Deliver Us Mars

Deliver Us Mars is breathtaking in terms of presentation and the underrated but extremely talented cast helps to bring the characters to life. While some of the puzzle mechanics can become repetitive, the detailed and layered story keeps you pressing forward. The sound design also plays a key part in the thick atmosphere delivered by KoekN Interactive, and wearing a headset will fully immerse you in the universe of Deliver Us Mars. A charming and unique game with a compact and deep narrative.

Deliver Us Mars needs polish, and despite adding some extra gameplay elements and a little more freedom over its predecessor, it's still not a gamers' game. However, the story and epic setpieces make up for it.

Deliver Us The Moon was an excellent first step in living up to that mission statement and releasing a sci-fi game not to be forgotten anytime soon. Now, Deliver Us Mars builds from that success with far greater ambition in mind. Yet even with its sights set on new, lofty heights, outside of a few technical hiccups, it undoubtedly manages to stick the landing against all odds. It’s an absolute must-play for fans of the genre and the future couldn’t be brighter for the team of overachieving indie devs in the Netherlands.

Deliver Us Mars is that rare, beautiful thing: a successful sequel which not only builds on its predecessor but enhances the experience in numerous ways. Sure, more puzzle variety would have been nice. But that’s about the only complaint we can make about this otherwise thrilling, atmospheric deep-space adventure.

Deliver Us Mars is a strongly story-driven adventure, which places great emphasis on the touching narrative sector, capable of making the player think continuously, and on the exploration of a planet full of mysteries: climbing the rocky walls of Mars works but it is the variety in terms of environmental puzzles to be lacking. The visual presentation is solid and, net of some imperfections and some drop in frame rate, embellishes this journey certainly suitable for lovers of the reference genre.

A sequel that’s put in the work to expand its predecessor’s horizons is commendable, but for Deliver Us Mars this doesn’t always work out perfectly. Still, it offers another thrilling adventure for deep-space explorers, with welcome character moments that make it a little less solitary this time around.

Mars itself doesn’t feature as much as it probably should, but this is made up for by engaging characters, purposeful traversal, and a heartfelt message. [Issue#25, p.77]

Ultimately, Deliver Us Mars is a walking simulator that wants to be more than it is and does not understand that small changes are not enough to reinvent the wheel. Despite that, it remains a pleasant enough experience that players can finish in about 8 hours, yet one that does not beckon you back for more.

Deliver Us Mars is an easy game to recommend to those looking for a captivating and well-told story, but at the same time it's weighed down by significant gameplay and technical issues.

Deliver Us Mars is heavily focused on story and exploration, both of which it does fairly well. It’s no thrill-a-minute blockbuster, but fans of the first game will find a lot to like here.

Deliver Us Mars is another engaging science fiction tale with something to say about our modern world. This message is wrapped in a more personal story this time around, that’s bolder in how it tells it, and mixes it well with broader action and puzzling, so it’s just a shame that the game can’t match that ambition with some technical weaknesses even on the latest consoles.

Deliver Us Mars, the latest Deetman brothers project, channels the same heart that started beating in Deliver Us The Moon, even if it takes a great deal more effort to get to it. You need to slog through some cumbersome and at times downright frustrating gameplay, but I promise you the premise and ending make it worth your while.

Deliver Us Mars has an entrancing sci-fi story that will keep you thinking long after the credits roll. There are a few little issues, such as a boring climbing mechanic and frame rate drops on Earth, but with some fantastic voice acting it's easy to get really invested in the characters and the fate of humanity. The simple puzzles do a good job at giving your brain a little workout while never being so taxing that they slow down the pace of the action. Overall, this is a great follow-up that delivers a compelling sci-fi narrative.

Deliver Us Mars tells an intriguing story, but its gameplay is lackluster and the experience on PS5 is plagued by some technical issues that prevent if from being way more enjoyable than it actually is.

Deliver Us Mars’ protagonists quickly cobble together a space shuttle that barely manages to get them to their destination. A similar story feels true of this game. A gripping narrative fuels gameplay that otherwise feels functional but underbaked, making my time on the planet a mixed bag. Deliver Us Mars shines best when it lets you absorb its story, but expect to stumble over several design craters along the way.

I wish I could sing the praises of this game, but the flaws were a little too frequent to ignore. The narrative is strong but the delivery of it often flounders, despite the convincing voice acting of some of the cast. Some puzzles fit right into the world and add to the immersion, while some feel like banging your head against a wall as you endure them. The environments are often stunning, but the shine is taken away when travelling through them reveals pop-in and an overuse of invisible walls. It feels like a game that’s almost there, and I wish it had stuck the landing.

A sequel that unravels the series' story with increased characters on the new planet. Except for the poor character modeling, which has a plenty of room for improvement, the game will deliver a memorable experience for those who would like to go on a story driven journey to Mars on their weekend.

Deliver Us Mars delivers a thoughtful, poignant story with deep characters, pretty landscapes, and well-done puzzles. However, there are always two sides to every coin. The linearity didn’t do the environments justice, the puzzles felt too sparse and easy, and the character animations were much too odd.

Deliver Us Mars goes beyond the moon in its intention to become a trilogy.

Sadly, Deliver Us Mars could barely get us to the planet of Mars itself, let alone deliver it. It’s a shame that a game that was already delayed once for further polishing still came out so rough. The constant frame drops, screen tears, glitches, and poor animation rendering are only the cherry on top of inconsistent puzzles and terrible lighting. There is something special underneath all that jankiness, though, with a focus on engaging storytelling and increased verticality (compared to Deliver Us The Moon). Still, KeokeN just couldn’t land this one right.

Deliver us Mars is a highly ambitious game but simply does not provide a payoff. I would only recommend playing it if you feel sentimental towards its predecessor, and even then I think currently only frustration will be waiting for you. You might say having read this that I should not have given the game the score I did, however I can see what they wanted to do with it, but also I can see what they failed to.

In attempting to emulate the cinematic aesthetic of many narrative-driven triple-A games, Deliver Us Mars lost a lot of what made Deliver Us The Moon work. Instead of a charming indie, we’re left with a disappointing wannabe. There’s an interesting story in here that’s able to shine through the dust occasionally, alongside some gorgeous vistas and wonderful sci-fi imagery, but if we get a third entry in the series, I hope it returns to its roots instead of trying to be something it’s not. Bigger isn’t always better.