Per Aspera

 PC
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 18 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 18
  3. Negative: 0 out of 18
  1. PC Invasion
    Dec 3, 2020
    70
    Per Aspera reaches for lofty heights, but I could never shake the impression that the difficulties I encountered were more because of the game breaking down rather than Mars being a hostile place. But who knows, patches do wonders these days.
  2. TheSixthAxis
    Dec 3, 2020
    70
    A compelling take on a Martian colonisation and terraforming project, Per Aspera also comes with a gripping mystery to unravel as you fight to survive and thrive. There's some muddled pacing and it's not always how you can proceed, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable sci fi planetary sim.
  3. Screen Rant
    Dec 3, 2020
    70
    Anyone with city building experience looking for more will be quite pleased, but those new to the genre still might find something of value in Per Aspera's take on a tried-and-true archetype.
  5. CD-Action
    Jul 23, 2021
    60
    It is truly impressive that you have the whole planet to explore and build over. What caught my attention in the first place, was the deep, realistic simulation of terraforming, but unfortunately the game turned out to be tedious and boring. I also wish I could manage my settlements better and plan their development in details, as the only decisions I got to make were where to place the structures and how to prioritize them. The rest is up to autonomous drones. [02/2021, p.34]
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  6. Cubed3
    Nov 23, 2022
    50
    While building a Mars colony is a neat theme for a city builder, how that was executed in Per Aspera is underwhelming. Lots of time is wasted on simply waiting, and when you get to issue some orders there's not much in the way of thinking very hard about them. It's… ok, but that won't suffice.
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  1. The Indie Game Website
    Dec 8, 2020
    For those that want an in-depth city builder, Per Aspera is perhaps not the right game, especially as it constantly battles with the ethicality and morality of its very conceit. For those who want a rich sci-fi experience, the clash between the complexity of the problem and the simplicity of the mechanics may cause players to find themselves stuck in a progress bottleneck. Regardless of these criticisms, it’s impossible to write off Per Aspera because it attempts something novel and is so close to sticking the landing that its namesakes seem incredibly fitting – “through adversity to the stars” -there are plenty of hardships here, but in the end, it reaches an unlikely, dazzling goal via its storytelling.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 26 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 26
  3. Negative: 3 out of 26
  1. Caevon
    Dec 5, 2020
    10
    I guess its alright only got like 120837129803 hours So one day i was playing this game and i saw this little building i could click on. iI guess its alright only got like 120837129803 hours So one day i was playing this game and i saw this little building i could click on. i clicked on it and it made a satisfying click sound so i decided to play the game for many great wonderful coomer hours and so here i am to give it a 10!… Full Review »
  2. BOWi
    Feb 6, 2023
    5
    Story Mode is atrociously bad, because it doesn't go well with the way the game was designed.

    Gameplay-wise, I had to mod the game *myself*    Story Mode is atrociously bad, because it doesn't go well with the way the game was designed.

    Gameplay-wise, I had to mod the game *myself* with the neat official modding guide and "tools" in order to finally finish the story. I don't plan to try the "Sandbox" mode ever because the Story Mode is pretty much the same, except with an added story which is more annoying than entertaining.

    If you want to try that game, wait for a discount, and don't pay for the paid DLC because it doesn't really add anything... (At least... Don't buy that DLC without first playing the game! Of couse, if you want more once you played, the DLC might be interesting...)    … Full Review »
  3. MK500
    Dec 17, 2020
    10
    The idea of mankind making Mars its second home has been brewing in our collective consciousness. As we finally approach this incrediblyThe idea of mankind making Mars its second home has been brewing in our collective consciousness. As we finally approach this incredibly milestone, I feel inspired to play in a Martian sandbox. For the last few years; I've been following numerous games as they attempt to capture this concept.

    When I find a game is focused on glorified battle I tend to immediately eliminate it. War and killing does not inspire me. I want to imagine a future where human horizons are expanding and I hope we are getting better at doing this without violence. So I'm looking toward the survival against the elements direction. How can mankind use our intelligence and technology to expand our horizons? Similarly I don't want a game where the mechanics get in the way of the sense of wonder and progress.

    I have found Per Aspera to be a deeply developed realization of my Mars play dreams; with caveats. There is a constant sense of struggle against the harsh reality of Mars' natural world. The balance between this struggle and the joy that comes from constant "little wins" as you build mines, factories, supply chains, and housing is addictive. Per Aspera is deep enough in the details to keep your brain working, but not so overwhelming that you cannot see the big picture of what you are accomplishing.

    By beginning with a fully open planet that is accurately proportioned from topographic data; you begin in awesome desolation and wilderness. By choosing sandbox mode, you actually have the option to start your adventure from anywhere on the planet you desire. If you prefer the story, there is a complex and controversial one that awaits you.

    I have to give a huge shoutout to the amazing artists that must have spent years perfecting each building and thousands of animations. Per Aspera allows you to instantly zoom from a single "worker" transport, out to buildings and roadways, all the way back out into space. It feels very much like Google Earth, but with the ability to create the cities and networks you see below you. You can choose to simply lay out your designs from above in an old-school sim city style, but if you take the time to zoom in you can see every building has a lot of character and life in it.

    I hope I have made it clear that this game is very ambitious. Here is where the difficulty lies. Compromises must be made to engineer something like this; and compromises are almost always controversial. Here is one example: Building and terraforming Mars is going to take multiple human generations, and the conceit the developers chose was to have you play as an everlasting AI overseeing development from above. This then opened up a story involving AI, Mars, humanity, and the interplay between these. There are twists and turns in this story that are certain to surprise, and will surely please some and frustrate others.

    The amount of complexity necessary to model and manage a functioning system on a planetary scale is high. I feel like the developers have generally pulled this off, but there are certainly bugs. Multiple patches have been forthcoming in the weeks since release, and we are told these will continue in the new year. There will be periods of frustration for most players when playing even the latest release. If you can find the patience to work through these frustrations, they do not break the game. I have found that I could work around any issues with enough patience and creativity. The patches so far have made progress on fixing the most frustrating issues. There are also reasonable limits on the number of structures that can extend around the planet. You cannot fill the surface of Mars with cities at this time; but you can create world circumnavigating arteries and infrastructure. This may be an opportunity for the developers to improve and expand the game's capabilities in the future.

    You will need to enjoy sim city type games to enjoy this game. There will be periods of hours where you will be planning and managing resources similarly to those style games. But I feel this makes sense, and fits well with the Mars story. Humanity's expansion beyond Earth is likely to be a lot more about managing resources and supply chains than anything else. Per Aspera does a good job making this side of things fun. The developers constantly mix things up with new exploration and terraforming objectives. Of all the sim city style games; this is the first since the very original that truly sucked me in for endless hours.

    I am very impressed with this game, and believe it will become well loved over time. I certainly enjoyed both the story and sandbox modes. The game is also reasonably priced in comparison to its depth and replayability. It is clear the amount of art and development work that went into Per Aspera is on par with much higher priced games.

    If you are excited about mankind's expansion to Mars; Per Aspera is a wonderful experience that will likely pull you in for many hours.    … Full Review »
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