Occupy Mars: The Game

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,840 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Occupy Mars: The Game Game Cover
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# Let's Occupy Mars! Occupy Mars is a highly technical, open-world sandbox game about Mars colonization inspired by the most promising technologies and companies that are working toward becoming a multi-planet species. Build and upgrade your base, discover new amazing regions, conduct mining operations, retrieve water, generate oxygen, grow crops, fix broken parts, and learn how to survive on Mar…

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,840 reviews
gameplay60 positive mentions
stability154 negative mentions
  • The game has a lot of potential and offers a fun and engaging survival experience.
  • The attention to detail in the game's mechanics, such as power management and resource gathering, is impressive.
  • The developers are responsive to feedback and actively working on updates and bug fixes.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, including crashes and long loading times.
  • The tutorial is overly long and not very helpful, leaving players confused about how to progress.
  • Resource management can be tedious, with a heavy reliance on RNG for unlocking essential technology.
  • gameplay292 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with players noting a blend of interesting mechanics and significant bugs that hinder the experience. While some appreciate the depth of survival elements and base-building, many criticize the lack of clear tutorials, frequent crashes, and tedious mechanics that can detract from enjoyment. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further refinement and optimization to fully realize its concepts.

    • “The game does an excellent job of recreating the harsh and unforgiving environment of Mars, and every aspect of the gameplay, from resource gathering and base building to scientific research and exploration, feels authentic and believable.”
    • “Gameplay is both challenging and rewarding.”
    • “I really enjoy how simulated things are and learning my way around the game mechanics.”
    • “Lost 87 hours of gameplay due to new update; the new version does not support old save games... waste of time.”
    • “This game is a buggy mess that should not have even been released into early access, and the gameplay mechanics are tedious in ways that are completely unnecessary.”
    • “The game concept is okay, but the gameplay is horrible!”
  • graphics172 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant optimization issues, including stuttering, low frame rates, and graphical glitches, even on lower settings. While some appreciate the immersive landscapes and detail, others criticize the visuals as outdated, likening them to games from the early 2000s. Overall, the graphics are seen as a work in progress, requiring substantial improvement to meet modern standards.

    • “The graphics are stunning, immersing players in the breathtaking landscapes of the red planet.”
    • “Its stunning visuals, challenging gameplay, and commitment to scientific accuracy make it a standout title in the genre.”
    • “The graphics and sound design are also top-notch, with stunning visuals and a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that really immerses you in the game's world.”
    • “The visuals are worse than late 90's, early 00's games.”
    • “This game is not even alpha status; the graphics look like something you would have seen 15 years ago.”
    • “Graphics glitches, terrible frame rate, stutter, buggy, cringingly bad presentation, apparently designed to intentionally frustrate the player, and rife with non-functioning vital survival mechanics.”
  • story160 mentions

    The game's story is currently underdeveloped, with many players expressing frustration over its confusing missions and lack of clear direction. While the initial tutorial introduces some characters and a basic premise of a Mars mission, it often feels like a series of fetch quests rather than a compelling narrative. Reviewers hope for future updates to enhance the storyline and add more engaging missions, as the current experience is marred by bugs and a lack of meaningful content.

    • “I do not see it this way; yes, the first tutorial is a little over-explained, but from there the game is introducing you to characters and a storyline.”
    • “You start out at a fully functioning/staffed base, but all hell breaks loose and you end up alone on Mars. I actually was wondering about this when I first started playing and thought, wouldn't it be a cool plot twist if the base was destroyed and forced me to start over? Well, it happened!”
    • “The story's not there yet, but I see that it'll happen over the rest of the year from their roadmap.”
    • “I've tried my best to try and like this game even put in the time to play it so I can at least get some experience with the game so I can base it off of anything but the boring storyline that nearly made me go to sleep.”
    • “More frustration and confusion than fun, and definitely not worth a $25 price tag considering you will be spending a lot of time in the (nearly entirely worthless) story intro of the campaign and then trying to look up tutorials online once you are like 90 mins in and are finally allowed to play the game.”
    • “Even ignoring the contrived and jarring intro section it is massively vague and gated, gone are the bases and rovers and gradually building up to self-sufficiency and all that enjoyable stuff, and it becomes a directionless grind hoping you find the right action to gain XP, or hunt for ruins to find the right tablet to build anything, so you're left with a mission objective telling you to 'survive', and just standing around by the one light pole, well and solar panel you can build at the start wondering how the hell a promising title ended up so bland.”
  • stability160 mentions

    The game is widely criticized for its numerous stability issues, including frequent crashes, long loading times, and various gameplay glitches that hinder progress. Many players report that the game is unplayable in its current state, particularly in early access, with some expressing hope for future improvements as developers address these bugs. While a few users have experienced minimal issues, the consensus leans heavily towards the game being a "buggy mess" that requires significant fixes before it can be considered stable.

    • “Fun game, runs great, no bugs so far.”
    • “Runs great”
    • “It runs great on my system at max settings (i7, 32g RAM, 8g 4060 Ti) though there are occasional FPS drops when entering a new area.”
    • “This game is a buggy mess that should not have even been released into early access, and the gameplay mechanics are tedious in ways that are completely unnecessary.”
    • “I have been in the game for 5 hours and only about 30 minutes of that was actual gameplay; the rest was troubleshooting or waiting for unbearably long loading screens.”
    • “Game freezes 5 out of 6 times while loading, and having to force quit.”
  • grinding148 mentions

    The grinding aspect of "Occupy Mars" is frequently described as tedious and time-consuming, with many players expressing frustration over the repetitive nature of resource collection and the slow pace of progression. While some find enjoyment in the grind and appreciate the rewards that come from it, others feel that the mechanics are overly complicated and hinder the overall experience, particularly due to bugs and clunky controls. Overall, the game offers a significant amount of grinding, which can detract from the fun for many players.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Acquiring resources is extremely tedious and time consuming.”
    • “The tool durability added to the game recently just wrecked what was already a slow grinding tedious game.”
    • “It gets boring grinding down other bases or constantly mining just to get tech points.”
  • optimization124 mentions

    The optimization of "Occupy Mars" is widely criticized, with players reporting frequent stutters, crashes, and significant frame rate drops even on high-end systems. Many users express frustration over the game's performance issues, which detract from the overall experience, despite some acknowledging its potential and the developers' ongoing efforts to improve it. Overall, the game is seen as poorly optimized, requiring substantial work to reach an acceptable performance level.

    • “I really feel like I'm living there on Mars, preparing everything so that humanity can come later. I really like this simulator, and I'm looking forward to more and more content, and hoping that the experience will also be optimized, but we know it's early access and it is in full development, so everything is very good...”
    • “The current performance of the game is mostly good, with only seldom breakdowns on the fps when certain effects are triggered or you visit a huge base for the first time.”
    • “I have not had a crash since day 1, the performance is actually great for me aside from the very occasional stutter when I scrap something big or when traversing terrain at high speed and a bunch of buildings load in.”
    • “A confusingly large number of graver and minor bugs, glitches, and performance issues.”
    • “It has some serious performance issues; sometimes the FPS drops for no apparent reason, and the game crashes quite a lot.”
    • “Not only is it poorly optimized, but the character models look like they are from the early 2000s.”
  • music62 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its immersive and haunting qualities, while others find it repetitive and overly loud, often drowning out dialogue. Many users express frustration with the volume control, noting that adjustments are ineffective and can lead to abrupt silence. Overall, while the soundtrack has its fans, it appears to lack variety and can detract from the gaming experience for some players.

    • “Music is lovely and zen, which is about as much rest as you'll get.”
    • “The game's soundtrack deserves a special mention, as it complements the immersive experience perfectly.”
    • “I normally like to wait 20+ hours before leaving a review but I can honestly say time playing this game with the amazing background music just melts away.”
    • “The music is the same over and over.”
    • “Music is way too loud, but placing it below 10% shuts the music off completely.”
    • “What is supposed to be the turning point event is actually made more disorienting and poor by an absence of additional ambient sound sources, self-produced sound, and inappropriate music.”
  • humor22 mentions

    The humor in the game is often described as both intentional and unintentional, with characters like Gary providing comedic moments through exaggerated reactions, such as kicking players out of his room. Players find the ragdoll physics of character deaths amusing, and the overall experience blends serious survival elements with humorous situations, making it enjoyable for those who appreciate a mix of comedy and challenge. However, some users note that the game's user-friendliness detracts from the humor, leading to frustration rather than laughter.

    • “Gary in particular was hilarious; he gets angry and kicks you out of his room when you first meet him.”
    • “Every death I learn from, and they are typically hilarious in nature.”
    • “The moment I realized I couldn't move away was so funny.”
  • atmosphere18 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its immersive and visually stunning environments, particularly in the context of space and survival mechanics, such as managing airlocks and pressure. However, some players feel that the current content is lacking, with a campaign that feels incomplete and gameplay that can resemble a clicker experience. Overall, while the atmosphere is beautifully crafted, there are concerns about the depth and complexity of gameplay mechanics.

    • “Going scrapping in between in the numerous and really quite atmospheric ruins scattered around.”
    • “Atmosphere and immersion beautiful.”
    • “It gives me Stationeers vibes but with fantastic graphics (no complex atmospherics or electronics though).”
    • “It's up to you to believe them or not, but right now it's nearly zero content with a campaign title as pure bait, which ends before it has even begun. After placing a few hydrodynamical and electric installations, mainly released in a very primitive way, you get full immersion into the atmosphere of a clicker for everyday stuff consumption.”
    • “I placed an airlock on my workshop, and after connecting oxygen to it, I blew out my brain by opening the door. The game tried to equalize the indoor pressure with the Martian atmosphere, so guess what? You need two airlock frames. Go figure.”
    • “Like both facilities that are connected by an airlock losing atmosphere when the airlock is supposed to stop it.”
  • monetization8 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with users describing it as a blatant advertisement for Republic of Gamers, which detracts from the overall experience. Many feel it is a cash grab, plagued by bugs and poor translation, leading to disappointment after years of anticipation. Overall, the game's monetization strategy is viewed as a failure.

    • “The whole game is basically a giant advertisement for Republic of Gamers (you will see their logo everywhere), although it really fails.”
    • “Buggy - boring - poor translation - cash grab.”
    • “I'll check it out again in a year or so and see if it was just another EA cash grab or not.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking due to a repetitive ending and similar gameplay mechanics, others appreciate the variety of game modes and difficulty settings that enhance replay value. Recent patches have also improved overall playability, making it more enjoyable for repeated sessions.

    • “And with a variety of game modes and difficulty settings to choose from, there's plenty of replay value to be had here.”
    • “Recent patches have fixed the initial loading issues and the game is much more playable now.”
    • “As such, the quality of the game improved significantly, to a much more playable state, in just the span of a few days.”
    • “As it is, the game is not replayable as the end is always the same: a base with the same capabilities as the last one. It runs day and night... end of story.”
    • “The game lacks replayability because the outcomes are predictable and do not change, making multiple playthroughs feel redundant.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there is little incentive to return, as the experience does not offer new challenges or variations.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players highlight the emotional impact of the game's ambient music, which effectively conveys a sense of isolation on Mars. Moments of gameplay, such as the dramatic depletion of an ATV's battery just as it reaches a charging station, evoke strong feelings, with some players expressing deep emotional responses to these experiences.

    • “The ambient tunes enhance the feeling of isolation on Mars, adding an emotional layer to the overall gameplay.”
    • “I watched my ATV go from 100% to 0% on my adventure. I hit 0% as I pulled up to my base's little charging area for it; I almost shed a tear for the perfect timing.”
  • character development2 mentions

    The reviews indicate a strong dissatisfaction with the character design options, with users consistently describing them as unattractive. This suggests a significant shortcoming in the character development aspect of the game.

Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
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Play time

15hMedian play time
90hAverage play time
7-42hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 52 analyzed playthroughs

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