Martian Gothic: Unification

Comparisons are bound to be drawn between Martian Gothic and the Resident Evil series. There is far more tension and atmosphere to this game though, and you don't have to put up with any door animations either! As you push further into the game, you get a really nasty feeling that the worst is yet to come. It's this very feeling that drives you forward. Overall it's entertaining stuff though, but it really needs a patch to fix the problems I mentioned, along with a few other minor issues. It's for this reason that I feel I must mark it down a notch.

Overall Martian Gothic: Unification has a lot to offer. The sound and graphics are high quality, the story -- though seemingly cobbled together from many different sci-fi plots -- is engaging and keeps you guessing. Most of all it's damn fun shooting zombies. The only real drawbacks are some control difficulties and awkward view angles. But let this be a fair warning, this game is hard -- especially the last third. Be ready to invest a lot of time in order to see it through to the end.

Een verdienstelijke poging binnen het genre, maar de soms irritante minpunten doen dit spel de das om.

It's too bad that for a "survival horror" game, Martian Gothic's scares are so few and far between. The zombies are so ubiquitous that they're more of a hassle than a horror. Nothing in the game even comes close to the "zombie looking over the shoulder" scene that made the first Resident Evil an instant classic. That doesn't mean that Martian Gothic is a bad game - it just shoots for the stars and burns up in the atmosphere.

Interessant am Gameplay ist, daß man um weiter zu kommen, die drei Helden abwechselnd spielen muß. Man kann jeder Zeit hin und her wechseln. Etwas ermüdend ist die Steuerung... diese erweist sich als sehr träge auf. Die Grafik ist gerändert und kann sich von daher schon sehen lassen... etwas eckig und pixelig sind aber natürlich die Figuren. Fazit: Steuertechnisch etwas unausgereift, dafür aber abwechslungsreich und mit spannender Story untermalt

Een redelijk horror-in-space adventure voor de meer traditionele speler. Resident Evil meets Aliens, alleen dan met slecht gecaste hoofdrolspelers, matige graphics en zonder spectaculaire effekten.

Посудите сами — отправлять на верную смерть безоружных людей! Да и где бы они добровольцев на такое дело нашли? К тому же, любому здравомыслящему человеку известно, что зомби не бывает. Словом, абсолютно нереальная ситуация. Хотя написано очень здорово. Атмосфера потрясающая. Все эти ужастики, выпрыгивающие из-за угла, ожившие мертвецы, марсианские катакомбы… И самое интересное — если вам наскучит следить за похождениями одного из героев, то в любой момент можно переключиться на другого. Так что к следующему разу чтобы все прочитали.

While Martian Gothic won't appeal to everyone, it is a fun little package. You may be disappointed if you pick this title up expecting to play Resident Evil, but the story makes it a worthy entry into your adventure game library, as long as the button-pushing doesn't bother you.

Martian Gothic rebondit sur l’actualité pour offrir un scénario assez largement inspiré d’Alien. L’ambiance de jeu est prenante, grâce à une réalisation de bonne facture. L’aventure est difficile, surtout qu’il faut gérer trois personnages en même temps.

Een gebrekkige besturing en de nadruk op puzzelwerk zouden de hardcore survivalhorror gamers wel eens op het verkeerde been kunnen zetten in dit voor het overige bijzonder sfeervolle spel.

Die klaustrophobische Stimmung – eine Mischung aus Alone in the Dark und System Shock – hat Talonsoft sehr gut hingekriegt, wenn auch einige Schnitzer im Spieldesign stecken. Die Figuren reagieren viel zu träge; in Kämpfen beißt man so nur allzu leicht ins Gras. Zusammen mit den ultraknappen Speicherplätzen zwingt das zu frustrierendem Wiederspielen schon geschaffter Abschnitte. Dafür sind die Rätsel gut.

It's the same old story, this game is full of potential but just doesn't deliver the goods. Martian Gothic features an excellent sci-fi storyline and the inclusion of a three-member crew, accompanying the necessary interaction between them, is a relatively unique concept. It all goes downhill when the repetitive enemies and uninspiring puzzles are implemented. The framework is lacking and what results is a game that is hard to bear if only to see how the story ends.

All in all, MGU was a good effort and, given the price, is worth what you will pay for it. It will not deliver the thrills of an Alone in the Dark or Half-Life, but it will entertain you for a few hours. If you are desperate for a good horror game, play Resident Evil, Half-Life, System Shock 2, or any of the old Alone in the Dark games.

Den größten Teil der Zeit verbringen Sie damit, Schlüsselkarten für verschiedenfarbige Türen zu finden und Untote umzunieten, die aber grundsätzlich nach kurzer Zeit an derselben Stelle wieder auftauchen.

Enttäuscht ist das Wort, das meinen Gemütszustand nach einem Tag Martian Gothic am besten beschreibt. Von der beklemmenden Spannung zu Beginn bleibt nach dem x-ten Zombie-Scharmützel nicht mehr viel übrig. Darüber kann man hinwegsehen, wenn die Story stimmt? Korrekt. Nur entwickelt die sich praktisch kaum weiter und lässt mich mit Logik-Fragen zurück. Wenn beispielsweise ein Virus für die Veränderungen der Basis-Besatzung verantwortlich wäre, warum werden dann meine Leutchen nicht infiziert? Spätestens nach einem Biss in den Hals? Abgesehen davon interagieren die drei Helden viel zu wenig mit der Umgebung. Ab und an eine Luke oder Leiche durchsuchen, das war's. Auch wenn im Intro eine geheimnisvolle Stimme verkündet, dass "drei kommen und nur zwei gehen" - bei mir ging nur einer: ich selbst. Und zwar schlafen.

It is this difficult computer interface that ends up pushing the rating for this game down to 3 GiN Gems. But if you have a game pad and enjoy this type of game, then Martian Gothic: Unification could be a welcome addition to your gaming arsenal.

If you enjoyed the Resident Evil series and games of that ilk, you will enjoy Martian Gothic: Unification. The difficulty of the controls and the overall difficulty of game play are why I give Martian Gothic: Unification 3 out of 5 GiN gems. Best of all, this previously released PC game is in the value bin now, so you can pick up a decent adventure for $10.

In the end, Martian Gothic is not a game I would recommend for most people. The storyline definitely had its intriguing qualities and some of the features were enjoyable, but it was nowhere near original enough to overcome its shortcomings. The audience who would most benefit from this inexpensive game would be those who greatly enjoyed Resident Evil and would like try out a similar plot out of a sense of nostalgia.

Cast in the mold of Resident Evil, Martian Gothic: Unification does a decent job of blending explorative gameplay and third-person zombie fighting with a truly horrific story. It is unfortunate that the creature fighting is often so mathematical and that the puzzles aren't more intricate, as the game's subplot and character development are exquisite. Overall, Take-Two's brand of survival-horror is sufficient if you're looking for an alternative to the mainstream, but it certainly won't blow you away.

For adventure gamers, who don't have much to choose from in the current market, Martian Gothic is just competent enough to tide them over. However, Martian Gothic is a missed opportunity for those hoping for a good blend of action and adventure elements, let alone a revision of survival-horror conventions. The designers seem to have started with a few good ideas, such as multiple characters and more complex and satisfying puzzles, but they drove these ideas into the ground rather than mix them into a balanced and fully satisfying gaming experience.

Hard core adventure gamers may be able to overlook some of Martian Gothic's shortcomings, but probably not all of them. The poor voice acting, monotonous puzzles, and lack of objectives make it hard to enjoy as an adventure game. The limited character control, inane save game system, and poor graphics make it hard to enjoy as an action game. There's not much left.