Mars - Review Roundup #2

Myrthos

Cave Canem
Administrator
Joined
August 30, 2006
Messages
11,223
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 l...More information.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
11,223
Well it looks really nice, although the lip-synching and flat delivery does seems poor. It's also ironic having an overly dramatic, high-pitched voice give a review complaining about the voice acting. ;)

Maybe the modding community will eventually address the issues?
 
Joined
Mar 22, 2012
Messages
5,522
Location
Seattle
Graphically, I was impressed.

Eh? I think Mars looks very outdated by today's standards. It looks more like something that was released around 2005-06.

I like the art style though, and I agree that the music (from what I've heard so far) is quite good.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,172
Location
Florida, US
I can't believe I just saw a list of reviewers I have never heard of except for one, other then rock paper shotguns(who blasted the game).
 
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
5,749
The reviews that give it a poor score, are poor reviews themselves. Those reviewers NEED to learn the Art of constructive criticism.

We need developers to be inspired and encouraged to be creative and think out of the box to make awe inducing interesting games and worlds.

Any review that has complaints should offer solutions and give the developers direction and insight on where to go in further iterations of the game.

Anything otherwise is just a shoddy and poorly thought out review.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2007
Messages
238
Location
Hungary and USA
Back
Top Bottom