Mars: War Logs

 PC
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 296 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 150 out of 296
  2. Mixed: 112 out of 296
  3. Negative: 34 out of 296

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  1. cmoyano
    Apr 27, 2013
    10
    great game. yes people, graphics suck, voice acting is hilarious, but i rather play this over most triple A CRAP we get these days. An awesome game with great crafting, great HARD combat, choice, romances and a very interesting storyline.

    Deal with it haters, this is going to be an underrated gem and it will become a cult classic.
  2. Hobnobb
    Apr 27, 2013
    10
    I was pleasantly surprised when I played this game. Yes it is a little rough around the edges, but overall I am excited to see what else the studio can produce. I like the game World they have created, and I wouldn't mind a second game on Mars.
  3. alexbr
    Jul 14, 2013
    10
    Hi there,

    I relogged in to increase the score from 8 to 10 and rewrite review. From official critics reviews I had my doubts about this game. Once I seen it on Steam for 10$ on weekend's deals I watched YouTube vids and it seemed like something I might be interested in. C'mon it was worth a try for 10$. That was the best ever deal I got off Steam. I mean it. I got almost Triple-A    Hi there,

    I relogged in to increase the score from 8 to 10 and rewrite review. From official critics reviews I had my doubts about this game. Once I seen it on Steam for 10$ on weekend's deals I watched YouTube vids and it seemed like something I might be interested in. C'mon it was worth a try for 10$. That was the best ever deal I got off Steam. I mean it.

    I got almost Triple-A title that seriously have the feel and touch of KOTOR and Mass Effect combined and yet stands out as unique world. Now I got your attention. :-)

    If the graphics be on latest Crysis level this game would solidly be a Game of the Year. But even with current graphics its great game. This game is really a breath of fresh air among all the crap that is out there in Sci-Fi lately. It aint no Mass Effect or KOTOR but resembles both of these. Not by copying something. Just a feeling like a momentary fragrance of perfume from beautiful woman passing by. That is as close as you can get without huge investments of AAA titles. Very similar in terms of RPG. Graphics are 7 of 10, well may be 8 of 10. After I played it for a while I totally excuse that part especially that it is indie studio and for indie it is real great product. The game itself is enjoyable and keeps you interested. Some say it lacks story... it have hell of a lot better story then Star Trek game that's for sure. Audio not bad and the game itself is not for kids. Quite adult language and other stuff. I liked that too. Got tired of sweet blue puppies and even sweeter stories in video games if you know what I mean. Vast choice of fitting options and dialogues that really matters how you will proceed further. Main character and companion is really decently written and played. Developers managed to create believable world that is actually living around you and change as you proceed through the game. Personally I do recommend this game above all that is out on market. If you loved KOTOR and also into Mass Effect this game is a must have!

    Developers if you ever read this, please do make more of this kind! Next one I buy full price from Spiders. Thank you very much for this game!    … Expand
  4. Pilgrim6
    Apr 27, 2013
    10
    This game might be one of the biggest surprises this year. Almost unheard of yet it delivers a huge pack of fun for an amazing price. Mars: War logs might have some flaws such as not-so-great voice acting and maybe not so unique story but it's combat, crafting system and skill tree easily cover them. For 20 bucks, this game is totally worth it. Indie low budget game, yet it easily beatsThis game might be one of the biggest surprises this year. Almost unheard of yet it delivers a huge pack of fun for an amazing price. Mars: War logs might have some flaws such as not-so-great voice acting and maybe not so unique story but it's combat, crafting system and skill tree easily cover them. For 20 bucks, this game is totally worth it. Indie low budget game, yet it easily beats some triple As.

    Go for it, you won't regret.    … Expand
  5. Wagzy
    Apr 28, 2013
    10
    Very well done game for the price of $20. They've done a lot of things right.

    The combat is fairly good, at first it may seem weird but it works well. The quest are somewhat interesting, some are fetch this, bring it back, but other feel well placed for the setting. For the lip sync you end up not realising that it's out of time and done fairly bad. Voice acting isn't the best but the    Very well done game for the price of $20. They've done a lot of things right.

    The combat is fairly good, at first it may seem weird but it works well.
    The quest are somewhat interesting, some are fetch this, bring it back, but other feel well placed for the setting.
    For the lip sync you end up not realising that it's out of time and done fairly bad. Voice acting isn't the best but the main characters voice acting is done very well!
    The setting is great, the graphics are not top notch, but they don't have to be. I fell it adds character the the Mars setting and the fits the game very well.
    Has good character progression. Things you do can reflect on comments made by other characters. Skill tree isn't as vast as say Skyrim, but you wouldn't need anything more than what it gives.

    Overall, It's a really fun game. The characters are done well, dialogue is all there(character background etc. combat works great, story is interesting. Well worth the buy!

    10/10! May seem high to some but this little title that came from no where is great     … Expand
  6. Rosmer
    Aug 2, 2013
    10
    For a indie game it was very well made. I hope that they can make a sequel and for 20 dollars its a must!!! The combat is really good and you can tell that the developers put alot of attention into it. I know its not a AAA title but its uniqueness and price tag make it a great game!!!
  7. danieliorga2000
    Mar 22, 2017
    10
    One of the best RPG i ever played, and i played some.
    Small but full wolrld, good graphics, choises that maters and change the story abd one of the best story i played. Incredible for the size !!
    Mary acting is bad, but Roy is very well done. I want a similar second game maybe with Roy. Not ''The Technomancer'', that one after 5 minutes i deleted. A game exactly like this, small but brilliant.
  8. PhobosAres
    Jul 13, 2013
    9
    Mars: War Logs is perhaps a great example of how a indie team with a limited budget can surprise the masses, with a rather incredible and vivid game.

    The storyline is well written, and there is plenty of lore embedded in your menu to read up and understand the setting that takes place. The game is inspired by some other similar titles, but does a excellent job at being unique from those    Mars: War Logs is perhaps a great example of how a indie team with a limited budget can surprise the masses, with a rather incredible and vivid game.

    The storyline is well written, and there is plenty of lore embedded in your menu to read up and understand the setting that takes place. The game is inspired by some other similar titles, but does a excellent job at being unique from those other ones.

    The Graphics are very good; I play the game on three monitors and max settings; it is a well-rendered for the mars environment. The engine they use I have not heard of before, but it seems bug-free.

    The Game-play is also catered in a unique light. The game has a bit more of a emphasis on melee, but does have guns. The player will find himself in the beginning trying hard to save resources, since the life of a mars inhabitant in the state of this game can be quite unforgiving.

    The RPG elements are acceptable; there are moral choices and different dialogue options with many people in the game. The skill tree is oriented in three different paths, and skills give you perks.

    There is also crafting, recycling, trading, side quests, and nooks and crannies to explore that will keep you busy.

    9/10 Excellent budget indie title!    … Expand
  9. Matseb2611
    Mar 19, 2015
    9
    Despite many negative reviews from critics, and despite some flaws, for the most part I enjoyed this game and thought it was solid. The story takes place in a gritty, dystopian, almost post-apoc setting and spans 3 chapters. There are a lot of sidequests and character interactions, and the game tends to alternate between big open areas and linear levels, which in my opinion provided a niceDespite many negative reviews from critics, and despite some flaws, for the most part I enjoyed this game and thought it was solid. The story takes place in a gritty, dystopian, almost post-apoc setting and spans 3 chapters. There are a lot of sidequests and character interactions, and the game tends to alternate between big open areas and linear levels, which in my opinion provided a nice change pace.

    Perhaps what I liked the most was the levelling and the combat. The fighting was incredibly fun, a little awkward at first, but easy to get used to. And the customization of your weapon and armour is great. You get to find various tools and crafting parts that you can use on your gear to give it additional bonuses of your choice. The levelling had 3 different mastery trees - combat, renegade (support abilities like healing and stealth), and technomancy (electrical powers). The levelling happened very frequently, which was great too, since you didn't have to wait for ages to get to the skills you've had your eyes on.

    The story and setting are pretty interesting. I personally found chapters 1 and 2 to be brilliant, but chapter 3 fell flat on its face. It almost felt as though the game was rushed at the end. What was most interesting perhaps is how at the end of chapter 2 you get a choice of split paths to join one of the 2 factions, which changes some things in chapter 3, but ultimately you end up visiting the exact same locations regardless of which faction you go with. The premise of split paths for the final chapter is fantastic, but the execution resulted in a diluted experience. Going with the Resistance at least was a half-decent attempt at a conclusion that presented some more moral choices down the line. But going with the general felt like it was added into the game at the very last minute just for the sake of having this split path feature.

    The game also had 3 romance options in it, but this too felt rather lacking and devoid of much dialogue. A few other NPCs felt like they should've gotten more screen time than they actually did, like the bounty hunter friend of the main character. But apart from that, most characters were rather interesting.

    Overall I'd recommend this game. It's a decent sci-fi cyberpunk RPG and I was immersed for the duration of playing it, even going as far as trying out both story paths for its somewhat disappointing conclusion.    … Expand
  10. Nataraja
    Apr 29, 2013
    9
    This game first and foremost should be played on the PC with an X-Box controller. It runs very smoothly and the graphics are great. The limited budget was well contained into 3 main areas allowing for the sets to be highly detailed, even if you have to traverse the same area multiple times. The lip sync is off for the most part but that is true of most AAA titles as well. The storyThis game first and foremost should be played on the PC with an X-Box controller. It runs very smoothly and the graphics are great. The limited budget was well contained into 3 main areas allowing for the sets to be highly detailed, even if you have to traverse the same area multiple times. The lip sync is off for the most part but that is true of most AAA titles as well. The story is dark but original and very enjoyable. The voice acting is a little off in places but is general okay. The combat is really solid. While the main story line is supposed to only last 15 hours I played all, or as many as I could, of the side quests and got 27 hours of playtime on the first play through. The tension that builds of whether to take a like or not, to have those few extra resources that you need or let them live is well done. I felt like my actions mattered and that is refreshing. The game is VERY much set up for a sequel and I truly hope Spiders can get a bigger budget for the sequel and that there is one.

    I really enjoyed this game and as a first release for Spiders, I think there is a great future for this studio.    … Expand
  11. SuperSly
    Jul 12, 2013
    9
    I usually never write reviews on game. Because I think that game does not deserve some of the bad review it received.

    First of all the graphics are pretty good, it match most console graphics game. Its not a AAA game graphics like Call of Duty, but it doesn't need it neither. Its a RPG not a FPS. The gameplay is great too. The combats are fun and the control are easy to use (play    I usually never write reviews on game. Because I think that game does not deserve some of the bad review it received.

    First of all the graphics are pretty good, it match most console graphics game. Its not a AAA game graphics like Call of Duty, but it doesn't need it neither. Its a RPG not a FPS.

    The gameplay is great too. The combats are fun and the control are easy to use (play well with a xbox controller and with the mouse/keyboard). The fight are a little bit like dragon age origin where u can click a button who slow down the game and let use pick a special skill.

    Finally the story is awesome, with lots of details, once again a little bit like dragon age (with a lore book ).

    If you are a RPG player and you don't mind the half real time combat of dragon age origin you will like that game.

    I hope they will make Mars log 2. This game is a real hidden gem.    … Expand
  12. Diablo92
    Apr 29, 2013
    9
    Just started playing it and i think i picked up on how i feel about it.. It's not so bad, sure the fighting reminds of how you fight in sleeping dogs but atleast its not all that kung fu fighting, its just got the feeling is all. The missions i really like. One heck of a very long cut scene at the beginning but its a very good thing they put in the skip button or i would have taken off aJust started playing it and i think i picked up on how i feel about it.. It's not so bad, sure the fighting reminds of how you fight in sleeping dogs but atleast its not all that kung fu fighting, its just got the feeling is all. The missions i really like. One heck of a very long cut scene at the beginning but its a very good thing they put in the skip button or i would have taken off a quarter to a half of my score off due to it.. It takes me back to the game RAGE witch was another really cool game but they are not the same at all as i can already tell but the GFX and such look exactly the same so I'm gonna have to give this a score of 9 not just because of the GFX, GFX only have a very small partial of how the game should be scored. Good game so far!… Expand
  13. Jones21
    Apr 27, 2013
    9
    I just heard about this game yesterday when it's released. I do a bit of research afterwards on how the game is developed and it looks interesting. I bought the game afterwards for $20 and I have to say, for an indie game, this is an excellent game. It's an action rpg where your decisions in game will affect the game later. I'm 6 hours into the game and I'm not even halfway finished.I just heard about this game yesterday when it's released. I do a bit of research afterwards on how the game is developed and it looks interesting. I bought the game afterwards for $20 and I have to say, for an indie game, this is an excellent game. It's an action rpg where your decisions in game will affect the game later. I'm 6 hours into the game and I'm not even halfway finished. Graphic looks good, the people's lips are kind of stiff but overall the animation is great, voice acting is pretty good, combat is actually fun and challenging, kind of like the Witcher 2 only with clubs and guns, and best of all it's only 2.5 GB in size. Wow, 2.5 GB and the game is this long and content filled. That's a big surprise. It's definitely worth the money.… Expand
  14. zeloutre
    Apr 27, 2013
    9
    Very solid RPG from new dev team. Atmosphere and story are great, only voice acting is kinda average in English (it's a French game) but still very understandable, the main character (obviously the most important one) is well voiced and for $20 can't complain.
    Graphics are likewise good, the engine is homemade and very smooth even on low power PCs.
    But most interesting are the discussion    Very solid RPG from new dev team. Atmosphere and story are great, only voice acting is kinda average in English (it's a French game) but still very understandable, the main character (obviously the most important one) is well voiced and for $20 can't complain.
    Graphics are likewise good, the engine is homemade and very smooth even on low power PCs.
    But most interesting are the discussion system and the quests, very cannon RPG (think KOTOR), engaging and with depth. Combat is suprisingly smooth, with different play styles and skill trees. No-nonsense crafting system that allows you to combine items and improve weapons and armor. Quicksaves when you hit F5, no stupid checkpoints. Engaging difficulty even at medium level. Several story choices with a reputation level. Level design cleverly done even with the limited budget the team had.
    Overall a great suprise from a new team, very convincing first try. Keeps me wanting to play more and more, something AAA games lately mostly fail to acheive. Best $20 you can spend on Steam if you are even remotely interested in sci-fi RPGs.    … Expand
  15. Psycha
    Apr 27, 2013
    9
    A great game with lots of depth. Combat is smooth and intuitive as well as being challenging at the same time (don't expect to just button mash your way through every combat without dying). The crafting system is intuitive and easily understandable. Dialogue, whilst being a little unnatural in some places in the English version due to it being a French game it's enjoyable andA great game with lots of depth. Combat is smooth and intuitive as well as being challenging at the same time (don't expect to just button mash your way through every combat without dying). The crafting system is intuitive and easily understandable. Dialogue, whilst being a little unnatural in some places in the English version due to it being a French game it's enjoyable and understandable, giving a clear description of the game world. There are minor bugs such as the rare enemy AI getting trapped and momentarily having your character stuck on a step but over all for £15 on steam it's a great game, being better than many games double it's price.… Expand
  16. cawpikolo
    Apr 28, 2013
    9
    If you're looking for a game that's worth it's price this is it; however it isn't worth more than $20. The game's graphics were surprisingly as good as many console games from about 2-3 years ago. I experienced no frame hiccups except one in the slums after a quest. If you're thinking you can counter like you would in Batman Arkahm series you're gonna have a bad time and will spend halfIf you're looking for a game that's worth it's price this is it; however it isn't worth more than $20. The game's graphics were surprisingly as good as many console games from about 2-3 years ago. I experienced no frame hiccups except one in the slums after a quest. If you're thinking you can counter like you would in Batman Arkahm series you're gonna have a bad time and will spend half the time on your back getting raped. I was also expecting more weapon variety but all you get are iron clubs/tubes that you turn into axes etc. as far as I have played there are no guns other than the one you receive in the first level so if you wanna go John woo style and blast the baddies with a minigun you're out of luck. The technomancy tree is probably the most reliable tree hands down as I just beat the game on hard the only thing you have to do is grab overload in the master side, activate it and then spam the living crap out of lightning and watch your enemies turn into fried turkeys. The sneaking part of this game is absolutely useless do not and I mean do not invest into sneaking even with the %50 more silent instant take downs your enemies will magically hear you from across the way much like Metro last light. The voices of Mary and Innocence are emotionless however Mary passes cause her character is meant to be that way but innocence crying over losing "something very important" sounded like evil cackling rather than crying. The upgrades are also universal for all armors and clubs nothing too special. The lack of armors irritated me as i wanted to trick out some guard armor but found I could only customize civilian clothing. With that being said THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO BUY the best weapons/armor are usually found in quests and the parts needed to upgrade are easily found on the bodies of your enemies leaving the merchants absolutely useless except for buying ammo leaving you wondering WTF am I gonna do with all this cash?! The AI is a solid C that doesn't mean bad but that also doesn't mean good the majority of your companions will just be good for distractions as they all have unbearably long charge times for their attacks which means if they're facing 2 enemies at once hitting in succession consider them KO'D. The NPC AI is a bit dumb as they have no reaction to fights breaking out right in front of them think of a street fighter game where they just sit in the background just doing sit ups or eating casually while you're kicking the crap out of the police. The shield men are also a bit ridiculous because even when knocked down and you try to shoot them they magically fly back up and block your nails. The unique character traits are also a nice touch but I suggest not investing in crafting it "unlocks" new crafting recipes but in reality it does jack s**t and the only useful traits is gaining more exp from kills/ scrounging. There are glitches in quests such as on the first chapter the mechanic asks for help finding things I saw a youtube video where it says 5/5 quest done and the guy cheered. I'm here looking at 5/6 parts found and looked everywhere in frustration and me being a completionist I was absolutely livid. What really got me were the companion quests such as "get to know Mary more" I exhausted all voice options in all different ways took her with me through the entire story and even talked to her every location on the map to look for change to no avail. It also said talk to her at the resistant/honour camp in private and I found it impossible to do it. The creators also followed the cliche of putting unlockable chests or crates behind a bunch of other crates I found it humorous walking over to a bunch of crates knowing that if I look behind it i'll find a box to open. It is not as choice reliant as it says since no matter what you do you will lose a certain companion however it does change the ending and people do react to what you say or do on occasion. It is much like Bioshock infinite in terms of sides the only difference between the resistance leader Marco and General Honour is the way you spell their names. They both are negative in some aspects but positive in others. The vanilla path of good is probably Judy's path but I won't ruin it since you have to kill a certain leader to get her. But it still is slightly negative as you have to see your character kneel in reminiscence of a dead companion. Mars war logs is a decent game there are a small amount of glitches but the ones that are there are usually side quest breaking. The game as far as I have seen does not utilize good character development the only thing I knew about the main character was that A. he's a renegade technomancer and B. he's a renegade technomancer. I have no idea who he is other than he ran away from the source and magically went into the prison camp but i do admit I went brain dead in some cutscenes. With all of that said for it's price of $20 this game is better than most games with the same price on release.… Expand
  17. Bakunin
    Apr 28, 2013
    9
    For only $20, this is an excellent game. Of course its not a AAA title or anything, but for an indie game the combat is decent, the plot is well thought out, and the graphics are pretty good. If you're looking for something to keep you entertained I definitely recommend this.
  18. Ttremblet
    Apr 29, 2013
    9
    I had to make an account just to defend this game. Mars: War Logs is an amazing RPG set in future and as the title says, it's happening in Mars. Before buying I read other reviews here and watched videos about the game, Youtube user "indeimaus" made and Let's Look clip about War Logs and that really was the one that pushed me to get it (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFDowYpmRl4 II had to make an account just to defend this game. Mars: War Logs is an amazing RPG set in future and as the title says, it's happening in Mars. Before buying I read other reviews here and watched videos about the game, Youtube user "indeimaus" made and Let's Look clip about War Logs and that really was the one that pushed me to get it (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFDowYpmRl4 I strongly recommend for others to gather information and check if this game really is for them.

    Like others have said this game really reminds me of Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (combat and other mechanics), Red Faction (Mars of course), Dragon Age (Minimalized buddy-system) and maybe a little bit of Arkham-series (combat). But really people have different experiences.

    For a 20€ (I'm European, but it's also US 20$) getting this game is a steal. War Logs was developed by Spiders, a studio I've never heard of but they did solid work.
    Like I said, the mechanics work really well and remind me of other games (not a bad thing, trust me!), the protagonist is a badass and is voiced like one, discussion options offer a lot of information and apparently these can change the way NPCs see you (good, bad, neutral etc.). Some have criticized other voices but personally I enjoyed them (other characters, their voices and animations too reminded me of Witcher 2). All in all the graphics are really nice and suit the setting really well.
    Story is interesting and catching, it offers somewhat realistic look about this escape plan that the protagonist is driving forward.

    Recap: Downloadable title which is incredibly cheap for such an interesting game with great story, fun gameplay, very good graphics and a little tacky (which didn't bother me) voice acting beside the main protagonist. REMEMBER to read other reviews and watch videos that don't spoil the story to decide would you like this game or not. If you are a fan of gritty scifi RPGs like I am, you won't be disappointed.
    (I'm sorry about the grammar, I'm not a native English speaker)    … Expand
  19. HenryShips
    Apr 30, 2013
    9
    This is an ambitious title that has a great potential and a solid base, it's shortcomings can be overlooked by the fact that it posses a great and young universe that I would be overjoyed to be able to explore, for a cheap price of $20 I'm more than willing to support the creators hopping that in a near future this can become a bright franchise.
  20. Reyzal
    May 4, 2013
    9
    I usually have such a hard time finishing games but this one was able to keep my attention the whole time. The game was a little short (took 11 hours), but the combat was fun. This game was worth more than 20$ in my opinion as this is by far one of the best indie games I've played.
    I went with medium difficulty which was a little too easy. They definitely reward you if you enjoy looking    I usually have such a hard time finishing games but this one was able to keep my attention the whole time. The game was a little short (took 11 hours), but the combat was fun. This game was worth more than 20$ in my opinion as this is by far one of the best indie games I've played.
    I went with medium difficulty which was a little too easy. They definitely reward you if you enjoy looking in every corner, as you can almost guarantee loot.
    Voice acting wasn't as bad as I thought it would be from all of the other reviews. Although they did pronounce egotistical wrong (like 'leggo my eggo'-tistical) and that gave me a laugh. They also didn't always follow the subtitles either (only minor differences).
    As far as the story goes it was pretty good and doing the side missions were enjoyable instead of a grind.    … Expand
  21. Musbayn
    May 8, 2013
    9
    The best RPG I have played in recent years. It has all what I look for in this genre: good argument, exciting atmosphere, charismatic characters and a deep combat system. Highly recommended, believe me!
  22. Runnerblank
    May 11, 2013
    9
    Sweet game for the money. Lots of fun.
    To quote another "I have to say, for an indie game, this is an excellent game. It's an action rpg where your decisions in game will affect the game later."

    Fast to play. Good story.
    Hoping to see more Mars: War Logs.
  23. marcheur28
    Jun 7, 2013
    9
    Mars war logs est le premier jeu créé de toutes pièces par Spiders, petit studio français qui prouve qu'il a l'étoffe d'un grand, le jeu présente toutes les qualités qu'on attend d'un rpg:
    Système de combat tactique et dynamique et assez riche.
    Evolution intéressante. Scénario et univers travaillé ainsi que certains personnages. Atmosphère réussie avec une bonne ambiance. Et surtout    Mars war logs est le premier jeu créé de toutes pièces par Spiders, petit studio français qui prouve qu'il a l'étoffe d'un grand, le jeu présente toutes les qualités qu'on attend d'un rpg:
    Système de combat tactique et dynamique et assez riche.
    Evolution intéressante.
    Scénario et univers travaillé ainsi que certains personnages.
    Atmosphère réussie avec une bonne ambiance.
    Et surtout une durée de vie satisfaisante (quinze heures) avec une forte rejouabilité!
    Les défauts notamment technique (pnj clonés, environnements répétitif) ne sont pas les résultats d'un manque d'envie mais de moyens! Si Spiders avait les moyens de libérer pleinement le potentiel de leur jeu, on tiendrait surement là une valeur sûre de RPG futur!
    N'hésitez donc pas! Pour 20 euros vous jouerez un excellent RPG et encouragerez Spiders sur la voie de la qualité!    … Expand
  24. Lhetre
    Jun 10, 2015
    9
    Things you will like :
    - Quite a nice Sci-Fi story.
    - Coherent quests. - Mars, the Red Planet. - Endearing characters. - Voice acting has been redone - now it is excellent. - Few but very effective weapons. - Few but very useful technopowers. - An indie game. Things you may not like : - Enemies rush you, combat is based on running, dodging and sometimes hitting, but mostly    Things you will like :
    - Quite a nice Sci-Fi story.
    - Coherent quests.
    - Mars, the Red Planet.
    - Endearing characters.
    - Voice acting has been redone - now it is excellent.
    - Few but very effective weapons.
    - Few but very useful technopowers.
    - An indie game.

    Things you may not like :
    - Enemies rush you, combat is based on running, dodging and sometimes hitting, but mostly running.
    - An indie game.    … Expand
  25. mangavideo
    Nov 27, 2013
    9
    For an indie game, this definitely takes the crown! Excellent gameplay, good clean fun. For the price/quality ratio, this is, for sure a game NOT to be overlooked!
  26. Parrk
    Apr 29, 2013
    8
    Every other day or so I review the Steam new releases in hopes of finding something like this game; a 3rd person story/character-based rpg that I have not played, or read much about. It almost never happens. I follow the genre closely, and generally know what is on the horizon. This kind of game (rpg)offers a mix of development cost/complexity and mediocre sales expectations thatEvery other day or so I review the Steam new releases in hopes of finding something like this game; a 3rd person story/character-based rpg that I have not played, or read much about. It almost never happens. I follow the genre closely, and generally know what is on the horizon. This kind of game (rpg)offers a mix of development cost/complexity and mediocre sales expectations that basically has meant that smaller or indi studios rarely make them, opting for more of a sure thing, or a less resource-intensive game style.

    This game caught me by surprise, and it has been a really pleasant surprise. I really enjoy the game thus far. It certainly has its, lets cal them eccentricities, but none of them, or even they all in aggregate,effectively "break" the game. It runs well on my machine. Below I will focus on different aspects of the game, sharing my views after about 8 hours of play.

    Story: The story is interesting. I like that it is not "omg save teh wurld!" in its scope. Mars is about as dystopian as setting come, and what you do will likely not ultimately SAVE anyone for good because at the end of the day,there will still be too many thirsty, and not enough water, and little prospect for escape or giant leaps in quality of life. This is a story of trying to make the best of a really bad situation with little or no hope for a genuinely positive ending. Mars is a place where everyone is horrible to everyone. It is oddly satisfying to play hero in a plac ewhere people are hugely appreciative for hte smallest things.

    Characters/writing/VA: I have read a lot of negative reviews of the voice acting. It hasn't bothered me at all. This is what yu get when you do what you can, but do not have millions to dedicate to VA. It is servicable,and never markedly bad imo. There were instances where it caused me to chuckle, but the intonation is generally solid, so i does its part. I actually thing the PC is pretty well done. The dialogue is good in places, and never what I would call bad. The writing matches the setting and stays pretty true to the "feel" of the game. Some of hte caracters are better done than others. Some are bizarre, but that is because they were intended to be so. There are no striking failures. Mary is weird but likable, and I think that is what they were going for.

    Combat: It is a bit repetitive, or gets to be. It isn't the combat itself, which flows pretty well and is not overly easy, but som of the respawns got to me after a while, especially given the huge amount of back-tracking and how each enviroment is used for quite some time. Technomacy is powerful, but not hugely overpowered. You can never 2-shot mobs, and casting times are long enough that you have to timeyour casts well in order to avoid interruption. Like another reviewer said, you hit people with a stick...a lot.

    Graphics/animation: I am not a discerning consumer of fine graphics. I like for characters to look good, and this game succeeds in that. They focused on character faces, which I think is a strong choice. The lighting works well andthe textures on characters are pretty good. I have not even looked at the environmental tetures closely. Some of hte animations are a tad wonky. Sometimes the characters have odd facial contortions that make them appear to be craning their neck is odd wys which makes them appear to be overly-animated. All in all, I reall like the style, and many of the characters are really well-drawn.

    All in all I think they did really well. I certainly have no problem recommending this game given the $20 price point. It is very good in places and I consider it to be a really solid effort.    … Expand
  27. jgoemat
    Apr 28, 2013
    8
    It's a little rough, but a fun game. Combat is satisfying when I'm not facing the wrong direction and therefore can't attack. Animations can be a little rough sometimes. The voice acting is good but not up to top-shelf standards. The writing could also be a little better for a game with so much dialogue and I didn't always get the sense of exactly what I would be saying from theIt's a little rough, but a fun game. Combat is satisfying when I'm not facing the wrong direction and therefore can't attack. Animations can be a little rough sometimes. The voice acting is good but not up to top-shelf standards. The writing could also be a little better for a game with so much dialogue and I didn't always get the sense of exactly what I would be saying from the options available, but overall a pretty fun budget game and worth the $20.… Expand
  28. Acidblood83
    Apr 26, 2013
    8
    Only played about 2 hours so far, but initial impressions are very good. Don't expect AAA presentation (graphics animations), but mechanically combat is solid and works well, being a decent challenge (once out of the tutorial fights) on hard; items are also quite useful. Character customisation is good with a range of feats (passive boosts to XP, crafting, looting and rep) and skillsOnly played about 2 hours so far, but initial impressions are very good. Don't expect AAA presentation (graphics animations), but mechanically combat is solid and works well, being a decent challenge (once out of the tutorial fights) on hard; items are also quite useful. Character customisation is good with a range of feats (passive boosts to XP, crafting, looting and rep) and skills (three loose trees of combat, stealth items and magic). Crafting involves upgrades to armour and weapons, which have slots, and each slot can be given a variety of bonuses (and visuals) if you have the materials. The story is quite well told so far, with good voice acting and in-engine cutscenes; will be interesting to see where it leads. PC wise it feels a little like a port (mostly the mouse is a little floaty), but has enough options to please most people and it runs well on my laptop (alienware m14x) with high settings. I didn't need to customise the keyboard mouse controls (thumbs up) and there are default keys for most things (inventory, map, skills, characters, etc.) as well as 0-9 for easy to use item ability hotkeys. Like I said, and for $20, don't expect AAA, but in some ways that's a good thing (especially in an RPG) as it feels like the Devs have focused on mechanics over flash, and assuming the rest of the game is as good or better than the first few hours this is definitely a game sci-fi and or RPG fans should check out.… Expand
  29. InsanelyOrange
    Apr 27, 2013
    8
    Played for about 2 hours, maybe a little less. The voice acting/dialogue and lip sync is sub par, wouldn't go as far to say it's terrible, there is defiantly worse. Animations are pretty good, for the most part. The graphic quality is very good when maxed out, although the frame rate appears to be capped at 50fps, which is extremely odd. There is no option to disable, this could easily bePlayed for about 2 hours, maybe a little less. The voice acting/dialogue and lip sync is sub par, wouldn't go as far to say it's terrible, there is defiantly worse. Animations are pretty good, for the most part. The graphic quality is very good when maxed out, although the frame rate appears to be capped at 50fps, which is extremely odd. There is no option to disable, this could easily be patches/edited. The combat and story, both of which are the meat of the game, are sub par. The fighting feels kind of spammy at first, but as you progress it gets better. It appears melee combat is the main focus of the game, with weapons,ect. being accessed by first equipping the item to a hot key and your character uses it briefly when pressed. The story so far is interesting, I look forward to playing more.… Expand
  30. Mudpuppyuk
    Dec 4, 2013
    8
    A good, short RPG that's well worth its lower price.
    It hits all the right notes, the combat at first is a challenge but once you level up a few times, get some gear and develop a system it becomes a lot of fun. The game also has a good story although the end is a slight anticlimax but still good enough. A single play through lasts up to 12 hours but it has enough replayability for a    A good, short RPG that's well worth its lower price.
    It hits all the right notes, the combat at first is a challenge but once you level up a few times, get some gear and develop a system it becomes a lot of fun. The game also has a good story although the end is a slight anticlimax but still good enough. A single play through lasts up to 12 hours but it has enough replayability for a second run due to in game choises and combat branch.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

77
#77 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
97
#97 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 32
  3. Negative: 3 out of 32
  1. GameStar
    Aug 6, 2013
    59
    What remains is a fatal vortex of wasted opportunities.
  2. LevelUp
    Aug 5, 2013
    62
    Quotation forthcoming.
    Read full review
  3. Riot Pixels
    Jul 23, 2013
    44
    Amongst the many sins of Mars: War Logs, the total lack of originality is the worst one.
    Read full review
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