Faisal Ghaffar 
If you are looking for an interplanetary adventure that involves solving puzzles, then all you have to do is check out Deliver Us Mars. The game comprises of first-person as well as third-person explorations of the surface of Mars and an orbital facility. This requires you to solve some puzzles that are fairly simple, but there is also frustrating and occasional platforming.
The backstory
Kathy is the rebellious and plucky hero of the story, who can also be endearing at some places. She got separated from her father Isaac just before he joined a colonization mission going to Mars. Kathy spent years on Earth, which has been ravaged by the climate, and attended astronaut school.
Years later, she got a transmission from her father that pushes her and Claire, her older sister, to try and join the mission for bringing back the colony ships.You get to learn the painful and complicated story of the family through a number of periodic flashbacks.
The details
One of the strongest aspect of the game is the launch sequence, as it requires players to perform a number of landing procedures and checks, which feel tactile and authentic. You get to watch the Zephyr, the ship you are on, leave Earth and there are no loading screens or cuts to ruin the experience. The players do not get a briefing beforehand about the procedures, which means it takes a while for you to get the hang of it.
But, climbing the wall segments can prove to be quite obnoxious for the players. Likewise, Deliver Us Mars also does not explain some of the moves you have to make later on in the game and this lack of direction is often seen in different parts of the story.
The characters
Nonetheless, you will certainly like the characters. Isaac is played by Neil Newborn and he is a complex character that has a lot of contradictory motivations. Ellise Chappell brings Kathy to life and the performance is quite convincing, as the character appears to have a wide emotional range. The story is also quite impressive, as you are pulled forward with curiosity regarding the fate of the Martian colonists.
The character models might be a tad disappointing, as they look a lot like dolls when you see their faces. Most of the backstory is delivered through holograms that are pre-recorded, which boast test dummies that are faceless and hairless. Towards the end, there is an entire chapter where the game jumps from one scene to another, which are quite unrelated.
This makes it seem that a significant amount of plot was eliminated, but the developers did not stitch it back together properly.
The Verdict
There is no doubt that Deliver Us Mars has a rousing mystery at its center and a great voice cast brings it to life, but it does have its shortcomings. These include poor technical performance, as well as frustrating platforming and climbing techniques. But, the explorations can be quite rewarding and the puzzles are quite clever and these may keep you hooked.
