THE TECHNOMANCER The Waters Of Mars
released OUT NOW! Reviewed on Ps4 Also on XO, PC Publisher Focus Home Interactive
Back in 2013, French studio Spiders pumped out Mars: War Logs, a tale of powerful water guilds fighting it out after a century of trouble for the human race on the Red Planet. This is officially a sequel, though it’s more like a remake.
You control Zachariah, a Technomancer just learning his trade. These sci-fi mages are a bit like low-grade Jedi, able to control electricity and summon it in attack. Fighting is what you’ll be doing most of, with levels guiding you through locked-off section after locked-off section, each populated by scavengers hunting for the planet’s resources, or arachnid-like locals. Combat is well balanced – a button-basher this is not.
Less slick are the story elements. Plot progression feels forced, with cut-scenes interrupting gameplay without warning and rarely delivering anything original. Character movement feels equally clunky.
These are relatively small niggles, however. When it comes to gameplay, The Technomancer doesn’t put a foot far wrong – but that’s largely because it takes so few risks. Inoffensive and enjoyable enough for action-RPG fans, but it does far too little to distinguish itself. Keith Andrew
Creature designs were inspired by deep-sea animals, as the landscapes brought to mind the ocean floor.