Take On Mars

52%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,260 reviews
  • story
  • stability
  • gameplay
Take On Mars Game Cover
A varied, atmospheric space simulator with beautiful Martian sunsets, challenging survival, and frustrating controls.
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"Take On Mars" is a thrilling space exploration game that lets you experience the challenges of Mars exploration without the years of training or budget constraints. Operate rovers, conduct scientific research, and pioneer the colonization of Mars in a realistic yet accessible setting. The game features a space program campaign, robotics campaign, and a variety of sandbox maps to explore, all with the goal of advancing human knowledge and setting foot on Mars.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

52%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,260 reviews
story45 positive mentions
stability141 negative mentions
  • The game offers a unique and realistic Mars exploration experience, allowing players to build and control rovers and landers.
  • The graphics and atmosphere are impressive, providing an immersive environment that captures the desolation of Mars.
  • The game has potential for educational purposes, teaching players about Mars and space exploration through its mechanics and missions.
  • The game is plagued with bugs and crashes, making it frustrating and often unplayable.
  • The controls are clunky and unintuitive, leading to a steep learning curve that can deter new players.
  • The pacing is slow, with long stretches of time spent driving rovers or waiting for resources, which can lead to boredom.
  • story397 mentions

    The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating its immersive elements and potential but criticizing its execution. Many found the narrative engaging, particularly in the manned missions, which echo themes from "The Martian," while others noted that the story can feel repetitive and lacks depth due to poor mission design and documentation. Overall, while the game offers a compelling premise of space exploration and survival, it suffers from bugs and a lack of polish that detracts from the storytelling experience.

    • “Very immersive, great story-driven single-player campaign, slightly clunky controls but with great functionality attached, challenging but not fast-paced.”
    • “The story mode for manned missions took no time at all to beat; however, you can choose to stay on Mars and build your base and gather supplies until you wish to leave, but there wasn't a lot of challenge to the manned story.”
    • “I enjoyed the concept of the single-player campaign/story they added (ignoring that it mirrored 'The Martian' almost completely, because original story design is hard), but my enjoyment was hard-fought after dying when I tried to lay down in the poptent my first night.”
    • “The story has limited instruction as to what you need to do next to live, and is laggy at best even with a high-end machine like I have.”
    • “There is really no finished game mechanics or storyline whatsoever, just a bunch of random missions that let you play some scenarios.”
    • “The voice acting and 'story' (if I may call it that) are done very poorly and don't work together at all.”
  • stability142 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with users reporting it as a "buggy mess" that feels unfinished and abandoned. Many players experience frequent crashes, glitches, and frustrating physics issues, making gameplay often unenjoyable. While some find potential in the game, the overwhelming consensus is that its current state is riddled with problems that detract significantly from the overall experience.

    • “This game is a joke, it's not even close to finished, it's buggy as hell, 60% of all content is not even available, and will never be available, because the devs left the game to die.”
    • “The game is one huge buggy mess, and the devs packed up and left in 2017.”
    • “I can't recommend this game at all, buggy engine with physics and graphics that were impressive for 2009 and a failed multiplayer.”
  • gameplay125 mentions

    The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting its clunky mechanics and performance issues, such as crashes and stuttering. While some appreciate the strategic elements and the immersive experience of exploring Mars, others find the gameplay slow, repetitive, and lacking in depth, particularly after completing the campaign. Overall, the game shows potential with interesting mechanics and a solid premise, but it suffers from bugs and unfinished features that detract from the overall experience.

    • “I don't know how to describe this feeling, but I feel this cool breeze of calmness when I roam around Mars in a huge truck, with nothing in mind but appreciation for the soundtrack and simple gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay itself is actually really good; the story in the 'space program' campaign is semi-engaging at least, but it gives you a fair amount to do with some help along the way.”
    • “The game has good mechanics such as (cool) airlocks, setting up a base, and the construction in general is very cool (using a 3D printer to make a larger 3D printer to get larger suits, supplies, etc.), and the interactive side of the game is very engaging.”
    • “Clunky gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay itself is very clunky and unpolished.”
    • “In short, the game has many interesting elements that are combined with clunky, buggy gameplay, making a potentially fun and interesting experience dull and annoying.”
  • graphics93 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful visuals and immersive environments, particularly the realistic Mars terrain based on topographical data. However, many users report issues such as graphical bugs, performance problems, and dated visuals that detract from the overall experience. While some find the graphics satisfactory, others feel they fall short of modern standards, especially given the game's release date.

    • “Beautiful graphics, story, and interaction.”
    • “The graphics are awesome and it's a lot of fun exploring real craters with real rovers!”
    • “The highly detailed graphics and sound effects create an atmosphere that leaves you feeling very isolated in the game.”
    • “Very poor gameplay and aged graphics.”
    • “I can't recommend this game at all, buggy engine with physics and graphics that were impressive for 2009 and a failed multiplayer.”
    • “Appears to be incredibly broken (fresh install) with massive amounts of graphical assets not displaying on screen, such as the entirety of mission control.”
  • optimization48 mentions

    The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many players reporting severe performance issues, bugs, and inconsistent frame rates, even on high-end hardware. Despite some positive remarks about graphics, the overall experience is marred by a lack of polish and unfinished mechanics, leading to frustration among users. Many express disappointment that the game remains in this state without significant updates or optimization patches.

    • “For example, the resource processing refineries could have been player designed and built using combinations of modules impacting the performance of the refinery as well as the look, size, and output characteristics.”
    • “This is a shame as this game has had a lot of thought put into it with good mechanics and a good story mode with lots of content to play with; it's just that you can't due to the performance.”
    • “Oh, and the game uses a different, better optimized engine than Arma 3, so you'll be getting better framerates!”
    • “Sadly, this game was riddled with bugs, especially in the physics department, and the performance was total crap.”
    • “It was never finished for a start, the technical and performance issues are a significant problem regardless of your computer specs. The recommended requirements are meaningless when an RTX and 8-core CPU struggles with 10 FPS; it clearly never has and never will get any optimization patches.”
    • “Unfortunately, this game is so badly optimized that I can't play it.”
  • atmosphere44 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and realistic portrayal of Mars, enhanced by detailed graphics, ambient music, and sound effects that reflect the planet's harsh conditions. Players appreciate the sense of solitude and urgency in survival gameplay, although some note that the lack of dynamic threats can lead to moments of boredom. Overall, the atmosphere effectively captures the essence of space exploration, making it a compelling experience for fans of simulation and survival genres.

    • “The solitude, the consistency of play, the urgency of survival, the limitations of equipment, challenges of construction, the game atmosphere (darkness/breathing)... all contribute to an edge-of-your-seat experience that you won't be able to leave!”
    • “The atmosphere is spot on; for the most part, it plays very well and it's easy to pick up.”
    • “It's so atmospheric you really have the feeling of being there.”
    • “Also, as there is no other danger than the atmosphere, this game gets boring real quick.”
    • “The atmosphere in your base can suddenly vanish, for no apparent reason, leaving you to asphyxiate because your suit ran out of air.”
    • “The highly detailed graphics and sound effects create an atmosphere which leaves you very isolated in the game.”
  • grinding33 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious and slow-paced, often likened to watching paint dry. While some players appreciate the realism and challenge of resource management and crafting, many find the repetitive tasks and poorly designed controls frustrating, leading to a lack of enjoyment. Overall, the game appeals primarily to those who favor painstaking simulator experiences, but it may deter players seeking more dynamic gameplay.

    • “The last 15 hours in particular have been mind-numbingly tedious.”
    • “Just like watching paint dry, but if you like tedious simulator games this might be for you.”
    • “Everything is tedious to do, even exiting the initial lander vehicle is difficult and you will most likely get stuck in the elevator or float in the air the first 3 or 4 times you try to leave.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game is praised for its ambient quality, creating a calming and immersive atmosphere that enhances the gameplay experience. Players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to complement the serene exploration of Mars, making it a relaxing backdrop for driving across alien terrain. Additionally, the option for modding allows for personalized music choices, further enriching the experience.

    • “I don't know how to describe this feeling, but I feel this cool breeze of calmness when I roam around Mars in a huge truck, with nothing in mind but appreciation for the soundtrack and simple gameplay.”
    • “Cool ambient music makes it a pretty atmospheric game.”
    • “This game is very immersive with great sounds and a nice soundtrack.”
    • “Quick verdict: excellent idea, rushed by the studio fairly wanting it to finally ship after five years in early access, after the developers fell to the ruinous siren song of feature creep.”
    • “It's very relaxing to drive a slow rover across alien terrain while listening to music or a podcast; definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but if you like that sort of thing, you will love Take on Mars.”
    • “Also, with modding, there's no reason you can't break from realism and begin a long cruise around Martian sand dunes in a dune buggy while blasting 'road trip' music from iTunes/Winamp/whatever.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The monetization of the game has been widely criticized by users, who perceive it as a cash grab by the developers, Bohemia, similar to their previous title, DayZ. Many reviewers express concerns that the game was released prematurely to maximize profits, despite being plagued by bugs and crashes, suggesting a lack of ongoing support or commitment from the developers.

    • “This game is created by Bohemia, the same company that did DayZ, and I can tell you this is just another cash grab pre-release.”
    • “I've spent hours going back through the threads and I've come to the conclusion that these developers put the game into release to make one last cash grab and then wash their hands of it.”
    • “Seriously, this game is looking more and more like a quick cash grab while the developer works on other projects.”
  • humor6 mentions

    The humor in the game is hit-or-miss, with some players finding moments of unintentional comedy in frustrating gameplay mechanics, such as dying from seemingly absurd actions. While the trailer promised a fun experience, many felt the actual game fell short, leading to a mix of genuine laughter and confusion over its execution. Overall, the humor seems to stem more from the game's flaws than from intentional comedic design.

    • “I enjoyed the concept of the single player campaign/story they added, but my enjoyment was hard fought after dying when I tried to lay down in the pop tent my first night, dying when I sat down in the cargo truck, dying when a canister I dropped into a cargo box ricocheted and slammed into my head (that was pretty funny despite the auto save being almost an hour old), and the worst of them all, me eating one of the ration packs erasing the progress I had on a previously completed objective making it impossible for me to actually finish the story.”
    • “The UI on the 3D printer made me laugh out loud; there is no UI, just a list of things you can make in no particular order.”
    • “You know when someone says something to your face, and you laugh aloud, and go, 'Haha, that's hilarious, classic!' and then the person just looks at you, confused, because you just don't get that this person is not kidding around and you just feel a bit stupid?”
  • emotional3 mentions

    Players find the emotional aspect of the game to be deeply resonant, with a heartfelt voice and a poignant sense of emptiness. The frustration of gameplay mechanics, such as the delicate balance required for success, adds to the emotional weight, highlighting the highs and lows of the gaming experience.

    • “The voice is surprisingly heartfelt and it has a beautiful empty feel.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    While some users find the game lacks inherent replay value due to limited help resources and a one-time viewing of tutorial videos, others highlight its significant replayability potential through modding, multiplayer features, and custom scenarios.

    • “It has no real replay value.”
    • “Replayable help info was replaced by videos that play only once, which were, for some reason, recorded while the game was in holiday mode with Christmas trees and lights everywhere.”
    • “So far I'm loving it, and with the modding and multiplayer features, especially the custom scenarios, it has a lot of replayability potential.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

50% average critic score

Buy Take On Mars

Play time

17hMedian play time
171hAverage play time
3-40hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 13 analyzed playthroughs

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