I have no idea why a mod loader is listed here as a game. It feels kind of redundant to rate tModLoader on its own because that implies it comes with content out of the box. tModLoader isn't a game per-se, but rather a framework for 'actual' mods to attach to Terraria. And judging on that aspect, it does it perfectly.
I can remember for the longest time Terraria's lack of mod compatibility being a major counter-point for those who liked to compare Terraria with Minecraft. Now that the said lack of compatibility no longer exists, Terraria can now go from being an already great game of exploring and becoming an unholy powerful sun-of-a-gun conquering mighty bosses, to an almost perfect sandbox that has basically anything you darn well want (within reason).
Want to add just a tiny bit of content so you can get some proper use of your Moon Lord loot? There's a mod for that. Want to completely change how the game progression works so that its less frustrating and grindy? There's a mod for that. Want to experience (or re-experience) all the content that's exclusive to the PS3, Xbox 360 and 3DS ports? There's a mod for that. Want to utterly change the game front to back in such a way that it feels like you're playing Terraria all over again? There are tons of mods that do just that and more.
It's hard to put a proper review for tModLoader on its own because the kinds of content, and the quality of content you experience is entirely dependent on what you can find. The only major drawback I can find for tModLoader on its own is that it REQUIRES Steam to use. Even if you own -- say -- Terraria on GoG, you WILL need to also have Steam installed anyway for tModLoader to access the Steam Workshop, which is the main distribution source of Terraria Mods. So if you're one of the 3 people who game on PC and also refuse to have Steam in some form, this may be an issue.
I can remember for the longest time Terraria's lack of mod compatibility being a major counter-point for those who liked to compare Terraria with Minecraft. Now that the said lack of compatibility no longer exists, Terraria can now go from being an already great game of exploring and becoming an unholy powerful sun-of-a-gun conquering mighty bosses, to an almost perfect sandbox that has basically anything you darn well want (within reason).
Want to add just a tiny bit of content so you can get some proper use of your Moon Lord loot? There's a mod for that. Want to completely change how the game progression works so that its less frustrating and grindy? There's a mod for that. Want to experience (or re-experience) all the content that's exclusive to the PS3, Xbox 360 and 3DS ports? There's a mod for that. Want to utterly change the game front to back in such a way that it feels like you're playing Terraria all over again? There are tons of mods that do just that and more.
It's hard to put a proper review for tModLoader on its own because the kinds of content, and the quality of content you experience is entirely dependent on what you can find. The only major drawback I can find for tModLoader on its own is that it REQUIRES Steam to use. Even if you own -- say -- Terraria on GoG, you WILL need to also have Steam installed anyway for tModLoader to access the Steam Workshop, which is the main distribution source of Terraria Mods. So if you're one of the 3 people who game on PC and also refuse to have Steam in some form, this may be an issue.