Mars 2120 [Review]
Promising metroidvania Mars 2120 fails to live up to its aspirations.
Mars 2120. Credit: QUByte Interactive
Mars 2120, developed and published by QUByte Interactive, is a metroidvania inspired by the likes of genre progenitors Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. From the promotional materials, it’s apparent the developers aimed to create something truly memorable. However, the final product feels clunky to play and has a generic art style, preventing it from making a lasting impression.
The story in Mars 2120 follows Sgt. Anna “Thirteen” Charlotte, who is sent on a mission to the first human colony on Mars. The opening sequence is a thrilling “wall of death” scenario where she must outrun an avalanche, leading to her being trapped inside the colony. As she begins exploring, it immediately becomes clear that something has gone very wrong.
Mars 2120. Credit: QUByte Interactive
Unfortunately, the excitement wanes quickly. The combat in Mars 2120 feels unpolished and unresponsive. Enemies often failed to react, standing motionless as I attacked them at close range. The player character’s stun mechanics after taking damage are frustrating, particularly during platforming sections where a single hit can send you plummeting down an entire screen. This combat trope is irritating and simply feels antiquated at this point.
During platforming sections, I noticed that if I hit the side of a platform, I would teleport onto it. While I understand the desire to streamline gameplay by omitting ledge-grabbing mechanics and animations, this felt more like a kludgy workaround for levels that aren’t properly scaled to the character’s movement. The game’s early introduction of some traversal abilities also highlights a lack of creativity in level design, suggesting the developers struggled to challenge players without these abilities.
Mars 2120. Credit: QUByte Interactive
Upgrade progression in the game is a bit odd. Despite displaying all abilities in the upgrades menu with an associated experience point cost, I wasn’t able to unlock any until finding the corresponding ability in the game. This approach seems counterintuitive; if finding the ability is a prerequisite, the additional requirement to purchase it feels unnecessary and cumbersome. It results in a confusing UI, as well.
Mars 2120 is visually underwhelming. Despite utilizing Unreal 5, the game’s graphics are dated, as if from the previous console generation. While it’s not necessarily fair to compare an indie project with the polish of something Nintendo produces, MercurySteam produced something far more impressive with older tech in Metroid Dread. The environments in Mars 2120 lack any air of mystery or suspense. However, I did appreciate the use of bright colors in the art, which added some visual interest.
Mars 2120. Credit: QUByte Interactive
The game’s audio logs, used to convey story information to the player, were disappointing. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such flat and uninspired voicework in a game, in a style reminiscent of the beginnings of recorded audio in games. The actors sound bored; they don’t communicate any sense of the emotion or urgency the narrative demands of the characters.
In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to finish Mars 2120. After spending a few hours with the game, which reportedly takes around 6-8 hours to finish, I felt disengaged and disappointed. I simply did not have a good time. I admire QUByte’s ambition, but this title is underbaked and just not ready for prime time.
Mars 2120 is available now on PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 / 5, and Xbox One / Series X.
Overall Score: 3/10
Played on: PS5
