M.A.R.S.

About

M.A.R.S. is a multiplayer shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by YingPei Games and was released on October 28, 2021. It received neutral reviews from players.

MARS is a Third Person Shooter brimming with creativity and unique features long forgotten in this day of modern AAA games. From the hilarious Headhunter mode, to Huge Mecha vs Mecha battles, to fully customizable loadouts; MARS is a gem to behold amongst the TPS genre.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Skip User Reviews

50%

Audience ScoreBased on 347 reviews

gameplay12 positive mentions

story6 negative mentions

The game offers nostalgic gameplay reminiscent of Zombies Monsters Robots, providing hours of fun, especially in PvE modes.
The graphics, while dated, have a certain charm, and the game features a variety of characters and customization options.
The community is active, and there are many different gameplay modes to explore, making it engaging for players.

The game suffers from severe connection issues, with frequent disconnections and high ping, especially for players outside of North America.
Microtransactions are heavily integrated, with a pay-to-win model that makes it difficult for free-to-play users to progress without spending money.
The voice acting and overall presentation are subpar, with many players finding the UI confusing and the gameplay mechanics clunky.

gameplay
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
65%
9%
The gameplay is generally described as a competent third-person cover shooter reminiscent of Gears of War, featuring solid mechanics and enjoyable gun battles. However, it suffers from dated graphics, clunky mechanics, and a frustrating economy that emphasizes pay-to-win elements, leading to a mixed reception overall. While some players find it fun in short bursts, many express disappointment with its execution and lack of depth in narrative and visual quality.
- “Boasts superior graphics and mechanics, though falls slightly short in narrative compared to genre peers.”
- “Played 2 career mode levels, felt pretty decent about the gun battles and mechanics.”
- “The core gameplay loop is good, but the staggering amount of issues will burn you out fast if you do not have ZMR nostalgia to back you up.”
- “The gameplay itself is nothing special, but it's a competent enough third-person cover shooter.”
- “Everything about the gameplay was bad.”
- “Makes the gameplay feel clunky.”
story
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
74%
17%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and coherence, with many reviewers noting that it feels like an afterthought, primarily serving as a backdrop for repetitive gameplay. Voice acting and production quality are particularly poor, detracting from any potential narrative engagement. While there are various mission types and some players find enjoyment in the PvE aspects, the overall consensus is that the story fails to provide a compelling or immersive experience.
- “The PvE is actually the meat of the game; it's got story-driven maps, defense tower maps, assault maps, and the like where you'll be fighting all kinds of monsters in very arcade-like settings where you can use coins to revive yourself or your teammate when you die.”
- “One of the game's biggest strong suits is the PvE; PvE alone really makes me like this game a lot. The assault ops are my favorite type of the PvE maps, not only is it engaging with the action, like the other PvE types, but with the story the players are involved in as well.”
- “Even though there is technically a story mode for this game, there needs to be more missions for it and better rewards.”
- “The single player missions have terrible voice acting and a lot more ambition than the production value can actually show, so it's pretty hilarious.”
- “Your awkwardly thrown into an intro mission which has tons of bugs and the voice acting from NPCs that appears to be recorded in the freakin' bathroom by unpaid interns.”
- “The animations are janky, the audio mixing is terrible, and the voice acting is genuinely the worst I have ever heard. It doesn't have any plot or worldbuilding beyond 'there are bad guys, shoot them', and the levels themselves seem to be linear to the point of feeling almost claustrophobic.”
graphics
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
61%
18%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players noting that they appear outdated and reminiscent of early 2000s titles, often comparing them to PS2-era visuals. While some appreciate the decent aesthetics and expansive environments, others criticize the poor quality and lack of color, leading to an overall perception of the graphics as subpar and unoriginal. Despite a few positive mentions of stunning visuals in combat, the consensus leans towards disappointment in the graphical fidelity.
- “Boasts superior graphics and mechanics, though falls slightly short in narrative compared to genre peers.”
- “Features intense combat, stunning graphics, and an expansive environment to explore.”
- “The graphics are also stunning and the game world is quite expansive.”
- “Extremely outdated graphics with the poorest controls, with only 1 action button.”
- “Graphically, it looks like a PS2 game.”
- “Note: I really do not like the graphics of this game; they seem outdated, old, and a few of the models and sounds looked and sounded so alike what I've seen in some other games. I suspect they are either stolen or simply made so generic that I cannot tell them apart, which doesn't bode well for any originality.”
monetization
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
20%
50%
The monetization in the game has been widely criticized for being predatory and greedy, with many players labeling it a cash grab due to the presence of egregious microtransactions and a reliance on time-based rentals for essential items and cosmetics. While some users noted a lack of extensive monetization options typical of free-to-play games, the overall sentiment reflects frustration over the game's exploitative practices and the feeling that it prioritizes profit over player experience.
- “For a free-to-play game, there is strikingly little in the way of microtransactions, DLC, or any other form of monetized bait; there are some aesthetics to buy, but that's about it.”
- “The game features a fair monetization model that doesn't overwhelm players with aggressive microtransactions.”
- “The monetization approach is refreshing, focusing on optional cosmetic purchases rather than pay-to-win mechanics.”
- “Such potential to have a decent game turned into cash grabbing and pay to win.”
- “The game's quality is horrible, and the microtransactions are more predatory than your weird uncle.”
- “Scummy microtransactions, mind-bogglingly archaic time-based rental for virtually every cosmetic and weapon and item in the game, exclusively gambling for the vast majority of permanent unlocks, and necessary items for PvE that can only be obtained through rental and/or premium currency.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, often requiring significant time investment or real money to progress. While some appreciate the challenge and enjoy the gameplay, many criticize the developers for maintaining greedy monetization practices and a tedious grind for weapons, which can lead to frustration and a lack of long-term engagement. Overall, the grind is seen as a major hurdle that could deter potential players.
- “The game is grindy to the point that you'll actually need to use real money.”
- “You will spend 6-7 hours of straight up grinding to roll the dice to craft a gun that will end up not even being useful.”
- “Devs didn't listen or learn a damn thing from the alpha; they kept their greedy loot box practices. Grinding for any gun will take you months, and you can only buy temporary guns with earned in-game money.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability remains a significant issue, with persistent bugs and glitches affecting gameplay, such as problems with movement, mission rewards, and character control. Despite being out for four years, players report that these issues have not improved, leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, the game is characterized by awkward mechanics and a lack of optimization.
- “The game's been out for 4 years and the same buggy awkwardness of movement and bland physics haven't gotten any better since release.”
- “Really, really buggy; can't even claim mission rewards.”
- “There are some annoying bugs and glitches, like not being able to respawn even when you have respawn coins. When you try to spawn your mech in the middle of a fight, it glitches and you can't see or control your character until you die. The melee and shield enemies can hit you even when you dodge them, and there are many more bugs and glitches I can't remember.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of absurdity and unintentional comedy, with players finding amusement in the ridiculousness of the game rules and the poor voice acting. While some elements are "so bad it's funny," others veer into cringe territory, creating a varied comedic experience that can be entertaining despite the game's shortcomings. Overall, the humor often stems from the game's ambitious ideas clashing with its low production value.
- “The game rules, which can only be seen in their Discord channel, are so ridiculously funny that not even a major AAA game could create something like it.”
- “The single-player missions have terrible voice acting and a lot more ambition than the production value can actually show, making it pretty hilarious.”
- “Some sound fine, but others make you feel like you're watching a poorly dubbed anime; at least it's funny bad, not cringe bad.”
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews; while some users find it generic and bland, others appreciate specific moments and highlight the fantastic menu music and atmospheric sound design during intense gameplay. Overall, it is considered decent but not exceptional.
- “The music in general is good and decent but not awesome outside of a few specific moments.”
- “The menu music is fantastic and the whole 'station is overrun with hostiles' atmosphere is extremely well done.”
- “The music is generic and bland, contributing to a poor overall experience.”
- “The English voice acting was not good, obviously read from a script, and the music did not enhance the gameplay.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game's optimization appears to be lacking, with users noting that it feels as if the developers are still learning programming, resulting in bugs and performance issues. Despite these shortcomings, players find the game enjoyable for social play, though it retains some pay-to-win elements similar to its predecessor.
- “They seem to have learned to program while making the game, and did give up on optimization for the time being, but the game is nice and is enjoyable to spend time with some friends.”
- “They seem to have learned to program while making the game and gave up on optimization for the time being, but the game is nice and is enjoyable to spend time with some friends.”
- “Still the same weirdly optimized, buggy, pay-to-win game as ZMR.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere is highly praised for its fantastic menu music and the immersive feeling of a station overrun with hostiles, effectively enhancing the overall experience.
- “The menu music is fantastic, and the whole atmosphere of 'the station is overrun with hostiles' is extremely well done.”