Mars or Die!

Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC
Genre: Strategy
Developer: 34BigThings
Release Date: July 13, 2018

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'Mars or Die!' (ALL) Major Update Adds New Game Mode, Campaign, Features And More

by Rainier on Oct. 5, 2018 @ 4:00 p.m. PDT

Mars or Die mixes key elements from tower defense and roguelite games, generating a strategic combo of tactical planning, execution and reflexes unique to the genre.

Two intrepid explorers are sent on Mars by their Supremely Illuminated Leader, in order to expand their regime to the stars. It is designed to afford exploration and bubble-like base building, resisting hordes of red martians - all in honour of the Supremely Illuminated Leader!

Mix roguelite with tower defense while listening to a pretentious militaristic speech, then takeoff towards the stars! Mars or Die is a strategic combo of tactical planning, execution and reflexes unique to the genre, designed to afford exploration and multiple-base building, while resisting hordes of increasingly big red Martians.

Building, Scouting, Fighting and Upgrading are the four pillars of the game core loop. Explorers roam the Red Planet on foot: their respirators have limited capabilities so they will need to build O2 Tanks. In order to do so, they must find and mine Crystals, to accumulate resources. Players can perform multiple tasks by switching control between Explorers at any time: Scout Bean, fast and nimble, equipped with a bullet-deflecting shield, or Major Bob, slower but armed with a deadly 9-rounds pistol. While the player controls one character, the other will automatically assist by mining nearby Crystals or repairing damaged structures, besides defending himself. Support structures such as Solar Panels, Auto Miners and Glorious Flags expand the base, while defensive structures such as Armories, Turrets and Heavy Turrets keep enemy waves at bay.

The Campaign is divided in 9 Missions with variegated objectives (seek and recover, build, defend, escape), unfolding the story of our two Intrepid Explorers and their regime. Once the Campaign is completed players will unlock Endless Mode, in which hordes of aliens will progressively make life harder and the goal is simply to survive for as long as possible. A global leaderboard will show those players who survive the longest.

New Alien units, defensive structures, an entire new Campaign, revised game mechanics and a new Hardcore game mode are some of the features involved in this major update which, 34BigThings promises, will make the game better in every way.

“This patch upgrades and expands all the work we have done on Mars or Die!”  says Valerio Di Donato, CEO of 34BigThings. “We were all downhearted with the project’s negative reception. The team morale was very low, but we managed to turn this into positive energy, and went back to the drawing board to conceive new ways to improve Mars or Die!, and I think we have succeeded”.

“Our first goal was to improve the strategic depth of the product” continues Giuseppe Enrico Franchi, Game Designer. “We streamlined some clunky mechanics such as building and upgrading, introduced new elements such as single-turret upgrades, new long-range and short-range defensive options, a new underground ambient, and of course, tons of bigger and badder enemies! We are satisfied with the end result and we hope players will be too”.

Mars, or Die! Red is the color of conquest - the Supreme Leader calls!

Key Features:

  • Action Packed - Switch between our two characters for some fast dual stick action
  • Challenging - Gather -> Build -> Explore -> Fight -> Upgrade. None of these steps is easy!
  • Long lasting mission mode - Excel with primary and secondary objectives in 9 missions
  • Endless Mode - Try your best strategy against the endless hordes. Usually just a gimmick to add “cheap” content, Endless Mode is where Mars or Die really shines!
  • Humor – Follow religiously the incoherent babbling of your Glorious Leader!
  • Upgrades! - Upgrade every structure, character or support feature to last even longer!

Mars or Die! is currently available on PC (Steam) for $19.99/€19.99, with a Nintendo Switch to follow soon.


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