Mars: War Logs – new frontier RPG or a barren waste?

Mars: War Logs is one of the most interesting games coming out this quarter, but after Rock Paper Shotgun gave a less-than-flattering impression of the game, it makes us wonder: is Mars: War Logs really that bad?

We decided to round up some review scores of Mars: War Logs, which is developed by Spiders Studios, known for the Testament of Sherlock Holmes and Of Orcs and Men.

The sci-fi horror game is sitting on a Metascore of 61 for PC, with the Xbox 360 score still requiring a few more reviews before attaining an aggregate.

Over on GameRankings, Mars: War Logs has a percentage of 58 on PC.

So, the Metacritic score revealed that its receiving a “mixed” reception, but what are the critics actually saying? Is it as bad as Rock Paper Shotgun initially surmised?

Multiplayer.it: 7.2/10

“Mars: War Logs is an interesting take on sci fi RPG, bestowed with a fascinating background and robust hack’n’slashing. On the other hand, it lacks depth and optimization in many of its features, ultimately resulting in a mixed bag.”

RPG Fan: 70/100

“Mars: War Logs is derivative, underdeveloped, and features one of the briefest, most rushed final chapters I’ve seen, but it’s also completely playable and even charming in a B-movie kind of way.”

Vandal Online: 69/100

“We feel it’s limited by time and money, but as a game is a good experience, with some good ideas actually well implemented. If you like sci-fi ARPG, and you’ve already played the big games in the genre, this could be an option worth trying.”

ZTGD: 6/10

“Mars: War Logs has flashes of brilliance, mostly stemming from its combat system. I really wanted to love the game more than I did, but it continuously disappointed me with simple flaws.”

Strategy Informer: 55/10

“Mars is a fairly interesting action RPG with a cheap price on its side, but in all honesty it could do with being even cheaper.”

IGN: 5.3/10

“While only the combat stands out as a true high-point, Mars: War Logs is at least an ambitious attempt at a budget RPG, in a much less overused setting than most.”

Destructoid: 5/10

“Mars: War Logs is the kind of experience one can only call serviceable. It exists, it does what it does, and it performs its job suitably. It doesn’t do anything terrible, but it never once goes above a basic standard of acceptability.”