Surviving Mars (PlayStation 4)

Have you ever wanted to find out what our lives would really be like on the red planet? Well now you can with Surviving Mars, the latest life-simulator from developer Haemimont Games and publisher Paradox Interactive. 

 

The title is pretty self-explanatory, but the game is anything but ordinary. In a visually stunning game, players must do everything they can to build a colony on Mars and ensure the survival of the people that call it home. 

 

In a similar vein to the now iconic Sims games, Surviving Mars entrusts players with creating an environment that is suitable for human life, and we know from the movies that it’s not an easy task whatsoever. This includes building habitation domes that allow people to live as freely as they would do on Earth.  

 

If a story is more your thing, then Surviving Mars has you covered in that respect. Throughout the game there are nine mysteries – events in which gamers come up against something a little out of the ordinary. It is then up to the player, not the game, to decide how to deal with these situations. A nice touch is the inclusion of mysteries that are inspired by classic sci-fi, like Star Trek for instance. 

 

These mysteries essentially form the basis of the story in Surviving Mars. As this is an openworld sandbox game like Zoo Tycoon or Theme Hospital, the main task is to help your colony prosper and survive by any means necessary. Ensure you have hospitals, parks and other well-being spaces available for your residents. After all, Mars is a dusty, inhospitable environment filled with disaster and your colonists will need healthcare and a place to chill out when necessary. 

 

Gamers will receive prompts if anything disastrous occurs, like the death of a colony member for instance, but apart from that, Surviving Mars allows players to shape their own destiny and create the very best habitat they can. Be warned however, numerous factors will try to derail your sense of achievement: famine, dehydration, dome destruction, all of these will rear their heads from time-to-time. 

 

Ideal for fans of sci-fi films, memorabilia and books as well the genre’s games, Surviving Mars is perfect for the smooth-playing capabilities of Sony’s incredible PS4.