Following on from the successful Deliver Us The Moon, which was released in 2018, Deliver Us Mars explores the relationship between protagonist Kathy and her sister Claire, as well as their father, who is a mysterious fugitive.
A sci-fi adventure survival game, Deliver Us Mars has a complex, compelling narrative, great visuals, interesting mechanics, and fantastic voice acting. Players need to explore the rocky landscapes of Mars and solve puzzles to progress through the campaign. However, some elements of the game pose something of a challenge to players who are new to it. This list covers several tips for beginners to the title.
10 Explore Thoroughly
Deliver Us Mars is a game filled with collectibles, and it's up to the player to track them down and, well, collect them.
The best way for gamers to ensure that they manage to pick up 100% of the collectibles in Deliver Us Mars is by thoroughly exploring every area and level that they visit. This is also a great way to take in the fairly unique atmosphere that the game manages to create (it's up there with the best games set on Mars). Nabbing all of the collectibles in the game does also reward players with two Trophies, so it's definitely worth doing.
9 Take The Time To Learn The Mechanics
As is fairly common in the sci-fi genre, Deliver Us Mars features a whole host of mechanics for players to get to grips with, with puzzle-solving, climbing with Kathy's space ice axes, the platforming, which is up there with some of the genre's strongest entries, and more.
While this makes the title feel dynamic and engaging for players, it does also create something of a learning curve for beginners to the game. So, anyone who's just picked the title up for the first time should probably devote some time to getting comfortable with the game's various mechanics before progressing in the campaign.
8 Use Chapter Select To Replay Levels For Missed Trophies/Collectibles
As mentioned above, Deliver Us Mars is chock-full of collectibles, and it's easy for players to miss them as they navigate the game's chaotic, tense narrative and survival-focussed gameplay (a staple for other games that allow players to revel in the wonder of space).
Having said that, if players are aware that they've missed one or several collectibles in a particular area, then they can replay that level in order to go back and find them. This is thanks to Deliver Us Mars' Chapter Select feature. So, if players notice that they're missing a particular collectible, there's no need to panic, because the game has an easy fix for this.
7 AstroTalks Deliver Important Exposition
AstroTalks are a type of collectible in Deliver Us Mars, and they're also one of the primary ways that the game provides narrative exposition (as well as being pretty reminiscent of Star Wars, which, to be fair, is quite common among sci-fi games).
Players especially invested in the game's narrative should, therefore, do their best to collect as many of the game's AstroTalks as possible. They're essentially a type of chatlog and are scattered around Deliver Us Mars' levels - some are easier than others to find, so players should be prepared to do a bit of exploration to uncover them all.
6 Holograms Are Key For Exposition, Too
Another key part of the narrative exposition in Deliver Us Mars is the Holograms hidden in and around the various levels that make up the game. While the AstroLogs are a type of chatlog, Holograms are more or less their visual equivalent and deliver key information about the events that took place preceding the campaign of Deliver Us Mars (one does wonder if there wouldn't be a more practical way to convey information in the era the game takes place in, but impractical inventions are part and parcel within the sci-fi genre).
As previously mentioned, they're also scattered about the game's levels, so players will need to explore to find them all. It's definitely worth it to get a better understanding of the story, though.
5 Be Careful Using Climbing Axes
Kathy's climbing axes feel great to use. They're weighty, satisfying, and honestly provide a pretty unique experience, as far as climbing sequences in sci-fi games go.
However, players do need to be careful when using them. They need to be manually swung and land in the right place, and players also need to ensure that they're secure before moving Kathy further up the wall. If one of her axes hasn't gained sufficient place before doing so, she'll usually fall off the wall, which, predictably, often has disastrous results (like dying).
4 Enjoy The Drama
Deliver Us Mars honestly has a considerable amount of drama and tension in its narrative. It makes sense, too - Kathy has to discover the fate of her father, who is a fugitive, as well as being part of an expedition with her sister, which game's great world-building (it's on par with some of the best sci-fi titles in that respect).
And, the other members of Kathy's crew are all older and more experienced than her, often resulting in a power struggle emerging in the group. Not only is the ensuing drama entertaining, but it also feels like a deeply realistic insight into group dynamics, and is worth paying attention to.
3 Be Mindful Of Kathy’s Oxygen Supply
Deliver Us Mars is a survival game, and one fairly classic mechanic from the genre that it features is that of a finite oxygen supply.
Players will quickly become aware of Kathy's oxygen supply, which she wears on her back. The supply will start to beep when it runs low while Kathy is out on a mission, creating a profound sense of tension as players try to get her back to safety (putting it on par with some of the best sci-fi games out there). So, while players don't want to rush through the game, it's crucial to remember that they only have a finite amount of time, too.
2 Beam Puzzles Require Patience
The beam puzzles in Deliver Us Mars are one of the more challenging aspects of the game for many players. While they tend to be fairly simply mechanically, that doesn't stop them from stumping gamers at times.
If players are struggling with a puzzle in Deliver Us Mars, then there's no shame in taking a break to think about the puzzle in more depth before attempting to complete it again. Oftentimes, feeling frustrated only makes puzzle-solving harder, so players should give themselves plenty of time to solve the game's beam puzzles and step away for a moment if they need to.
1 Scaling Objects Behind The Player Is Sometimes Necessary
As players progress in Deliver Us Mars, the mechanics that the game introduces become more and more varied, especially where the title's platforming is concerned.
In fact, players will sometimes need to jump to scale something behind them, and this is actually not explained explicitly in the game. So, if players find themselves stuck on a platforming sequence and there's a ledge or similar feature behind them that looks as if it's potentially meant to be scaled, they should attempt to climb it using this particular manoeuver - sometimes that's all that's needed.
Deliver Us Mars is out now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, and PC.