Jupiter & Mars

Jupiter & Mars presents a sincere restoration of the radical environmentalism that permeated pop culture in the early 90's. Steering its pair of dolphins through a neon post-human wonderland measures against its persistent undercurrent of despair and culpability. Jupiter & Mars lets players smile at what's left while scowling at the wreckage we're doomed to leave behind.

I found Jupiter and Mars to be a thrilling and thoughtful experience. It clearly communicates an important message and manages to be equally fun and charming. For the approximately five hours it took to reach the end credits, I was absorbed by impressive visuals and a weighty narrative. I came away with complicated feelings, and I can tell that was intentional.

Following the journey of two neon colored dolphins, Jupiter & Mars is a well made underwater experience that also comes with a good message about protecting the future of the oceans in some interesting ways as well.

In its current state, I can only recommend Jupiter & Mars for play in 2D, for those who were looking to exclusively play the title through PSVR, I recommend holding off till a sale.

Travelling through underwater relics left by mankind before they left Earth is a compelling experience, thanks to great environmental storytelling enhanced by stunning art direction. However, tedious and repetitive gameplay throughout the 5-hour journey makes this experience feel like a good story poorly written.

Jupiter & Mars is the kind of game you need to go into completely aware of what to expect. Its gameplay and narrative are likely a bit too shallow for newcomers to take the plunge, but those in the mood for a chill ocean exploration experience will definitely find some enjoyment here.

Yet this game lingers somehow when you're not playing. [Issue#332, p.123]

Jupiter And Mars has good intentions to educate against the havoc pollution and global warming are causing to our ecosystem, unfortunately, good intentions do not compensate for occasionally boring gameplay and uninspiring levels.

Jupiter & Mars is an enjoyable underwater experience that sadly doesn't push the boat out. The visuals and music mix for a trippy swim through Earth's ruins, but the lack of interactivity makes the journey surprisingly dry. If you're after a relaxed dive through colourful caverns, this might be worth a look, but don't expect it to make a big splash.

If global warming is a problem you think we should fight with dolphins set in a postapocalyptic vision of the world, through the eyes of TRON, then look no further! This is a game for you. For the rest of the gaming crowd, I'm pretty sure you won't find much fun here unless you just wanna relax and dive deep until you inevitably fall to sleep.

Jupiter & Mars may just induce the most motion sickness we've yet to encounter in a VR title to date. Boring gameplay mechanics lead to an altogether forgettable and dull experience. Younger players may enjoy what the game has to offer, but when there are so many other amazing PSVR games out there right now, it's hard to recommend to any but the most die-hard dolphin or neon fanatics.

Jupiter & Mars is indeed a charming game with a useful message about the damage we humans cause to the environment and our planet, but gameplay-wise it unfortunately falls short in almost every way.

A well intentioned attempt to mix Ecco The Dolphin with a more urgent environmental message but the end result Iacks any real excitement or variety.

Jupiter & Mars may only be a few hours long but it feels like a drag. Its message is admirable but swimming through its empty world is tedious. The basic stealth sections, block smashing mechanics, and environmental puzzles simply aren’t a lot of fun and the visuals are too lifeless to make it a world still worth visiting.

J&M was released on Earth Day, and includes information on two nonprofit organizations aiming to preserve the world’s oceans. Between that and its jubilant presentation (aided by a bouncy main theme that briefly fooled me into thinking that the game would be much more enjoyable than it turned out to be) J&M is too well-intentioned to get angry at. Unfortunately, I imagine most players will be too bored to be persuaded by its important message.

While admirable in its intent, Jupiter and Mars' watery wonder is marred by repetitious activities and a lack of detail and direction.