Deliver Us The Moon was a solitary journey for the protagonist, tasked with solving an energy crisis caused by an unidentified problem on the Moon. You were practically alone during the entire adventure and the story was told through holograms that were around and some documents that had to be read. The filmed sequences were few and quite limited and the rest of the human beings were practically absent. In any case, the game must have sold quite well, considering that Interactive KeokeN managed to find a publisher for the sequel, which comes with not only a bigger marketing campaign, but also higher production values, which translate into a large number of films and a richer and more varied cast of characters, as well as a constant present on the scene. The resulting experience is extremely different in terms of atmosphere and the story itself, as we will see in the Deliver Us Mars Review.
Basic game systems
Kathy Johanson's adventure begins with a flashback of her as a child swimming with her sister. This is the classic introductory sequence that accompanies us to the discovery of essential game systems, between basic controls and environmental interactions. It is also the way in which the Deetman brothers, the authors, introduce us to the main theme of the adventure, that is, the relationship between the protagonist, her father Isaac Johanson and, more marginally, her sister, a relationship that will be the theme of numerous flashbacks over the course of the approximately nine hours it takes to reach the end of the game. The different ambitions of Deliver Us Mars compared to Deliver Us The Moon are also evident in the length of the introduction: while in the previous title the arrival on the Moon was quite quick, here there is a large introductory section, divided into different sequences that precede the Martian mission.
Thus, in the first three hours of the game we learn how Isaac stole three Arks, that is, three large ships equipped with extremely advanced technology that should be able to save the Earth from the ecological disaster that is destroying all forms of life, to bring back above Mars, we meet other characters, who will accompany us for the rest of the game, and we are introduced to all the main systems, including the two fundamental to the experience, as well as the most fun: the alignment system of the MPT Antennas, which are used to give you energy to the various systems with which we will find ourselves operating, whether it is the opening of simple doors or the gigantic energy supply devices of the Arks; and the wall climbing system, which avoids the automatisms of the different Uncharted and Tomb Raider and focuses on greater physicality, which translates into more active participation on the part of the player. But let's go in order.
Storytelling at the center of everything
The intro also stands out for another reason: it shows the developers' love for space exploration, much more than what they managed to do in Deliver Us The Moon. As? For example, recreating the launch sequence of a space rocket, the Zephyr, making the player experience it first-hand through a series of unique actions, that is, placing him in front of the control panel to perform the operations necessary to the exit, including the release of the modules once they have passed the atmosphere. In its simplicity (actions are guided and you can only interact with the required commands), the sequence of actions the player is asked to perform is particularly evocative and conveys well the importance, almost the solemnity, of the moment.
Something like this will also be found in a very advanced section of the game, but the game is undoubtedly the moment in which we are most strongly asked to share the protagonist's emotion for the journey, also because it is experienced with a strong sense of detachment and comes after a series of narratively important events, which provide the proper motivation for theidentification. Of course, here we can see how Deliver Us Mars is an incredibly linear and guided adventure, but in reality its weight is not felt too much, given the importance that is immediately given to the story, which is also very good. He said. After all, the narrative is the fulcrum of the entire experience, and the authors have decided to give the player a more marginal role, as a simple witness to the internal drama that Kathy lives throughout the adventure and that will find its fulfillment in the end. . .
La history itself is handled in a fairly classic way, using filmed sequences and holograms, as happened in Deliver Us The Moon. The latter are linked to a deciphering minigame, in which you essentially have to position Ayla, Kathy's capsule that follows her everywhere, to align three pieces of a circle, connected to movements in the X, Y and Z. In the various environments there are also items that need to be scanned to obtain general information (machinery, particularly interesting objects, etc.) and some documents, in particular dialogues recorded on tablets. There are also collectible items, such as comics, that serve as extra content and encourage you to explore the environments more carefully.
Cut, scale and use your brain.
As mentioned, there are essentially two main game systems, to which others are tied. In general, the developers have tried to make the role played perfectly consistent with the narrative. Kathy is not a warrior and she doesn't fight. She is equipped with a wrist laser with which she can cut metal objects (only those decided by design), wears a suit with a limited amount of oxygen, which recharges every time you enter a building, and carries two ice axes with her from scaled, which he uses to climb and descend some walls (climbable surfaces are always easily distinguished). The system itself is designed to make climbing more "physical" compared to other titles in the genre, giving the player control of both of Kathy's arms, which can be moved one at a time to find the best holds and which They have autonomous entrances.
By the way, leaving both buttons connected to the arms causes the protagonist to fall. In this way, the player almost feels the weight of the action he is performing and finds himself gripping the controller tightly as if by releasing it he would suffer the same fate as the protagonist. Therefore, the feeling of danger remains constant and the player is motivated to keep his attention high on what he is doing during the climb. It should be noted that the gameplay never abuses this system, maintaining its coherent and measured use until the end of the game, although it periodically introduces small variations, sometimes almost imperceptible. However, don't expect Deliver Us Mars to become very difficult or impossible, because that is not its purpose. The challenge is in a certain sense functional to the narrative and serves primarily to make people perceive the danger of the mission, rather than blocking the player.
The same thing happens with the other fundamental system, namely, theMPT Antenna Alignment, which basically requires connecting power beams to generators, using splitters and diverters to be able to give the device to activate exactly the amount of power it needs. If you've played The Talos Principle you more or less know what to expect, although it must be said that in Deliver Us Mars there are never moments where the puzzles become difficult to the point of blocking the player for more than a few minutes. , where the Croteam title became extremely complicated in the later stages. Let's say that to find the solution to the puzzles, between screens to raise, walls to overcome and generators to activate in a certain sequence, you don't need much more than a good spirit of observation. These puzzles also have the purpose of making Ayla's presence more active, which we can send into ducts in search of out-of-the-way devices, or position some in points that Kathy can't reach.
We also mention the presence of a drivable rover, but only because it is shown in some videos and images. Let's say that it is actually a little exploited feature, since it is essentially used to move around, but without obstacles or risks. Just follow the path to get to your destination... also because if you don't and try to detour, they will immediately put you back in line. Probably if the trips had been automatic they would not have allowed us to admire the surface of Mars recreated by the developers. Of course, they could have been made more interesting.
Technical considerations
From the point of view technical Deliver Us Mars is a good title for its price range and production level. Let's say that it renders very well in landscapes and in some details, such as control panels or character suits, while it is much poorer in 3D human models, in some cases very rough, and especially in animations, a fact that is especially noticeable in some filmed sequences. In any case, the game usually produces really beautiful landscapes that can be admired with pleasure and in general the visual style is very appropriate to the genre and gives the feeling of being in a remote and inhospitable place. The soundtrack, however, is excellent, full of ambient sounds and adorned with songs by composer Sander Van Zanten, which accompany with great conviction the most dramatic moments of the game, giving it great expressive force.
Conclusions
Tested version PC with Windows digital delivery Steam, epic games store, playstation store, Xbox Store, Windows Store Price 29,99 € Holygamerz.com 8.0 Readers (17) 6.7 your voteDeliver Us Mars is an adventure worth experiencing, perhaps net of excessive linearity and some imperfections probably due to the enormous ambition of telling a story that goes from Earth to Mars, without making too many compromises. In its playful essence it remains very effective, despite relegating the player to a rather marginal position. After all, even games considered beacons of the medium do it, so why blame KeokeN? If you are intrigued by the idea of living a science fiction story centered on the relationship of a father with his daughter, then put on your helmet because a rocket is about to take off.
PRO
- Interesting from start to finish
- The climbing system works very well.
- It flows without overwhelming the player.
AGAINST
- Some not so good animation
- very linear
- The rover is a little underutilized.
