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Mars: War Logs, the debut title from Spiders, a studio formed by former Monte Cristo developers, offers a sci-fi RPG experience set on a war-torn Mars in a distant future. This budget-friendly title offers a classic RPG experience, reminiscent of older Western RPGs, but falls short in several areas. This review explores the strengths and weaknesses of this Martian adventure.

alt text describing image – Mars: War Logs gameplay showing a character in combat

Classic RPG Elements Shine Through

Mars: War Logs successfully delivers a classic RPG experience, comparable to many indie titles and even some mobile games. The game’s narrative and gameplay are well-developed, incorporating many beloved elements of Western RPGs. Players follow Roy, the protagonist, as the story unfolds through main and side quests, conversations, and player choices.

Spiders strikes a good balance between action and dialogue, preventing the game from becoming overly combat-focused or bogged down in lengthy conversations. Player choices in dialogues have tangible consequences, unlocking valuable information, side quests, and rewards such as items, experience points, skills, and weapons.

alt text describing image – Dialogue options in Mars: War Logs

While character creation isn’t as in-depth as some traditional RPGs, Mars: War Logs features a detailed level-based experience and skill system. This system has a noticeable impact on combat and requires careful planning from players due to limited skill points. The scarcity of experience points and the limited number of enemies and side quests later in the game necessitate strategic skill allocation. This classic approach to character progression appeals to veteran RPG players, offering a more rewarding and thoughtful experience compared to some modern RPGs.

Narrative and Gameplay Shortcomings

Despite its strengths, Mars: War Logs falls short when compared to other full-fledged PC games. The narrative and gameplay lack depth, diminishing the overall experience. While the game features numerous quests and choices, they often feel disconnected from the main storyline, resulting in a fragmented narrative. Spiders attempts to portray the war between factions fighting over water resources on Mars through cinematic storytelling, but the execution feels forced.

For example, the initial focus on the character Innocence abruptly shifts to Roy for a rather trivial reason, making the transition feel contrived. Players end up knowing more about supporting characters like Innocence than the protagonist, Roy, whose background remains largely unexplored.

alt text describing image – Mars: War Logs gameplay screenshot showing combat

The combat system leans heavily towards RPG elements, restricting direct control to melee weapons. Ranged weapons, grenades, and mines function as activated skills, similar to many online RPGs. This system feels somewhat clunky, especially given the fast-paced nature of the combat, which contrasts with the slower pace of traditional RPGs. This can lead to frustrating moments during combat encounters.

Subpar Graphics and Audio

Spiders developed their own SilkEngine, built upon Sony’s PhyreEngine. However, the SilkEngine is not optimized for powerful PCs and visually falls short of expectations. The graphics are comparable to handheld consoles like the PS Vita or some demanding mobile games, but not modern PC titles.

alt text describing image – Mars: War Logs character model closeup

Visual flaws include environmental lighting clipping through character models in dark scenes, simplistic textures resulting in shiny character models, and large, blocky dust effects instead of finer particle effects. The overuse of blur effects attempts to mask graphical shortcomings, creating an illusion of visual fidelity that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.

alt text describing image – Mars: War Logs in-game environment

While Mars: War Logs features a substantial amount of voice acting, it is repetitive and often stiff, failing to convey character emotions effectively. This makes characters feel lifeless and robotic, further detracting from the overall experience.

Conclusion

Mars: War Logs offers a classic RPG experience with a unique Martian setting, a compelling skill system, and a blend of action and dialogue. However, it’s hampered by a fragmented narrative, a clunky combat system, and subpar graphics and audio. While it can be an enjoyable experience for those seeking a budget-friendly RPG, its shortcomings prevent it from reaching its full potential.