Mars War Logs Makes It Official

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
45,698
1
0
Mars War Logs Makes It Official

Everything you ever wanted to know about Mars War Logs but were afraid to ask can now be found on its handy new website.

Our first look at Mars War Logs came in August of last year by way of a vaguely cool but completely uninformative 43-second glimpse [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/trailers/6161-Mars-War-Logs-Teaser-Trailer] at what appeared to be a cross between Total Recall (the good one) and The Road Warrior. Fortunately for those with a slightly deeper interest in what it's all about, Focus Home Interactive has now launched a proper website that actually talks about the game in a surprising amount of detail.

Mars War Logs takes place on Mars - not much of a surprise there - nearly 100 years after a great catastrophe devastated the planet. As multi-talented adventurer Roy Temperance, you find yourself caught up in a conflict between powerful corporations for the most precious resource on the planet: water. The game will be a "full RPG," with character development coming through combat and non-violent interactions, and plenty of side quests that provide the opportunity to earn experience and learn more about the world in which you're playing. You'll be able to buddy up with various NPCs as you go and maybe even do the BioWare Bop with some of them if you play your cards right, and of course you can guide Roy's development throughout the game however you see fit via three different skill trees and an extensive crafting system.

[gallery=1161]

All of this comes from the official new website, which is to say that it's marketing, so take it for what it's worth. The screenshots give off a distinctly combat-heavy vibe, but that may simply be because pictures of people having meaningful conversations don't always make for the most compelling viewing material. The sci-fi backdrop sounds a bit soft too, although if you're not prepared to gloss over the occasional plot hole or awkward contrivance you're probably in the wrong hobby. I'm certainly intrigued, but I also have a very pronounced bias for European weirdness, which Mars War Logs definitely appears to be - and this "all style and no sense" trailer makes me want to try it even more.

Your mileage may vary, but if you find yourself even just mildly interested, you can find out more about Mars War Logs at mars-warlogs.com [http://www.mars-warlogs.com/].


Permalink
 

Something Amyss

Aswyng and Amyss
Dec 3, 2008
24,759
0
0
saintdane05 said:
This looks more like Gallifrey than Mars...
So the guy throwing lightning bolts was the Master?

Anyway, the trailer caught my attention. Details are okay. Let's see something awesome.
 

Bat Vader

New member
Mar 11, 2009
4,996
0
0
Sounds like it might be a really good game. Hopefully it will be about 30-40 hours long. That is pretty cool it is going to have side-quests as well as forming character relationships.
 

Sidmen

New member
Jul 3, 2012
180
0
0
Sgt. Sykes said:
I'm not judging the game yet, but do we need another of those unshaved, white, tanned, short-dark-haired male protagonists in their 30s? The game looks like Niko Bellic was playing too much BioShock and the trailer is his dream.
When you're a european company producing a roleplaying game for sale in the US and Europe (as opposed to a regional game for Japan or some other market), you want to try and hit the widest possible demographic with your main character - especially when it isn't a customizable character.

I haven't done the research, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that the largest group playing this type of game would identify with a white short-dark-haired male over any alteration of those descriptors. I'd also be willing to bet that the second-largest group is white short-dark-haired females. But you have to navigate the "sexism" minefields to make a female main character.
 

UrinalDook

New member
Jan 7, 2013
198
0
0
"Corporations! You've got what you want! Now give dis pipple wahder!"

Colour me intrigued. I'm absolutely jonesing for a new sci-fi RPG, and I'm prepared to put up with a lot of crap to get one. I can stomach yet another missed opportunity for a female protagonist if I get long conversations with interesting folk between zapping people with lasers on Mars and subsequently looting their corpses for goodies +1.

Love the trailer music too.

Besides, I remember thinking the very few images released of Mass Effect in the early, pre-360 days made it look awful. And then I got my favourite series ever, so I guess I'm cautiously optimistic despite the lack of substance here.

EDIT: Wait, this is coming out this spring? Like, in a month or two? Ooookay. Maybe I'll wait for some reviews/gameplay vids/inevitable fan backlash before deciding...
 

Owyn_Merrilin

New member
May 22, 2010
7,370
0
0
So are we looking at KotOR era Bioware style here? If so, it should be pretty good. I've always liked the way Bioware did those games, kind of a cross between a traditional JRPG and a traditional western RPG. The modern ones may keep the dialog and the branching linearity, but otherwise they're a completely different beast.
 

PirateRose

New member
Aug 13, 2008
287
0
0
There are two whole womenz in this game. The chick in the trailer, and then if you look through the screenshots on the website, there appears to be a random NPC woman walking away. This game looks to be a sausage fest to the extreme as you're forced to play the same white, scruffy man that exists in every other game.

Otherwise, the game's style looks awesome, but as soon as that scruffy dude appeared on the screen I knew this RPG probably isn't going to be my kind of RPG.
 

Bara_no_Hime

New member
Sep 15, 2010
3,646
0
0
PirateRose said:
There are two whole womenz in this game. The chick in the trailer, and then if you look through the screenshots on the website, there appears to be a random NPC woman walking away. This game looks to be a sausage fest to the extreme as you're forced to play the same white, scruffy man that exists in every other game.

Otherwise, the game's style looks awesome, but as soon as that scruffy dude appeared on the screen I knew this RPG probably isn't going to be my kind of RPG.
Pretty much this.

I don't even have the energy anymore to be upset. I'm just disappointed. This game looks really cool, but I'm so tired of Generic White Male Soldier Protagonist I could vomit. With apathy. That's right, apathy vomiting. I don't even know what that means, but it's how I feel about the GWMSP (see above).

Le sigh.
 

Bara_no_Hime

New member
Sep 15, 2010
3,646
0
0
DVS BSTrD said:
But that lady in the trailer wore a pretty dress! Women like dresses don't they? /MASSIVE SARCASM
^^

Hmm. That is a very pretty dress. I particularly liked the bits that pierced her skull. Very sexy. I should get me one of those. I mean, I just don't have enough fashion choices that involve pointy metal bits being shoved into my brain. :p
 

ThatDarnCoyote

New member
Dec 3, 2011
224
0
0
Bara_no_Hime said:
I don't even have the energy anymore to be upset. I'm just disappointed. This game looks really cool, but I'm so tired of Generic White Male Soldier Protagonist I could vomit. With apathy. That's right, apathy vomiting. I don't even know what that means, but it's how I feel about the GWMSP (see above).

Le sigh.
Apathy vomiting is as unpleasant as the regular variety, but you don't care as much.

Some flat ginger ale might help. :)

I don't mind the Generic White Male Soldier Protagonist, because in many ways I am a Generic White Male Soldier Protagonist. Seems like a "full RPG" should have a customizable character though.
 

Bara_no_Hime

New member
Sep 15, 2010
3,646
0
0
ThatDarnCoyote said:
I don't mind the Generic White Male Soldier Protagonist, because in many ways I am a Generic White Male Soldier Protagonist. Seems like a "full RPG" should have a customizable character though.
You're a generic protagonist? That's impressive. :p

And indeed. One of the good things about the current trend of Western RPGs is character customization.
 

ThatDarnCoyote

New member
Dec 3, 2011
224
0
0
Bara_no_Hime said:
ThatDarnCoyote said:
I don't mind the Generic White Male Soldier Protagonist, because in many ways I am a Generic White Male Soldier Protagonist. Seems like a "full RPG" should have a customizable character though.
You're a generic protagonist? That's impressive. :p
Yeah, it's not bad. It's pretty fun, and the pay keeps me in guns and short brown haircuts. :)

It has its annoyances - Drake always eats all the cookies at our meetings, and one of these days we're going to have to take Martin Walker aside and tell him "Dude, you can wash the blood off now. It's time."

OT: I agree on customizable characters, it makes for a better RPG if you can choose your "R". One of the things that put me off from buying Dragon Age 2 was hearing that you were always the same character; you are Hawke, like it or not. Which is kind of weird, because I didn't mind when Mass Effect did the exact same thing (you are Shepard, like it or nor). Still, after Origins gave us the option of three different races with six different backstories, it seemed like a step backwards.