Virtual-On Marz

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: Sega
  • Release Date: Oct 14, 2003
Metascore
54

Mixed or average reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 14
  3. Negative: 4 out of 14
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  1. Edge Magazine
    70
    You come to Virtual-On to beat up big robots through a mix of opportune tactics and instinctive brawn, and throughout Marz the precise and articulated combat remains as demanding as ever. [Sept 2003]
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  2. TotalGames.net
    69
    In short, there are no clear delineations in skill level. Whilst this is one way of making Virtual On more inclusive, it also removes much of the game’s innate charm. To make matters more complicated, Marz lacks a TwinStick peripheral.
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  3. GameSpot
    63
    While Virtual On has stuck close to its formula, other games have since distilled the giant robot experience into different formats that give people more of what they like about massive humanoid-shaped robots.
  5. GameZone
    62
    The graphics didn’t push the PS2 hardware and reminded me of a Dreamcast game instead of a PS2 game. The story mode will have you confused and might even bring on a headache.
  6. Cheat Code Central
    60
    With gigantic fighting robots and fast-paced, streamlined, arcade action, Virtual-On Marz makes the perfect game for beginners and vets alike looking for some straight-ahead mindless fun.
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  7. Deeko
    60
    I’ve had fortune cookies that have told better tales and I’ve had better gameplay experiences with a yoyo.
  8. Play Magazine
    58
    Hardcore fans will probably be let down by Marz's lack of focus compared to previous entries, and newcomers will probably be put off by its initially very curious control style. [Nov 2003, p.81]
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  9. PSM Magazine
    50
    For a game in which high-speed dashing and keeping the enemy in sight at all times is critical, this crippled control and decreased speed detracts from gameplay. [Jan 2004, p.48]
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  10. Game Informer
    50
    Avoid this game like you would a laser beam to the head. [Dec 2003, p.150]
  11. PSX Nation
    50
    A fun and decent (albeit shallow and simplistic) way for Sega fanboys to blow steam and reminisce about their favorite developer’s glory days. Renting Marz, however, is the safest (and cheapest) way to get the most of what this PS2 title has to offer.
  12. IGN
    48
    Until it can become a deeper two-player or four-player online game with a dedicated twin stick peripheral (a cost most publishers naturally abhore), there is no good logical reason to buy this huge disappointment.
  13. 1UP
    40
    This could have been the best Virtual-On ever, and instead it's easily the worst.
  14. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    40
    The pace has been slowed to attract a broader audience, but the end result is combat that's sluggish and boring. Even the quickest and most agile virtuaroid drags its feed in comparison to its arcade counterparts. [Jan 2004, p.130]
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  15. GMR Magazine
    40
    This game gets almost every design decision wrong and looks like hell on top of that. [Jan 2004, p.91]
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User Reviews

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User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 1 more rating

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 1 out of 3
  1. nullsolaris
    Jun 27, 2018
    4
    This game should be decent. It's not.
    It's slow to the point of agony and attacks are a lot lamer and it just feels like a dramatic step back    This game should be decent. It's not.
    It's slow to the point of agony and attacks are a lot lamer and it just feels like a dramatic step back from the previous game. Almost all of the wild intensity of the first two games is gone.

    The big issue is that he missions largely suck.
    VO wasn't designed for the larger, more action game style stages, and the slower pace and worse weapons make the 2v2 and 1v1 matches you encounter much, much worse.

    The VR selection is a bit lame. There's like a half dozen clones of Temjin, none of them interesting.
    The leader/partner system is poorly thought out, a hold over from VO:Force in the arcade, which this game takes its mechanics from.
    Faster VRs like Fei-Yen are much more enjoyable to play as... except unlocking any of the machines you want is a slog, and all of the interesting units are rare.
    For the most part, you have to defeat a certain amount of a given VR to obtain it. There is the hidden Guarayakha, who requires you to beat the story on hard mode.

    The music is okay... except the menu tune is this lifelessly cheery thing that blares out in an almost tuneless way. It's hard to describe just how bad it is.
    You're going to hear a lot of it.

    There's an arcade-like mode that's basically Virtual On: Force but not quite. The nice thing is that you can pick a fast VR right out of the gate and almost enjoy yourself. The not-so-nice thing is the hideously annoying mid boss, that was originally the final boss of Force. It's pretty hard and is pretty heavy on memorization of what attacks you have hit hardest for when it's vulnerable, what attack it's going to do at the given amount of health it has, and if you try to keep it in your view, you're dramatically more likely to get hit. That last one's an issue with bosses in the series in general, but it's particularly bad here.

    There are some different control options -- one more optimized for newcomers that's designed more around the larger environments and the lot. I'm not a fan. There's another other option, which is more like the previous game, Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram on the Dreamcast. It works pretty well for me, but it's not a great option for a game like this. It's not a fundamental issue, with some changes (like improving manual turning), it could work, but Marz insists on following the poor mechanics used in Force and way overextending them to missions that they don't work in.

    The story is kinda dumb. At least Hatter is hilarious. A fair bit of the plot is unintentionally funny, too.
    Otherwise, it's just not well written at all.

    Load times are garbage. Selecting a VR to use requires the game loading the model, which takes FOREVER. Loading each match takes forever too. It's just a mess.

    The graphics are nice, at least. A lot of people have complained about them, but the game is a fair bit more detailed than Oratorio Tangram. They're not amazing, but they're a solid improvement from the series' previous console outing. Shame there's no 480p mode.
    I also like the mech designs a lot.

    Overall, it kinda sucks. Newcomers will hate it. Series fans will be disappointed in it. It's a worse version of Virtual On: Force, and that game already has issues.    … Full Review »
  2. chrisx213
    Oct 4, 2014
    9
    While not quite as good as it's prequel( VO Ontario Tangram) on the dreamcast Virtual on Marz is a good game made better by it's lengthyWhile not quite as good as it's prequel( VO Ontario Tangram) on the dreamcast Virtual on Marz is a good game made better by it's lengthy single player campaign. It's a unique take on the fighting genre where the camera follows directly behind you, which means multilayer is split screen. If you don't have friends to play with this makes Marz the better choice over VOOT. Having the twin sticks on the controller allows you to play with the original twin stick control scheme, although I prefer the default control scheme(pro-tip: stop completely before rotating with the right stick you'll move faster) My only complaints are changes in color schemes of the mechs, how ridiculously long it takes to unlock new mechs in the single player, a less interesting arcade mode and switching my favorite character to his alternate vehicle mode.… Full Review »
  3. KevinA.
    Dec 14, 2003
    10
    Crazy graphics, awesome gameplay, GREAT GAME!!!