MARS 2120 Xbox Series X Review

MARS 2120: Xbox Series X Review – is the Martian Metroidvania a hit or a miss?

Can Brazilian developer QUByte Interactive deliver a compelling Metroidvania set on the Red Planet?

Our story starts in the year 2120, with a distress signal from the first human colony on Mars. The United Nations sends Sergeant Anna “Thirteen” Charlotte to investigate, but her ship crash-lands on the surface of the red planet. Climbing out of the wreckage, Anna is attacked by strange creatures and must jump and dash away from falling rocks to reach the colony itself – where the rocks trap her inside. What has happened to the colonists, the scientists, and the guards?

Part of the answer comes from Audiologs that are discovered as you explore. The default setting plays them automatically when you discover one, and you can go into the pause menu to hear them again. What experiments were going on here? What connects Anna to the colony? And like any Metroidvania, the map is designed to help you by showing hidden items and where to head next. The map is split into two sections, the current area map (which can be zoomed in and out) and the World Map overview showing the sections explored so far. Icons on the map also hint at where to use Anna’s new powers as she gains them.

Much of the game is viewed side-on in 2D, but there are sections where it becomes 2.5D adding depth to the view. Anna starts with a basic gun that does a small amount of damage but takes time to reload. She can also carry out melee attacks at close range, which is particularly useful for enemies with shields. Doors can only be opened by certain weapons, which you can switch between with RB and LB when acquired. You can also blast through fake walls to find hidden areas. Switching weapons is also a vital tactic when dealing with the massive bosses that appear throughout the colony and must be defeated before progressing. There are environmental hazards on top of the enemies that appear; cold water, fire and electrical fields can all harm Anna and often require upgrades to help you get past them.

As you explore, you will unlock two types of power. Skills are picked up but can only be activated at the Save Stations; these also require a set amount of XP (Experience Points) earned from killing enemies and collecting bonus XP icons. The Cores add new elemental powers to Anna’s suit and gun; these include the purple Electric Core, the blue Ice Core, and the red Fire Core. Other moves are added to the Cores, allowing you to Dash, freeze enemies or water, stun enemies, and so on. These powers will also help activate certain machinery within the colony. As you go there are also Control Rooms, which switch on power to new sections; the game will give a preview of where the switch has happened, as a clue of what to do next. You can also activate the Tram Stations, allowing fast travel between stations already discovered.

The backstory of a female warrior exploring a dangerous colony is of course classic Metroid, and there is a clear lineage that QUByte are trying to evoke. In many ways, it does the job. It is possible to explore the levels in a different order, making it less linear overall but still somewhat restricted by the need to find particular Cores. Anna gradually feels more powerful as you gain Cores, and the different areas of the colony (Foundry, Greenhouse, Ice Wastes) give plenty of variety to the enemies and backgrounds. In general, the graphics work well with a pleasing glow to Anna’s suit and the weapons as they fire. The music does feel atmospheric and at times almost mournful to portray Anna’s lonely predicament, but the sound effects are underwhelming; at least you can hear when your weapons are having an impact. The plot does start to feel a bit predictable and familiar.

The biggest problem in playability terms is the bosses, which represent a huge spike in difficulty when they are encountered. By using clever camera perspectives and emphasising their size, especially during their introduction, the bosses look formidable and are unrelenting in their attacks. It will take a skilful player to get past a boss on the first attempt, and because you can tackle them in different orders it can be frustrating to realise you might need a different Core or tactic to help you. There is a lot of backtracking between areas as new abilities open new routes – although the fast travel with the Trams helps, it does not mitigate the problem. I became lost on more than one occasion, the game not being clear enough in its signposting to help me progress smoothly – even with the help of the map. With about 10 hours of gameplay, it is reasonably good value at its lower price point for the sort of player who enjoys the Metroidvania genre. Speedrunners and sequence breakers may be compelled to keep coming back, but I found there was not much incentive to return to the colony to explore further (even with Achievements left to accomplish).

Mars 2120 Xbox Series X Summary: Close to Orbit, but Falls Short

There is a lot to like in MARS 2120, but ultimately it does not reach the level of the best in the genre. The graphics and music evoke the right atmosphere, but the gameplay can become frustrating.