Once you get the hang of the core concept (which Bohemia lacks to explain for most of the time), you’ll start to enjoy this space sim that wants you to explore the red planet.
Complexity of gameplay mechanics and really decent immersion make up for the game’s repetitiveness and very slow pace. Despite its flaws I spent almost 20 hours with Take On Mars and didn’t even notice when all that time flew by. [04/2017, p.43]
This game is a simulation at its best, it takes a long time to learn but rewards you with great immersion, story missions that basically simulate the Martian movie ... survival on the red planet by any means necessary ... moon missions and missions on the space station. It is sometimes painfully slow - but again ... it is a simulation as all bohemia games :) But I would recommend it. There are mechanics like cold solar radiation, harvesting of material and crafting of everything...
Really enjoyable Simulator game. Graphics are stunning, and I genuinely feel like I am on mars sending probes. It delivers a suitable mix of realism, as well as fun-game play, to satisfy any space liker. The Tech tree is great, and the game play, while not fast - it is a rover simulator after all - is sufficiently interesting to keep me gripped; my Steam account says I've played for more than 12 hours on it, yet I have not finished the game (probably can be done for less, for those speed gamers). It is in Early Access, and they are going to continue to update the game (it does bear the hall marks of an Early Access game), so my recommendation is to hold off until it is released, if you're a little bit unsure.
I love this game, anyway!
The unfinished product is pulled back to the ground not only by its technical issues, but also the inconsistency or the fuzziness of the original concept. The game playability save its robotic probes and tremendous modularity.
Unfinished product is grounded not only by its technical errors, but also by the inconsistency and diluted original concept. The honor of the game is saved by the robotic probes and tremendous modularity. [Issue#274]
It's a sensation I don't feel very often in games, and in that moment all the frustration, the annoying bugs, the torturous dialogue, felt worthwhile. Take on Mars isn't short of problems, but when everything works together, it really does feel like you're there.
Probably the only Mars In depth Simulator out there its like arma on mars without guns. pacing is slow, tutorials are not great, too many bugs and it requires patience. its a 7/10 for me the game performance stopped me from completing the game.
I've played Take on Mars from early on and had a lot of fun with the rover missions. Unfortunately, the game took 4 years to develop and when it was about to be released, the rover missions were removed in favor of a fancy survival-astronaut mode for some reason (later they put back the rover missions).
I found the manned mission to be mostly tedious. Time passes too fast and somehow the nights last way longer than the days. I had to build and manage equipment in pitch dark. Of course one can use thermal/night vision, but then the displays are unreadable due to the glow. Second, food and water run out too fast, which is bad if the mission wants you to preserve those. Third, grabbing and moving things around causes all sorts of physics glitching and jumping around, sending items fly all over the place. Fourth, those damn cylindrical containers that you can't put down properly and they start rolling downhill unless you can stand next to them to stop them. The physics is annoying.
Unfortunately, there is not much official content, the game time is mostly spent on getting from A to B really slowly and I can't see much replay value.
Unfinished. Full of bugs. weird physic. very bad performance.
outdated unoptimized engine. terrible user interface.
the building system is halfway acceptable but the controls are messy.
Could be a good game, but the flaws kill every little bit of joy.
SummaryTake On Mars places you in the seat of a Rover Operator, allowing you to control the various, fully simulated mobile Rovers and stationary Landers. With this scientific arsenal at your disposal, you will work your way through the numerous Science Missions in each location, unlocking the secrets of Mars' distant past.