Monuments of Mars

About

Monuments of Mars is a single player action adventure game. It was developed by 3D Realms (Apogee Software) and was released on May 5, 2014. It received neutral reviews from players.

When astronauts sent to explore mysterious structures on the surface of Mars disappear, NASA sends you to investiagte. Collect incredible articfacts and fight deadly alien creatures as you wander through the Red Planet's unexplained wonders to solve ancient mysterys.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

54%

Audience ScoreBased on 24 reviews

gameplay3 negative mentions

Monuments of Mars offers a nostalgic experience for fans of retro platformers, providing a glimpse into the gaming history of the early 90s.
The game features a simple yet engaging puzzle-solving mechanic, with a variety of levels that can provide a few hours of entertainment.
Despite its clunky controls, some players find the gameplay enjoyable and more forgiving compared to other platformers from the same era.

The controls are clunky and inconsistent, making jumping and movement frustrating and often leading to unintended deaths.
The graphics and sound are extremely outdated, with a limited color palette and minimal audio effects that detract from the overall experience.
Many players find the level design simplistic and the game lacks depth, making it hard to recommend over more polished platformers from the same time period.

story
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The story of "Monuments of Mars" revolves around a simple premise where players control a squad of astronauts on a rescue mission to uncover the fate of their missing colleagues on Mars. While the narrative is straightforward and reflective of its 1991 release, it lacks depth and artistic elements, leaving some players feeling underwhelmed.
- “You play as an astronaut sent on a mission to rescue other astronauts that have gone missing on Mars.”
- “In 'Monuments of Mars', you explore the red planet in order to find out what happened to former astronauts not coming back from their mission.”
- “This game from 1991 is an Apogee title I did not play during my childhood (I played a lot of Apogee games), so 31-year-old me experienced this crude-looking Mars mission for the first time.”
- “Storywise, well, it's once again simple, which is expected for a game as old as this one.”
- “No good story, no good graphics, no music, so no art enjoyment.”
- “In 'Monuments of Mars' you explore the red planet in order to find out what happened to former astronauts not coming back from their mission.”
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The gameplay in "Monuments of Mars" is a puzzle platformer that offers a mix of fun mechanics and forgiving hitboxes, despite some choppy movement. Players engage with various levels that require solving riddles and navigating through areas unlocked by invisible switches and movable blocks, although some users have found the initial experience frustrating. Overall, while it may not stand out against other titles from the same year, it provides an enjoyable experience for puzzle enthusiasts.
- “Monuments of Mars is a puzzle platformer where you'll go level after level figuring out how to resolve each one and learning about the mechanics outside of the usual controls.”
- “The hitboxes are better, the riddles are more fun, and the gameplay itself doesn't feel 'that bad'.”
- “So, despite being incredibly subpar compared to the vast majority of good games released in the same year, how is the gameplay?”
- “Got stuck in the first hole after like 3 seconds of gameplay. 1/10”
- “Gameplay is quite different from the Nevada Smith series because many areas only become accessible after tripping invisible switches, and there are movable blocks.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, reflecting its origins in an era of limited PC capabilities, characterized by a restricted color palette and basic CGA visuals. Many users find the graphics laggy and unappealing, contributing to an overall lack of enjoyment, especially for those unfamiliar with the era's aesthetic.
- “As far as graphics go, this game was made for PC in an era when PCs weren't all that powerful, so it has a very limited color palette; sound is also just a handful of beeps and boops.”
- “Old platformer with outdated graphics.”
- “The game is extremely old, featuring CGA graphics (well, it's better than monochrome?).”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The reviews indicate that "Monuments of Mars" lacks background music, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. Players feel that the absence of music, alongside limited graphics and story, diminishes the artistic experience. While the gameplay can be enjoyable, the lack of a musical score is a notable drawback.
- “The game is actually enjoyable, but it could benefit from background music to enhance the experience.”
- “Some music wouldn't hurt either since Monuments of Mars only has sound effects.”
- “No good story, no good graphics, no music, so no art enjoyment.”