Mars: War Logs Reviews
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The bottom line with Mars: War Logs, is that the game fits the (budget title) label to a T. It's as if you're playing a Mass Effect game, only one that had about 1/10th of the budget and polish of a real Mass Effect game. If you like developing your character and participating in fun combat, then you will find some fun here for the 14 or so hours it lasts. However, if you're looking for a compelling story, interesting characters and exciting locations, you're not going to find that here. I had to force myself to finish it and near the end I really wasn't enjoying myself too much.
Verdict: The combat is fun, but you'll really be missing a story or any reason at all to keep playing. Skip it.
Softpedia, 6/10, echoes similar criticism, although they're harsher on the combat.
Mars: War Logs is a game that costs 20 dollars or Euro and at that price point, it might be a good purchase for players who enjoy its combat and can accept a lower quality level than that seen in AAA releases.
PCGMedia, 4/5, is far more positive though this writer too notes the "quirks" that are typical of a low-budget title.
Unlike Mass Effect'˜s Commander Shepard who, if you pick a mix of good and evil options over the course of your playthrough becomes a completely inconsistent and unbelievable (neutral) character Roy Temperance's different dialogue choices are all quite consistent and you won't second guess the dialogue options you make. AAA titles could actually learn from this game, some side-quests can have drastically different endings. Get your escort killed? It won't give you a giant (Quest Failed) option, you complete the objective regardless, get your experience reward and you're put on your way. Want to start a riot in the prison to help you escape? Or do you want to prevent the riot to gain favor with the guards? While some of these choices aren't so lasting, some make quite a bit of difference to how some characters view Roy and they even change his young friend's attitude to life as well.
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I think Mars: War Logs is a good case study for RPG design and should be explored if you've got 10 hours to spare and can appreciate both indie and classic role playing games. While I don't believe the it should have had voice acting at all (perhaps placing the budget into things like translation and quest content would have been a better choice), Spiders have managed to produce a game with a lot of things that plenty of popular RPG titles are missing: charm, love, and a good focus on both combat and branching story. While it may be hard to get used to the iffy translations and voice acting, you've got an action RPG that has a great brawler/beat .m up foundation. What you have here is a game that was made with a lot of love and passion, but was cut quite a bit short of perfection due to budget restraints and the need to please fans.
Hardcore Gamer, 3/5.
As a whole, Mars: War Logs is a game well worth checking out for RPG fans and, at only twenty dollars, there's no reason not to. Although frustrating at times, the developers' ambition puts it above other indie RPGs which seem happy to settle for less considering their price. With a slightly bigger budget, Mars: War Logs could have been a great game, yet as it stands, it comes out as a mixed bag. There is great potential here for a franchise, however, and the only way to go is up as Spider Studios will hopefully iron out the flaws with the game for future releases. Flaws and all, there are worse ways to spend your money if Mars: War Logs has piqued your curiosity.
