GameClub Waking Mars (by Tiger Style) [TouchArcade Game of the Year 2012]

Love the game so far. Really wasnt sold on it before hand, but glad I took the risk. I also dont see the problem playing as a Chinese guy. I am white, and find it a nice change of pace to play as a different race for once. I love how this game is somewhat a puzzle game too. I also have no problem with the portraits. They are fine. You people are overreacting.

 

If you're curious about why the protagonist is Chinese, this article on Wired-UK is a pretty great read on that topic and on the science behind the game:

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-03/01/science-behind-waking-mars

 

This game is giving me the most immersive and best experience since Sword & Sworcery. Seriously, just 15 minutes into it and I'm blown away by its perfection. Everything is just so good. Can't way to explore that beautiful world until I've seen everything.

With headphones... it's like seeing a fantastic sci-fi movie, like reading a famous sci-fi novel. Pure brilliance.

Spider was great too, but never really got me that interested. But this game is - hehe - out of this world. 5 stars aren't enough.

 

Game Impressions

I find this game seriously atmospheric and wouldn't have any problems giving this 5 stars also the portraits and controls are spot on for me.Am going to play this on hard to make it last longer atleast thats what i hope anyway.

 

As an American space-enthusiast, this strikes a heartbreaking chord.

 

The portraits aren't even slightly a gamebreaker, and I've got used to them to an extent - particularly when the two leads start chatting at length later in the game, where the writing gets significantly better and makes the two of them feel a lot more fleshed out as characters (though it's been at least fairly good all the way through). But it's good to see it's not just me who finds them a little off-putting - the model for Amani really looks like she's mugging to camera.

Oddly enough I didn't care for Spider much - the art style simply didn't click with me and I thought the central gameplay mechanic was a little too wonky for my taste (it was too easy to make the spider webs look really, really silly and artificial). But I'm really, really impressed with this - it'd easily be worth two or three times the price. Uh... it's a little annoying trying to work out what's going on in the zoomed-out view sometimes? And my finger does seem to end up covering the action an awful lot? Other than that, I got nothin' thus far - an excellent, inventive and very polished take on the classic Metroid formula that runs fine on a 4G Touch. I do reviews for a small multi-format site, so I think I'll see if I can get my editor to throw a look at Waking Mars up some time. This really deserves all the exposure it can get.

 

That's fine, and I don't begrudge you for doing it but there's just something offputting about the portraits. I ACTIVELY have to try and ignore them, because they really do pull me out of the immersion. I understand what you're trying to do, but I don't feel that it's worked. They just don't come across in the right way.

Just note though that although It's not a gamebreaker for you, that doesn't mean it isn't for other people.

The point that I want to reflect is this. Sure it doesn't bother many people, but it does detract from others... But would it be different if the pictures were either gone, or changed? Would those people that it didn't bother then be bothered, while it helped things for people who were put off by it?

Just my 2 cents on the matter. Loving a game and having to try and ignore the portraits wasn't something I wanted to do

And yes, I know if this was in a retail release of a big name title, there's no way that anyone would have input on this matter, so I think it speaks volumes that we're commited and exited enough about this to make our stand here..

If that makes any sense.

 

A nice review from PocketGamer giving it a GOLD AWARD, a 9, and made me buy this... along with all the positive impressions.... be back soon with my own

http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Multiformat/Waking+Mars/review.asp?c=38321

Another superb score from SlideToPlay, 4 out of 4, MUST HAVE

http://www.slidetoplay.com/story/waking-mars-review

 

I can get the first ending in 5 1/2 hours, and I know where everything is

I'd be surprised if you could finish in less than 6 on your first playthrough, and most players who finish spend a lot more time. The % complete stat is based on a bunch of different things -- research complete, levels visisted, quests complete, etc. -- so I wouldn't try to map it exactly to play time.

 

Does it run well on an iPod Touch, 4th gen, running iOS 5? Too many games claim compatibility these days, but actually have never tested it on those devices. I've had so many disappointments that I've stopped buying until I hear direct confirmation.

 

"...Smith says his inspiration came from far earlier works: "novelists like Stanislaw Lem and Carl Sagan, who eschew the sensational in favour of the credible, essentially showing that space science is fascinating even when it doesn't have fangs dripping with acid." "​

Any game whose designer lists Stanislaw Lem as an influence is a must-buy for me! I just have to make room for it first, it is big!

 

iCloud game-save support please??

 

here....

 

this game is awesome!

 

Thanks for all the love folks! I was an artist and the level builder (sometimes level designer) on the game, and I can tell you that we really appreciate all the responses, complimentary and critical. I thought the faces might be controversial, but we constantly strove to ground the game in reality. We started super realistic in our game systems, and moved gamier and gamier to find the sweet spot of player interaction, but the art has always been grounded heavily from how might caves actually be arranged, what might the human technology look like, and consequently, having real people in our world.

Putting real people into the game was a step for us to make this story even more real. Even with Niko Bellic from GTA4, he's still a "game character" even though he seems almost based off someone. Real people can perhaps break the mood for some like FMV, but I'm pleased with our result, because I see a real guy now exploring our Martian caverns.

(The real world inspired us, and we spent much of development sending emails back and forth of images like this: http://www.aerospace-technology.com/uploads/feature/feature43022/1-chinese-astronauts.jpg)

 

This game is really good, so allow me to underline the fact that I like it before I address these gripes, because there are a few things that need addressing, fast. First of all, if you stop moving for a second, the map button appears. Unfortunately, it appears EXACTLY where I instinctively tap the screen to move left, sooo on average I accidentally open the map probably once every minute while playing. Add to that there's an extra "yes" to click on once I do that, and you have the single most annoying accidental button pressing scenario in my entire 27 years as a gamer. That's almost a feat!

The "Loading..." that pops up on the screen as you progress through levels totally sucks, and honestly dudes, those faces have to go. They were a bad idea, to put it bluntly. There should have been no controversy about it, they were simply a poor design choice.

That being said, I'm praying to little caucasian baby Jesus that these issues get addressed in an update, especially the map-button one. That one is gonna make me have to go buy a new phone on account of me taking an elevator ride to the top of the Sears Tower with the sole intention of throwing my iPhone off it when I reach the top.

Again, awesome game otherwise, huge fan of Spider as well.

 

Wow, Quazonk, we haven't heard of anybody running into that particular problem of opening the map accidentally all the time. Are you lefty by any chance? Is this on iPhone or iPad? I can give you one quick tip that might help -- if you are getting the training dialog inside the world map that you have to dismiss before you can exit... just travel somewhere using the map and then travel back to where you were. Once you travel, it will stop trying to teach you how to use the map and you can exit the map immediately after opening it.

Sorry that you've run into some problems, but glad you're enjoying the game overall.

Cheers!
David

 

Surprisingly still debating on this one. I enjoy sifi stuff and I enjoyed spider so is this a worth while buy?

 

This game is amazing. I didn't expect to have this much fun with it but I'm loving it.