If Metroid had an ecosystem…
I’m big on games that try new things and as a critic I should be. Tiger Style has set a standard for their games that instantly grants them bonus points in my review department, making small but relevant strides to the genres they touch. Waking Mars is one part risky business with 2 parts Metroid, in a smart concoction of an iPad game that is like nothing else on the app store.
The plot pushing Waking Mars isn’t nearly as important as the fresh mechanics the game introduces to the genre. Our main protagonist is stranded on Mars, forced to traverse a cave system in an attempt to research the alien life forms discovered in them. Pretty standard stuff as far as plot-line goes, which is a bit disappointing seeing as a tad bit more work in that department could have elevated Waking Mars to new heights.
At first glance, it’s hard not to mutter the words Super Metroid when eyeing Waking Mars. Truthfully, it’s not quite a Metroid in design, with its caves stretching in linear runs from start to finish a majority of the time. That’s not to say the act of exploration isn’t present, but mainly resides in the ecological mechanics that make up much of Waking Mars’ gameplay. On the other hand, backtracking in order to open new depths of this cave system is much like Metroid-vanias – a staple in this iOS jam.
Don’t expect to be firing off missiles at the alien life forms that call these caves home. Instead, intend on using the living ecosystem of those caves against itself to manage your livelihood. Ultimately, it makes sense that a research scientist wouldn’t be killing off the exact species he’s been meaning to research. Playing with this ecosystem is equally as satisfying as pumping it with bullets. Observing how one life form interacts with others defines Waking Mars’ enjoyment, and makes for a some enjoyably surprising results. I didn’t expect planting a few plants would have chained together a reaction that would sprout a cave-full of living organisms in minutes. It’s truly a mechanic one must witness first hand to enjoy. Kudos to Tiger Style for such a refreshing and brilliant mechanic that bleeds intelligence.
A puzzle-laden adventure that trades rockets for a lesson in ecology.
The controls initially feel clumsy and the lack of user-control options makes matters worst. Given some time though, these touch controls become second nature, leaving you jet packing your way through these claustrophobic-inducing caves with ease. Yea I know, right? Jetpacks!!
Waking Mars is another example of where I want iPad games to go. Refreshing and innovating on a smaller-scale, in a market that’s viable to smaller projects Its music is enjoyable and exactly what I expected from a soundtrack set in caves on Mars. It takes something familiar and drapes over a cloth of ideas that work and pump new life into the genre, and it satisfies in atmosphere. There’s a lot of game to play here and it’s a game I’d recommend regardless of price-tag. It’s hard to say no to something that looks so washed up but feels so new. This bad boy deserves a place in your iPad. Now go find it one.
