Mars: War Logs

The game does run on Windows 11. At least it does so on my PC. Out of the box. In case it matters, I've used the "offline installer", I don't use Galaxy. While playing, I've noticed a small, yellow part, that looked like a pixelated line of text in the upper right corner. Apparently not text but a graphic glitch, exclusive to AMD GPU's (I didn't experience that on my old PC with AMD GPU and Windows 7). There is an easy fix available. Just download "DXVK" (v2.3.1) the tar.gz file, open it and copy the "d3d9.dll" from the "x32" folder to the game folder. Problem solved. As for the game, while not great, I think it's a really good game. To give you an idea, originally I just wanted to test, if it really doesn't run on Windows 11, but ended up playing through it. Both paths (I saved before choosing one). It's not too long nor too complicated. You have 2 skill trees in the beginning and a third one will open, once you leave the "prison camp". When you level up, you'll get 2 skill points and 1 perk point. Each skill/skill upgrade, cost one skill point, while the cost for perks increase with each upgrade. Some perks are "free", you'll earn them based on your behavior (e.g. if you kill enemies or just "knock them out"). The combat focus on melee (weapon attack, push/kick, dodge and block). The nailgun works like a skill and not like a gun in a shooter. There are also some "Technomancer" skills, like shield, arc, shockwave or adding electric damage to the melee weapon (which is quite useful). Further the game got some basic crafting (potions, armor and weapon upgrades), possible companions and some romance options, which will grant 5000xp for successful mating (one time only, monogamy ftw). The writing is alright and so is the voice acting. Some interesting side quests (like solving a murder case) too. I'd recommend it, if you like a rather simple RPG with melee combat and some spells (skills) that doesn't cost much money nor too much time to finish.

This game is actually really good provided you are decent enough not to count on your followers doing anything but getting stuck on some wall. Quests are fun and if you don't forget about upgrading your armor and weapons you will enjoy the playthrough a lot. I sure did!

Because that's what you'll get with this game. Not that I want to completely deride Mars because you can definitely find some good fun here as long as you lower your expectations going in. I quite like the world setting and the characters, but the story progression and quick change in character motivation/action can be a bit laughable at times. There's romance options to be had, but they're so trivial they could have just as easily omitted them. The voice acting is so-so and the combat has some obvious rough edges. Even so, surprisingly Mars is more than the sum of its parts. Enjoyable but forgettable.

The problem with Mars: War Logs is that every part of it has been done better by another game. Spiders tried to build a character driven, somewhat reactive, slightly open-word RPG around a melee-focused third person action game. If you are looking for that specific experience, Mars works. The Witcher 1 and 2 work a better. There are numerous others, including the "sequel" to Mars. I recommend The Technomancer instead of Mars. It is a similar game but more polished. It is set in the same game world as Mars but is not a direct sequel. You can also find many high quality reviews for The Technomancer. If you must try Mars, here are some things to expect. The combat is similar to Piranha Bytes games but deeper and more reliable. It has a tactical menu where the game is nearly paused and you can use various items, including a gun and explosives, and several spells; this is a good feature. However, the actual melee combat lacks the polish of better third person action games. The biggest fault is probably the enemies. They block and dodge well enough and feel appropriately aggressive, but their challenge, even on Extreme difficulty, relies almost entirely on hp/damage scaling and sheer numbers. One on one, even the toughest enemies in the game, especially the ranged units, usually cannot connect a single attack even if you just run around randomly. You can use stealth mechanics to reduce the number of enemies before a fight, which is neat, but it can be finnicky and is not nearly as fleshed out as games with serious stealth mechanics. The characters have well characterized moments, but all except Mary are not memorable. Even the main character left me scratching my head at the end as to who he was. The story feels very disjointed, especially between chapters. Often shit just happens outside of the MC's experience, and he is dropped in the middle of it. At the end, the only satisfaction I got was being together with Mary. This diamond, if that, is too rough.

If you've played other Spider titles, it's evident that this was an early effort by the team. The game feels a bit short, with enemies becoming repetitive at times, and some gameplay mechanics feel outdated. However, the rich universe and the unfolding story keep me engaged. In summary, it's a fun game with room for improvement.