RPGWatch Feature: Mars War Logs - Review

It's kinda amusing that every time someone says something negative about the Codex - someone comes along and demonstrates why it's not really an unreasonable statement

I read your review Fluent and I have to say Bravo! It was well written and made perfect sense to me as well. To the people who say you shouldn't be writing about single player RPG's because a lack of experience with the genre, it seems Fluent has done his due diligence and done his best to try and catch up by inquiring and playing some of those old games. He also is showing his versatility by playing and writing about multiplayer rpg's which is extremely important to gamers such as my self.
Old gamers get very jaded at times and it's good to see some new blood, and energy.
Keep writing.

Originally Posted by Fantasm

I'm really not trying to criticize Fluent, as I'm all for people enjoying whatever they enjoy. But I _AM_ criticizing this site for taking such a large left turn in presenting an official site review from somebody who is simply not representative of the folks who frequent this site.

Oh really, now we are going to say he doesn't represent what the rest of us on the site feel? Seems like a great way to say, "well it's nice that you like a few rpg's but the real "rpg experts" are talking.

In my opinion if someone takes the time to review something and does a review you can either agree and move on or make your own opinion. Not everyone is going to like the same thing or agree about the same thing.

I think it's funny how a lot try and say we don't want to become the codex but a lot of the posts in this thread would not be out of place there.

I'm surprised so many around here are so selfish about their interests. Well, maybe not surprised so much as informed

Originally Posted by Grunker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lit0xPh_v5c

Glad you share the cynical view there of the elusive fun factor. It's all a bunch of bullshit though isn't it? Video games in our genre follow a basic treadmill/carrot model of challenge and reward in a rich universe. If Mars failed to deliver the rich and interesting universe then it wasn't fun was it? Pretty strait forward.

With 105 comments one thing is for sure, this review generated more dabate than most.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
It's kinda amusing that every time someone says something negative about the Codex - someone comes along and demonstrates why it's not really an unreasonable statement

They have that reputation at other forums too.

I just looked at the site and I see why.

The thread about this review is full of people who claim to enjoy rpgs trashing this game. Not a one who has actually given this game a shot.

You know its not like there is an over abundance of rpgs to play these days. This one seems to be filling a void for me right now. I've only put a few hours in but I've enjoyed what I've played so far.

Those codex trolls should like the lack of hand holding or the branching side quests that most AAA rpgs don't have.

But no instead they just enjoy complaining. Yeah, trashing a developer trying to make a type of game that we supposedly enjoy is a great idea.

I hope that these guys do well.

cue Abe (Dajjer) Simpson

I miss the olden days of RPG reviews (early 80s) . Even the games that were sucky, the reviewers still sorta showed them with a lot of praise & props because it was all about the love of the hobby. But TODAY with so many games competing for our dollar, many reviewers feel they have an obligation to stir us away from bad games. I understand that and appreciate it somewhat, but I look fondly on my early days of gaming.

Proud purchaser of OUTPOST.

To be honest, a review that focuses on objective bad aspects of a game is usually more useful to me than a game that just gushes praises (that I know I can immediately dismiss as worthless information).

Do you guys have so many rpgs to play at the moment that you can't gamble the $16 to see if you like it yourself?

Originally Posted by redman5427
I read your review Fluent and I have to say Bravo! It was well written and made perfect sense to me as well. To the people who say you shouldn't be writing about single player RPG's because a lack of experience with the genre, it seems Fluent has done his due diligence and done his best to try and catch up by inquiring and playing some of those old games. He also is showing his versatility by playing and writing about multiplayer rpg's which is extremely important to gamers such as my self.
Old gamers get very jaded at times and it's good to see some new blood, and energy.
Keep writing.

Thanks man! I will definitely keep writing. I love to do it, and now that I have more of an outlet here, you will (hopefully) see many more articles and reviews coming from me in the future. Hopefully by then I can win some more of you over with my writing and general passion for RPG gaming.

As for those doubting my experience, it's true I haven't been playing PC RPGs long. Growing up I never had a great computer to play games on, so I've always been a console gamer. That said, I've been playing RPGs for over 20 years, so I would hope that I know a little something about the genre. Combined with the fact that I am trying to play a lot of the older PC games and get myself familiar with them, I should be able to bring you guys a viewpoint on PC gaming from a fresh perspective. I definitely feel I can add something to the site here, or else I wouldn't be bothering.

But the bottom line is, I love RPGs. So my articles and writings will always be coming from a place of passion for the genre. So hopefully that passion will work it's way into my writing and I can make a positive contribution here.

Thanks for all the support and criticism and everything people have posted in this thread. I read it all and I will continue to try and get better as I go.

Well done for the effort. I'm sure you'll get better and better.

My advise is to go deep for every detail of the game. Otherwise, it feels like you are giving just your opinion to a friend of yours(who knows what you like)

Fluent, are you a fan of the Gothic or Risen series?

Originally Posted by BababooeyHTJ
Fluent, are you a fan of the Gothic or Risen series?

Yes, I am. I haven't played enough Gothic to really have an opinion, but it seems like a game I will enjoy a lot. Played a lot of Risen and thought it was done quite well with some fresh ideas.

Originally Posted by DArtagnan
It's kinda amusing that every time someone says something negative about the Codex - someone comes along and demonstrates why it's not really an unreasonable statement

You know, I give the Watch a hard time because it's fun, but I really haven't met any members here who are that obnoxius when push comes to shove.

Well… except for you. A pity you're not a Swede instead.

Originally Posted by Grunker
You know, I give the Watch a hard time because it's fun, but I really haven't met any members here who are that obnoxius when push comes to shove.

Well… except for you. A pity you're not a Swede instead.

I don't know why, but being obnoxious in this context makes me feel kinda good about myself.

Thank you for that compliment

I thought it was a good review - well written and pointed out what the reviewer did and didn't like about the game. What more can you do in a review? It's always going to be the case that people like different things about a game and attacking reviewers is a blood sport that takes place all over the internet, for those whose opinions differ. Some of this criticism that becomes personal and attacks the reviewer's taste and competency on a subject that is very opinion oriented is particularly below the belt, I think.

However, a suggestion. How about having some reviews that are written by several people say 3, independently, so as to cover a range of opinions. Then the rating for the game could be the average of the 3 reviews. That would be a really interesting format, often used when opinions rather than specs matter (for instance hi-fi reviews) but of course it might be logistically difficult to get out timely reviews.

Finished my first playthrough after 20 hours, and all I can say that this is a very competent and well thought rpg with strong emphasis on choices and consequences.

The game has been updated many times now fixing minor bugs (nothing was game breaking), and added keyboard and FOV customisation through external files.

The game is very atmospheric with very good main quest and side quests that fit the setting. Choices and consequences are made directly through dialogue and implicitly through actions (for example, killing downed enemies or letting them live which influences your reputation; choosing a specific companion, letting someone live or die .. etc.). Therefore I was not able to play all quests/side quests because of the choices that I made in the game. Reputation also decide the responses and actions of npcs and can lead to different dialogs/paths in the game. The effect of choices and consquences permeate through each area and subseqent areas, through comments from npcs and companions and through outcomes and leading paths in the game.

There are three areas: POW camp, shadow lair and Green Hope. The map of each area is large and separated into smaller areas that you can traverse any way you like.

The crafting system is excellent and well balanced. There are variety of items to combine/transform to equip your suit and arms depending on your play style (warrior, renegade, technomancer or a combination). You can recycle components or transform them to produce needed components. There are merchants in the game that you can buy armour, weapons and components from. I choose to kill my enemies after knocking them to get their serum (game currency) and had a 'bad' reputation at the expense of large amounts of serum that I can use to craft health and fluid injections (for my technomancy). Others who choose the 'good' or 'hero' side will have less serum and therefore would need mechants so that they can sell them loot to gain serum. Hence the game is well designed and balanced for the different choices by the player.

The graphics are excellent from my point of view using their Silk engine. Environment and backdrops are very fitting to the story and location. There were some recycled assets but again it fits with the environment and atmosphere and felt natural. Some npcs looked the same but so they were in the Witcher and it did not bother me.

Combat is excellent and well done. No button mashing, very responsive and strategic in that you have to use your combat tools (e.g. throwing dirt in enemy faces to blind them temporarly; use ranged weapons from afar; charge weapons; technomancy shields; grenades; explosive traps; sneaking and stealth; good use of companions for distraction, changing direction and dodging .. etc.). There are also variety of enemies with different abilities that you have to adapt to.

Story is very good. Characters are all interesting. Virtue names add elegance to characters (in the same way come cultures use profession names as a family name and in history when referring to characters by their strong traits or achievements). Voice overs are good and Roy (protagonist) is excellent and he is well fleshed out in the game.

Story telling varies from weak to very good, and that, in my view is the only weakness in this game. The story is there and so are the characters, but they need to be fleshed out more. There are many strong and dramatic stories for the npcs and they need to be highlighted stronger - they deserve that.

A unique gem of a game that easily deserves a solid 8/10 in my book. A very thoughtful and detailed rpg, and its price does not really do justice to its quality or content.

If I want to compare this to a well known rpg, then it would be the Witcher with much better combat.

Thanks spoon, good job - still warping up bioshock but Mars is next up.

Good to see more opinions on this game, but I have to scratch my head and wonder how anyone could think it has excellent graphics.