Deliver Us Mars Reviews
A rousing mystery brought to life by a great voice cast and nuanced character writing can't really save Deliver Us Mars from its shortcomings.
A serious display of sci-fi storytelling talent, even if the production falls short of space age.
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.
In terms of difficulty, it felt well-balanced. For someone smarter than me - and with good reflexes - aspects of it may feel too easy, but I found it well pitched. I struggled in a couple of areas but was able to overcome the challenges with a little practice and time. My only real complaint was that a couple of the puzzles were a little difficult due to me struggling to spot the colour differences in some beams that indicated if the power was too low, too high, or just right. However, this is a very minor thing, and I played a beta version, so there’s still a chance for things to change.
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.
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 is not a game that invents the wheel or surprises. If you played Deliver Us The Moon, its DNA remains intact. But between the new setting and the story, it is uncovered as an adventure that knows how to entertain and will catch you until the end, partly also because of its ability to recreate the atmosphere of the red planet with success.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Deliver Us Mars is a decent narrative adventure, even with a fairly unmemorable story and some dull characters. The puzzles were simple enough and the beautiful environments were enough to make me want to keep going. Some control quirks and unpleasant character models did bog the experience down slightly, however. This game isn't bad to the point that I'd want to blast it into the sun, but it has enough quirks that it never fully reaches the stars like it should.
Deliver Us Mars goes beyond the moon in its intention to become a trilogy.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Deliver Us Mars is a small studio's notable attempt at bringing something new to their fledgling franchise.
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.
A thoughtful exploration of humanity's will to survive, Deliver Us Mars marries big, planet-sized problems with gripping, interpersonal drama - and pleasingly tactile platforming. The only disappointment is its rather rote puzzles.
Deliver Us Mars is engaging enough, and flinging yourself around Mars with a pickaxe is a great deal of fun. However, its puzzle-solving becomes dull far too quickly, while its serviceable story is hurt by jarringly animated and voiced characters. This isn’t a game I’ll go back to in a hurry, but as a six-hour distraction, there are worse ways to spend a day.
Deliver Us Mars explores what it means to struggle against extinction, and the hope of fixing a dying planet. It's a story of fear, and how it manifests into hope within some, and wrath within others. It's a short but certainly sweet narrative adventure into the stars with some casual yet amusing puzzles to help break up the flow of gameplay.
Deliver Us Mars is decent enough but lacks the focus and narrative strengths that made the last game such a joy.
Deliver Us Mars is a sequel that follows in the wake of the previous title. Excellent narrative and environmental puzzles functional to the story, but it is a game without novelties and with absolutely mediocre cutscenes, animations and polygonal models.
Review in Italian | Read full review
With an excellent and mature story going over current themes, Deliver Us Mars is the game to get for those looking to be immersed in a believable and personal space opera. While the gameplay is a definite improvement over that of its predecessor, the simplicity of some puzzles (which often feel like a distraction from the story), the excessive linearity, and the many technical issues prevent the game by KeokeN Interactive from being a proper masterpiece.
After a rocky start, Deliver Us the Moon ended up being an adventure game success, and Deliver Us Mars will not disappoint fans of the first game. It tells an interesting and sometimes surprising story and delivers an awe-inspiring Red Planet. Some unrefined mechanics and gamified puzzles carry over from its predecessor, but overall Deliver Us Mars is a genuine step forward for the franchise.
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, 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.