Title: Deliver Us Mars
Type of Game: Adventure, Puzzle, Sci-Fi
Developer: KeokeN Interactive
Publisher: Frontier Foundry
Released: February 2, 2023
Platforms Available: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC
Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 5
Level of Maturity: Teen (T)
Reading Time: 6 minutes
I recently got my hands on the sequel to the exciting Delivery Us the Moon (2018), which takes us to Mars and continues the original story, which was very marginal, and only with this installment did the authors manage to come up with a decent script. If you’re considering this game, I recommend watching some gameplay or playing the original game to make the transition as smooth as possible and keep the story in your head, even if it’s unnecessary.
I have yet to play Deliver Us The Moon as I’m not interested in it yet, but after playing Deliver Us Mars, I will change that as well. But let’s take it one step at a time. Given the real-world developments, the prospect of space exploration and colonization is becoming more and more common. The game under review is about Mars -where we’re not likely to go right away, but that moon might have already been done in this century. But back to the review.
Red Planet Rendezvous: Kathy’s Quest Begins
Mars sent a distress signal, and our adventure began. The story’s protagonist, Kathy Johannson, takes her ship, the Zephyr, to the red planet to solve the mystery. Over time, she discovers that a mysterious company called the Outward has stolen the A.R.K. colony ships crucial for populating the planets. Fans of the previous installment will appreciate the return of mechanical companion A.S.E., who will assist throughout the story.
Logic and Laser: Puzzles and Platforming
If you’ve played Delivery Us to Moon, a lot of people were disappointed with the game time from what I’ve heard; here, you can look forward to roughly double that, about 8-12 hours, but of course, it will depend on how well you can complete the logic puzzles. As I mentioned at the beginning, Kathy sets off to Mars to solve a mystery but secretly hopes she might also find her father, who abandoned them for unknown reasons. Claire, Syrah Ryaen, and her mechanical sidekick A.S.E. (drone) accompany her on this journey.
After landing on the planet, plenty of logic puzzles and challenges keep the story moving forward. The logic tasks, often like puzzles of varying difficulty, sometimes give you a real hard time. On the other hand, the skill challenges will have you finding loopholes and paths with your drone, laser cutting parts of objects and stacking them up to set a path to traverse or, more often than not, jump over. Jumping and climbing is one of the main focuses of this gameplay. Rest assured that your ice axe will be chopping into rocks far more often than into enemies’ skulls.
Gameplay Grit: Mastering the Martian Terrain
This is where you’ll especially appreciate playing on a gamepad on consoles like I did on the PlayStation 5. There are times when the controls will annoy you, not with the difficulty, but with the controls themselves, which is a little annoying, but it’s nothing that I minded too much. What I’d like to add is that the game can be played in three modes: resolution mode with 30fps and higher resolution, Raytraced with 30fps and average resolution but as the name suggests with raytracing on, and lastly, performance mode with steady 60fps with which I also played the game and in my opinion, this is the most enjoyable way to play this game on a console.
Stunning Yet Scarred: The Martian Landscape
If you’re not jumping, you’re moving around a well-crafted red-planet landscape. You won’t just be walking; you’ll also be riding rovers. When the sandstorms start, you’ll be treated to beautiful graphics. During your adventure, you will find many places where your chin will drop very low. However, only some things are handled as this interesting game deserves. This is where the more minor team and budget are felt the most. Bugs and glitches will appear in every game, and one would understand it, but there are some weirdly empty spaces here. The “city” itself is lifeless, and that’s a bit of a bummer.
A Real Taste of Space
On the other hand, you’ll appreciate, for example, the ship controls, where you’ll set the start step by step, which feels incredibly believable. I played this part of the game twice. I felt like I was driving a spaceship.
Conclusion
Here, we have a somewhat linear game with a good story and lots of jumping and climbing. All this is complemented by the attractive Martian setting and the authors’ efforts to capture the atmosphere of the place. Weaker characters might even shed a tear, as the story occurs almost in a family circle, and some decisions get you. Give Deliver Us Mars a play; it’s short and even better priced than the A.A.A. games. My tip, though, is to play the predecessor beforehand. May you enjoy your expedition to Mars.
Where to Buy Deliver Us Mars?
Steam (PC): Available for $29.99. You can purchase it directly from Steam.
Xbox Store (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One): Available for $29.99. Check it out on the Xbox Store.
PlayStation Store (PS5, PS4): Available for $29.99. You can find it on the PlayStation Store.
Epic Games Store (PC): Available for $29.99. Purchase it from the Epic Games Store.
Official Page: Visit the official Deliver Us Mars page for more information.
Subreddit: Join the discussion on the Deliver Us Mars Subreddit.
