A dream come true: The settlement of the red planet as new hope for what comes after the earth. These days maybe not a bad idea, in “Moons of Madness” by Funcom and Rock Pocket Games it’s almost a reality. A somewhat bizarre and at the same time fascinating adventure, inspired by the Lovecraft universe, which we took a closer look at.
It all starts with a repeating nightmare by protagonist Shane Newehart, chief engineer at a research facility on Mars, who keeps catching up with him. In the next few hours you will learn that reality can be even more terrible and that it goes far beyond what we are familiar with.
Once to Mars and back
At first everything looks as if only the Mars station had fallen victim to a small accident – a sandstorm that destroyed a little here and a little there. So calm and serenity are top priority. We look around a bit, look for tools, repair a few things or have to solve puzzles. Outdoor walks will soon also be part of our tasks, in which we move in a Mars vehicle to the huge antenna systems to supply them with energy and realign them.
As soon as the shop is up and running again, protagonist Newehart realizes that there is a lot more to be done here. Research colleagues have become independent and apparently pursue larger goals than the simple colonization and exploration of Mars – secret experiments that have gotten completely out of control and become a threat to the entire crew. Back at the station, hostile plant growth has pervaded the entire habitat, which will harm you at the closest approach. So tackled, developed a poison and looked the “enemy” in the eye, not knowing that there was something much bigger behind it.
This is what a mission to Mars could look like
Even the first few hours of “Moons of Madness” impress with an authentic replica of a mission to Mars, which could actually be a reality in a few years. Contrary to what was initially thought, you are not expecting a typical survival game, but a fantastic story that takes you into bizarre worlds and thoughts, where Lovecraftian deliberately plays with psychological aspects and that gives you the feeling that you are isolated on the Mars is going crazy.
The surface of Mars is only a tiny part of the total, while later you explore huge and underground facilities that somehow remind me a little of “Area 51” from the PS2 back then, including alien-like beings, test laboratories and everything that goes with it. The fact that you end up running in a kind of alien cult that shows that the universe is a power that can never be controlled was perhaps a little too much in the story, although it was excitingly implemented. The topic could also have been left out. No more wants to reveal at this point, but the story lives on some and predictable twists that you follow with interest.
An eye for detail
“Moons of Madness” playfully entertains you for 5 to 6 hours, depending on how much you deal with all the notes and emails in the computers and on the station. If you want to learn more about the backgrounds and plans of the renegade researchers, you can follow them closely and will ultimately be rewarded with a richer story. Sometimes you even have to search through all emails, for example to find door codes or find out the right parameters for certain devices. Rock Pocket Games has meticulously thought of details, imagine tricky puzzles that sometimes require some knowledge in mathematics, or challenge your talent for observation to advance further. Help is rarely available, so I also had to access a walkthrough.
An eye for detail can also be seen in authentic things, such as oxygen management during outdoor walks, the somewhat sluggish movement in the Martian atmosphere or the eerie sound effects. Because it is not as quiet as you imagine everything in space and on foreign planets. I found the representation of the Martian atmosphere particularly successful here, in which one can survive for at least a few seconds even without a space suit. I also found it close to reality that you have to take care of the indoor and outdoor atmosphere in the locks step by step. It was just a shame that you cannot control the Mars vehicle yourself and that film sequences always take you to the next set.
The title really invites you to explore from a settings perspective and is also convincing from a graphical point of view. Everything is as you would imagine in space travel – mirror-smooth and great-looking textures, impressive vaults that will open later and always keep an eye on the details on this point. Well, some things and animations are sometimes not so perfect, but that hardly matters and is forgiven by an indie developer. All in all, a great achievement that can be delivered in “Moons of Madness”.
8th
Summary
“Moons of Madness is a real insider tip if you like space adventure, alien stories and modern technologies, combined with a psychological narrative approach that uses the Lovecraft universe – hence the somewhat bizarre phrase at the end. Until then, you can look forward to a very authentic Mars experience, a successful technical implementation and an overall exciting atmosphere. The only pity is that the gameplay is fairly linear and there are hardly any opportunities for independent exploration. I would also have liked to see the survival aspects more in the foreground. Still an entertaining and successful experience that you can take with you in times like these. ” 8th
Summary
“Moons of Madness is a real insider tip if you like space adventure, alien stories and modern technologies, combined with a psychological narrative approach that uses the Lovecraft universe – hence the somewhat bizarre phrase at the end. Until then, you can look forward to a very authentic Mars experience, a successful technical implementation and an overall exciting atmosphere. The only pity is that the gameplay is fairly linear and there are hardly any opportunities for independent exploration. I would also have liked to see the survival aspects more in the foreground. Still an entertaining and successful experience that you can take with you in times like these. ”
