Today I review a game I first saw during an indie showcase earlier this year grabbed the demo, enjoyed it, and been waiting for release. It is currently in Early Access but I’ve not found any bugs yet.
The best way to describe this game is that it’s an open world sandbox where you get to make your own Martian rover to complete tasks. The only limit to them is the parts you have, your imagination, and rockets.
Gameplay
Gameplay for this is both simple and complicated at once. On the one hand it is just “fetch quests” but on the other hand is how you complete them. You start with a simple tutorial where you just need to pick up a watering can and they give you a simple design to help you get started. Later on you find that the game gives you simple designs whenever it introduces a new element (like claws to help you pick up boxes) however these are always open for you to edit and in fact most of the time you have to redesign them or make them from scratch.
Controls
The game has full controller support and also supports keyboard and mouse. I used my trusty Xbox pad and everything was mapped out perfectly even when the rover had multiple parts that were controller able. These are even highlighted during play in order to help you determine which part you’re about to activate.
Graphics
For the game itself I feel the cell shaded graphics are perfect and the dust being kicked up behind the rover really makes you feel like you’re moving along. The in-game display settings are basic with just resolution, v-sync, anti-alias and shadows which is refreshing over the games that just throw everything at you. There’s also a FOV slider which I found was already in the perfect position.
Audio
The game has basic sounds for the rover, with a mechanical whirr for moving parts and rocket sounds. There is also a musical score that kicks in at times (I haven’t quite found a pattern for this yet) with some boppy electronic tracks which are catchy without distracting you from the game however most of the time it is just you, your rover and the Martian landscape.
Final Thoughts
This is a game I would recommend for anyone who likes Minecraft, Lego, or Kerbal Space Program. Yes it is frustrating at times with some of the puzzles (at time of writing I’m stuck on one where I need to move an oversized trophy from one place to another) but it’s also hilarious with things going wrong, or things that go right but in a completely wrong way.
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