Waking Mars

I can't quite blame you if you have not played Waking Mars. With the sheer number of 'Metroidvania' titles out there anymore, this one does not immediately stand out with its somewhat drab visuals. However, even an hour with the game will expose it to be something different and, perhaps, deeper than your standard game of this genre.

Perhaps the biggest difference here is the means of progression. Most science fiction games are incredibly light on science with the setting being a pretense for futuristic gunfights with monsters. Waking Mars on the other hand feels more authentic, placing you in the role of a scientist who peacefully navigates the planet of Mars. Instead of fighting the inhabitants of the planet, you are rebuilding a dead ecosystem through careful management of the organisms in a manner that vaguely recalls Pikmin. The mixture of these lite strategy elements with Metroid-like exploration delivers a game that is honestly like nothing else on the market at present. Despite the non-violent premise, the action never feels boring with a complex world, interesting puzzles, and solid platforming.

We likewise get a thoughtful story that avoid most of the common video game cliches. Instead of an evil mastermind or mindless monsters driving the conflict, the struggle of the characters is one against the harsh environment of this alien world and is, to a lesser extent, questions of ethics. There is a surprising amount of drama here, and it makes you wonder why more games can't try this sort of humankind vs nature type of approach. This is hard sci-fi for fans of authors like Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, and as someone within that camp, it's incredibly satisfying. Waking Mars also gets points for its diverse cast that lacks even a single white male character and stars an Asian-British man and an African-American woman. The characters in this game could have been cast from basically any demographic, but developer Tiger Style went out of their way to represent groups usually not seen in games. The dialogue is smart, furthering the credibility of the science in the game, and the voice actors fit the parts they were cast very well, sounding confident and intelligent.

All in all, Waking Mars is a refreshing game in just about every way, and while it's not an entirely obscure game, it deserves to be mentioned much more frequently than it is. With this game now being five years old, it does not seem that Waking Mars had the influence on game design and storytelling that it should have, but it stands as a shining example of how science fiction video games can be every bit as insightful and thoughtful as other media. The fact that it is an entertaining game to play, as well, only sweetens the deal. I can't recommend this game enough to anyone looking for something different.

The basic premise of Waking Mars is that you're a scientist trapped in a Mars cave and must use various alien plant-like lifeforms in order to progress through the cave and make your way back to the surface. The gameplay begins very exploration-focused but becomes more complex and puzzle-like as you discover more lifeforms and must balance their properties to create a functioning ecosystem. This is all connected by a somewhat loose story that leads you to the discovery of the unknown history of the caves.

Overall, it's a very enjoyable and well-made experience, however the tags might be a bit misleading. This is not really a platforming game nor is it a Metroidvania game. While the atmosphere is certainly reminiscent of Metroid, the gameplay is quite different.

In Waking Mars, you play the role of the astro-biologist Liang as he explores the planet Mars. Initially, you go on a search to recover a Mars exploration rover that is sending signals back to you, but as you explore, you uncover organic life; several species of plants called Zoa. Liang can run along the surface, but you will be mostly taking advantage of his jetpack and flying round the cavernous environments.

Your AI companion ART chimes in with observations of the environment and gives you a check-list of behaviours to research for each plant. Each plant grows in either of the 2 soil types (acidic, alkaline), show different behaviour, differing reproduction methods etc. and it is up to you to learn how the ecosystem works.

Although there are environmental dangers such as lava, acid, falling rocks and dangerous plants, the game is very casual and not action-oriented. Dying simply reloads the current area, so the game's real challenge is figuring out how to progress given the current plants in the area, and your inventory of seeds.

In each area, your path is blocked by 'Cerebranes' which open when the 'biomass' reaches a certain threshold. What you need to do, is gather seeds, plant them in the soil, and repeat until the desired level is reached. Everything you plant has a biomass value, and you’ll need a strategy in order to hit the highest levels. The standard plant is the Halid which spits out seeds if watered. Hydra plants produce seeds that act as water. Bizarre creature-like Phyta feed on Halid seeds to asexually reproduce. Prax feed on Phyta to produce seeds and turn Phyta into compost which boosts the biomass of plants. Other plants produce seeds to switch the acidity of the soil, and Metroid-looking creatures gather seeds and take them back to their nest in order to reproduce.

Once the Cerebranes open, you are free to move on, but can always come back in order to achieve Level 5 biomass. Doing so can unlock extra parts to the story and will also allow you to achieve the better endings. You can quick travel to previously visited areas via the map which reduces the tedious nature of collecting extra seeds and raising biomass.

The game lasts around seven hours, but you will have seen all the plants a few hours prior to this point, so it did feel like it was starting to drag. Although, Waking Mars is an interesting game, I felt the story could have been developed further since the ending didn't seem to have the epic finale you were expecting.