Humanity has a problem. OK, this is nothing new. Keyword climate change and Co. But that’s not what Deliver us Mars is about. Humanity is a bit further here. A distress call is received from Mars and astronaut Kathy Johanson is sent there along with others to bring the ARK colony ships and their technology back to Earth. If not, the fate of mankind is at stake. Don’t put any pressure on!
Ultimately, of course, there is more to it than meets the eye, as Kathy soon finds out for herself after her arrival. Mysterious and unexpected things are happening and you must find out what exactly was responsible for the emergency call. And so begins your quest for answers by first examining the remains of the colony there.
Cautiously, but not without challenges
Story and exploration are the focus of Deliver us Mars. Bit by bit, Kathy finds out what happened here on site. Which also affects her personally, because her father was one of the colonists who lived on Mars. In the sections that I was able to play, what happened unfolded, among other things, via holographic recordings, which on the one hand answer questions, but also come up with new ones.
Gradually everything is put together and you basically cannot miss these recordings at all, as they are displayed prominently in the area. But that’s just one aspect of exploration in Deliver us Mars. You can jump, climb, and crawl, and use them regularly or you won’t get anywhere. You jump over chasms, you have to hook your pickaxes properly into walls suitable for climbing and similar things.
At such moments, the game evokes memories of the modern Tomb Raider games, albeit not quite reaching their production quality. But well, there are probably different budgets behind it. You work your way forward step by step, while floor elements creak or even break away completely below you. Sometimes quick reactions and careful action are required. In addition, you have a faithful companion around you: a drone. You can take control of them and then control them from the first-person perspective. You have to, too, because you need them to solve some puzzles. You enter small shafts that Kathy cannot fit into, press buttons or move objects to solve puzzles.
Puzzles, exploration, story – A good mixture
Based on what I’ve gotten to play so far, it’s a healthy mix of story, puzzles, and environmental exploration. There weren’t any fights and to be honest I didn’t miss it. I’m not sure there needs to be any form of threat here. Climbing and exploring was exciting enough, and even without any enemies, it feels like you’re in a menacing environment.
Deliver us Mars captures the atmosphere well up to this point. What is behind this great mystery? At least I became curious after playing it and would like to know what’s behind all this. And the game mechanics feel interesting enough to carry that story framework. It remains to be seen to what extent this succeeds throughout and to what extent the puzzles may turn out to be brain teasers.
There were still a few hiccups here and there, like I kept falling down in one section during a sequence. It was only on the umpteenth attempt that I managed to hold on to the wall, although I didn’t really feel like I was doing anything differently than before. But that may also be due to the early version I was given to play.
Overall, this looks like a fun affair for sci-fi fans who value story and exploration. There doesn’t seem to be any opponents, but even without them, Deliver us Mars constantly builds up tension as you try to unravel the mystery surrounding the colony ships and the missing people. I hope that the game manages to maintain this tension throughout while also providing variety with its puzzles.
Deliver us Mars will be released on February 2, 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One.
