Mars - Review Roundup #2

Here is a collection of reviews for Mars War Logs.

A video review at HaasGaming:

PCGMedia, 4/5

Graphically, I was impressed. The animations and lighting look great for the most part – there are a few clothing and background textures that look quite poor and while some of the action sequences have great looking motion capture, others have really awkward animations and camera angle choices. The art style is moody and pronounced, but not quite fitting of the cyberpunk genre because it looks more like a post-apocalyptic story (it’s very Red Faction). I was wholly impressed with the sound and music, though, which stayed steadily strong throughout my experience; from the sounds of bashing different armors and hides of different materials to the subtle score that plays while walking around the different areas really added to the experience.

Examiner

Though the dialog comes across a little goofy sometimes, the overall story of Mars War Logs is an interesting one, and does offer some replay value with a few major decisions and a simple reputation system at play. While I would have loved to see more of just about every element in the game, more weapons and armor, more Technomancer abilities, and more branching paths, Mars War Logs wraps up at around the ten hour mark; just the right time for its price point and level of depth.

Mars War Logs is a fun and interesting take on Mars as a setting, and pays homage to the classics while adding a bit of its own flavor. While the game forgets itself at times, the non-linear and optional nature of the quests offer lot of reasons to replay the game at least once. Mars War Logs isn’t perfect but if you’re looking for a short and sweet Action RPG experience, go grab it now.

The Bitbag

Most of us at one point have thought about making a dream game, that epic adventure game with a bunch of our favourite genres crammed into one game. Mars: War Logs tries to be many things at once, trying to be a mesh of recent favourites like Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect and Dragon Age but it failed in execution and could have benefited greatly with more time for polish. It felt rushed and all of the parts doesn’t make it a whole but more like a shoddy glue job. It doesn’t deliver any of its promises. Although the game is only $20 and can make for a budget RPG experience, I can only recommend it if it’s on sale for at least half its price. Until then, stay away.

Harcore Gamer, 3/5

As a whole, Mars: War Logs is a game well worth checking out for RPG fans and, at only twenty dollars, there’s no reason not to. Although frustrating at times, the developers’ ambition puts it above other indie RPGs which seem happy to settle for less considering their price. With a slightly bigger budget, Mars: War Logs could have been a great game, yet as it stands, it comes out as a mixed bag. There is great potential here for a franchise, however, and the only way to go is up as Spider Studios will hopefully iron out the flaws with the game for future releases. Flaws and all, there are worse ways to spend your money if Mars: War Logs has piqued your curiosity.

A video review by Elder Geek.

Rock Paper Shotgun

But ultimately this is picking over details in a game that’s just not worth the time. It’s so intrinsically dreary, infested with a dullness that doesn’t let any of its notions scrabble to the surface to become intrigue. And whatever its story wanted to be, the writing just can’t sustain it. When convincing a guard to help you out requires that you be rude to him, rather than confident in your plan, you know that there’s never going to be a moment where you can be aware you’re making the choices you want through the dialogue. And in the main, it’s just gruff sci-fi filler dialogue, with no peaks to warrant its endless trough.