assuming, one of the biggest mistakes I made was going back to 1.4.2 after the updates, it's gonna be challenging for me to not compare the two-to each other, but I'm sure my critique of the newer Sky Islands is a legitimate criticism. Cool furniture & stuff, but... if I ever have to ask the question "what's the point of this, or that thing?", it likely wasn't implemented very well.

I'd have preferred the Security Turrets have the ability to shoot through walls & then be destructible, or able to be targeted by Minions; anything other than what I got. Like seriously... why!?

These turrets can, in fact, be mined. Just get a Gold or Platinum Pickaxe and mine them for a few seconds, and you should be fine.

This is why you never assume anything. Especially in mods like Calamity.

 

[Doodles]

This is why you never assume anything. Especially in mods like Calamity.

This isn't a very good mindset to have, it's basically, "It's your fault you're frustrated because you didn't try everything.

 

[Toxophilite [East]]

This isn't a very good mindset to have, it's basically, "It's your fault you're frustrated because you didn't try everything.

I'm not sure at what point I was supposed to know that this one, specific Sky-Island Enemy should be "Pick Axed, with a certain tier of Pick Axe", when at no point has that ever been the case up until now. I can only assume that this makes sense to some players, somehow, which is why they highly enjoy this Mod. Seems pretty obscure to me, for no-good-reason.

That's fine though, now I know how to deal with them if I need to come back later.

 

[Doodles]

I'm not sure at what point I was supposed to know that this one, specific Sky-Island Enemy should be "Pick Axed, with a certain tier of Pick Axe", when at no point has that ever been the case up until now. I can only assume that this makes sense to some players, somehow, which is why they highly enjoy this Mod. Seems pretty obscure to me, for no-good-reason.

This is essentially the point I was trying to make. Also, why restrict it to Gold/Platinum? All Arsenal Labs (that's what the labs are called by the way) can be accessed pre-boss, there's no reason to restrict them like this.

 

[The Owler]

I guess what I was trying to say is, you shouldn't always assume there's no other way to do something. Maybe there is only one specific way, but it doesn't necessarily hurt to try something else.

You know, just in case.

 

[Doodles]

This is essentially the point I was trying to make. Also, why restrict it to Gold/Platinum? All Arsenal Labs (that's what the labs are called by the way) can be accessed pre-boss, there's no reason to restrict them like this.

Oh, and another point why this shouldn't be a thing. What if a new player tries to mine a turret without a Gold or Platinum pickaxe? They'll think, "Oh, I guess I can't mine them.", and they most likely won't try again.

 

[Toxophilite [East]]

Today must've been a really good day, or I must be in a pretty great mood because... I actually have nothing but good things to say about Calamity Mod today! First, I just wanna start off with the early-game, aerial combat! I gotta say, it's always been possible, but aside from a well-made Adventure Map, I've never felt like I was playing as Spider Man in a standard Adventure Mode, it was a great time!

Jumping from Floating Island to island was just... super fun; having to do all-of-that, plus fight-off Harpies was an experience I've never had before in this game. The best part, was that, at a certain point in Space, you don't really need to keep popping Gravity Potions if you're careful, it was almost like playing a swingy platformer, one of the things I was actually looking forward to in Terraria: Otherworld. So yeah, great time in the Space Biome!

The best part about this entire experience, is that I only floated up to these Sky Islands for a Shiny Red Balloon, after that obnoxious experience with the Sky Laboratory, I wasn't really expecting much from this area, but then I ran across this bad-boy! I guess this means that, just as soon as Hardmode starts, I'm gonna have access to one of my favorite Weapons right away? Is killing Plantera still a requirement in this Mod, who knows!?

Also, did I mention that this entire Island is made out of Demonite? I mean, it's a bit late for me to get this stuff now but... at least I was able to upgrade my Fishing Rod.

That's not even the best part, I've managed to save the best for last, not intentionally, but because this is genuinely how my lil' sky adventure ended. With all of that jumping, hopping, skipping & grapplin' hooking... I accidently discovered a Sky Plate house hiding inside of the Demonite Island; and what do you know... a Shiny Red Balloon was waiting for me just as my Gravity Potion ran out! What a perfect session, I went in expecting very little, but left totally satisfied with my experience; well done Calamity Mod, well done!!

If this kinda stuff keeps up, my opinion about this Mod might change dramatically! That's one thing I'll certainly do, is give flowers when they're earned, this was pretty exceptional!

 

[Doodles]

Is killing Plantera still a requirement in this Mod, who knows!?

You're actually right! Something that I actually like about Calamity is that it drastically increases your options for progression in hardmode! The Steampunker spawns as soon as hardmode starts, instead of after defeating a mech boss, you can craft a Plantera summon with early-hardmode materials, you can also craft a temple key.

You can actually get biome keys fairly easily now, because certain bosses now drop biome keys, and much more commonly than you would expect! (Wall of Flesh drops Crimson/Corruption key, Plantera drops Jungle Key, etc.) I'm pretty sure you still can't actually use them until you defeat plantera.

Also, there's a certain Calamity enemy in a certain Calamity biome, that actually drops a summon for the Lunatic Cultist! So now hardmode is more like pre-hardmode, with the mentality of, "Yeah, you COULD fight the final challenge at anytime, but you gotta prepare first.", instead of, "There goes the mechs... there goes Plantera... there goes Golem... oh, look. I can fight the Moon Lord now."

 

[Toxophilite [East]]

Well, this didn't completely ruin my day but... I finally did the Calamity version of the Brain of Cthulu fight & it was kinda eye-rolly. I get that they were trying to make it seem like Duke Fishron 1.5 but, I'm not sure what tools they're expecting you to have at this point in the game, that makes this kinda berserker attack make sense. On my third & final attempt, I just bought every potion I could think of (even Thorns) & tanked the damage until it eventually died. I gotta say though, watching BoC survive at 4% health for 10+ minutes wasn't very fun at all... *yawns & stretches*

On the up-side, I got a new Crimson-themed Minion, similar to Spiders? I also unlocked a new NPC with 1000 hp that sales Boss Items & stuff, including a new Alchemist Emblem so, there's that at least...

Overall, I think I'm gonna try tackling the Bosses in "order", because I really wasn't expecting BoC to be this irritating. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the fact that I summoned the other Brain-guy on accident, even with my new gear, I'm gonna have to figure out a way to deal with his "rain" projectiles. Anyhow, not too-too bad, but, could've been worse.

 

[Doodles]

Well, this didn't completely ruin my day but... I finally did the Calamity version of the Brain of Cthulu fight & it was kinda eye-rolly. I get that they were trying to make it seem like Duke Fishron 1.5 but, I'm not sure what tools they're expecting you to have at this point in the game, that makes this kinda berserker attack make sense. On my third & final attempt, I just bought every potion I could think of (even Thorns) & tanked the damage until it eventually died. I gotta say though, watching BoC survive at 4% health for 10+ minutes wasn't very fun at all... *yawns & stretches*
View attachment 316714

On the up-side, I got a new Crimson-themed Minion, similar to Spiders? I also unlocked a new NPC with 1000 hp that sales Boss Items & stuff, including a new Alchemist Emblem so, there's that at least...
View attachment 316715

Overall, I think I'm gonna try tackling the Bosses in "order", because I really wasn't expecting BoC to be this irritating. Oh, I almost forgot to mention the fact that I summoned the other Brain-guy on accident, even with my new gear, I'm gonna have to figure out a way to deal with his "rain" projectiles. Anyhow, not too-too bad, but, could've been worse.

You must not forget Calamity's first boss, the Desert Scourge, who can be fought in the Desert by using a Desert Medallion. Defeating it unlocks a whole BIOME'S worth of content, so I'd say it's worth it.

I actually think that's why you struggled with BoC so much. Because you're not paying enough attention to the new content, but I guess that's just the mod punishing you for not playing "its way" again.

Seriously, if you haven't, PLEASE get the Boss Checklist mod. You can see a list of bosses and events, how to summon them, and where they fall in progression. Its REALLY useful when playing a new mod for the first time, and you could really use it, as by now, you've already missed 2 Calamity bosses and 1 Calamity Event.

 

[Toxophilite [East]]

Seriously, if you haven't, PLEASE get the Boss Checklist mod. You can see a list of bosses and events, how to summon them, and where they fall in progression. Its REALLY useful when playing a new mod for the first time, and you could really use it, as by now, you've already missed 2 Calamity bosses and 1 Calamity Event.

Yeah, I think you're right. At this point I'm probably making my experience worse by not having it.

Updated: Oh my, now this is pretty frickin' cool!

 

[The Owler]

Yeah, I think you're right. At this point I'm probably making my experience worse by not having it.

Updated: Oh my, now this is pretty frickin' cool!
View attachment 316725

Did you think we were lying?

 

[Doodles]

Updated: Oh my, now this is pretty frickin' cool!

See? I feel this'll be a turning point for you, as now you have somewhat of an idea of what you're doing. Recommendations? Fight the Desert Scourge. That'll get you a ton of new content and most likely some useful weapons. Not from the boss itself, mind you. You've already passed the point where those items are useful.

 

[The Owler]

See? I feel this'll be a turning point for you, as now you have somewhat of an idea of what you're doing. Recommendations? Fight the Desert Scourge. That'll get you a ton of new content and most likely some useful weapons. Not from the boss itself, mind you. You've already passed the point where those items are useful.

Yep, it would've made your life a lot easier if you fought DS first...

 

[Toxophilite [East]]

I admittedly felt sorta guilty, running back to take care of unfinished business with the pre-BoC Bosses, particularly against the Sandworm Boss, because it kinda felt like an execution. The fact that I also had this Boss on a to-do-list, didn't make me feel any less sympathy for it. Of course, this is Calamity Mod, so the cruelty was certain to catch up with me due to my leniency; I mean... of course it has to, right?

After killing the "pathetic worm", I figured I'd make my way to the Mushroom Biome to go after "Mr. Crabs". Since I haven't run across one yet, I was mostly just exploring & collecting stuff to sale, as at this point, most of the cavern items are pretty useless to me, save for maybe the Ice Caverns, which I found, but ignored for the time being. That being the case, I ran into something even better, some kind of Underwater Biome!

This place was pretty neat & was particularly interesting because my Gills Potions were actually pretty useful for once in 1.3.5. Though Journey's Ends water exploration is just... okay, this place is pretty ambitious if I'm being honest. Though the execution feels a bit off, just having any kind of water exploration in Terraria is a plus for me. I didn't have any Flippers or Flipper Potions sadly, but I was prepared for this area somehow. Not really sure how I got that weird Water Breathing necklace, I forget, but I finally had to use it after running out of Gills Potions.

The part that really brought it all together was the Underwater Laboratory, which was some of the best environmental storytelling I've experienced so far in Terraria. Not sure if just coincidence, but having a Lab, right beside some strange Sea Biome is pretty brilliant, I really got some Subnautica vibes from this area! Being able to collect the crystals that were being research was a HUGE bonus for this area, 10/10!

Lastly, I kept seeing a Giant Clams healtbar on the screen while I was exploring, it really didn't matter where I was in this area, so... I decided to go see where this thing was hiding. Took me a while to figure out he showed up on the Mini-Map, but the first encounter went pretty badly, as I wasn't expecting him to move... for some reason?? I got smashed to death & noticed this was a Boss with adds. The second time was a s**t-show of close-calls & lucky draws, because the fight should've gone south, but it just didn't for some reason??

When I tell you I got super-lucky, I'm not joking; a) the fight took place in just the right place so all the Clam Minions feel into a pit, b) the area was just the right shape & size to dash & grappled back-&-forth in, without doing much else, & finally, c) the NPC that spawned immediately afterward, stood in a very specific spot, as to not get totally mauled by the hundreds of Clam Minions I didn't kill the entire battle!

Overall, I was pretty satisfied! I'm starting to see why people love this Mod so much, judging it alone, it was all they had at a time where updates to vanilla Terraria weren't guaranteed. Looking at it through that lens, I can start to see some of the longing that might exist, considering what we eventually got with 1.4+. Either way, this was a good session, I look forward to more content like this!

 

[Doodles]

Nice job! A couple things I need to say.

• If you're playing Calamity, I hope you like worm bosses. Calamity has a very strange obsession with worm bosses ( In a playthrough, assuming you fight every boss, you'll be fighting 7 worm bosses. 6 if your world has only Corruption.).

• The reason that the Giant Clam seemed so tame, is because it's not a boss, but it's considered a miniboss.

• I'm glad you liked the Arsenal Lab in the Sunken Sea! There are certain labs that always generate in certain spots, because they're special labs called bio-centers. These bio-centers can be found in the Underground Jungle, Underground Snow biome, space (You already found this one, It was inside a planetoid.), the Sunken Sea, which is the one you just found, and finally one in the underworld.
  • More about these bio-centers, check all of the chests, because they not only have good loot, but also have logs written by Draedon (An important character in the lore of the mod), which will give you a little insight on the world and lore of the mod. This is pretty big, because, honestly? Calamity does a horrible job at explaining the lore in game. The only lore you can pick up on in game is from very small things, like item tooltips, or NPC dialogue. If you want to understand everything, you would have to stop playing, go to the Calamity mod wiki, and read up on the literal pages of lore there.

• Finally, that NPC you got from the Giant Clam is like Calamity's version of the Guide. If you click 'Help', he will not only give you a piece of advice relating to the mod, but he'll also give you a buff that let's you breathe underwater, as long as you don't get hit (This is useful for a certain area later on). He also sells various weapons that should be useful, even after BoC, you should pick them up.

WHEW! That was a lot. One last thing, if you see a status message that says 'A toxic downpour falls over the wasteland seas!', head for the Sulphurous Sea, I won't tell you why though.

OK! I know I said that was the last thing, but something really cool is that Sandstorms can't actually happen in preHM until Desert Scourge is defeated, completely preventing those annoying first day sandstorms!

 

[Mr.Oofity]

Dang, it’s been a whole month. Time is going fast