Review: Mars Attracts

A Human Zoo on Mars That Perfectly Understands the Franchise's Madness

Mars Attracts is based on the Mars Attacks universe, a property that originally began with the famous trading cards released by Topps in the 1960s before becoming globally known through Tim Burton's 1996 film adaptation.

Anyone who has seen the movie will immediately recognize many familiar elements. The Martians still have their oversized heads, exposed brains, cruel behavior, and completely twisted sense of humor. The difference is that there is no global invasion taking place this time. The war is already over, and the aliens have turned humans into a tourist attraction.

This shift in perspective is the game's greatest strength. Mars Attracts understands exactly what makes the franchise entertaining and builds its entire concept around it. Humans are studied, observed, displayed to the public, and frequently subjected to absurd situations that fit perfectly within the signature humor of Mars Attacks.

Turning a franchise known for alien invasions into a management simulator may sound like an odd idea at first. Nevertheless, Mars Attracts successfully finds its own identity by capturing the essence of Mars Attacks and adapting it into a surprisingly competent theme park management game. Instead of controlling humans trying to survive the Martian invasion, players take on the role of the invaders themselves and manage a park where human beings are treated as exotic attractions.

Even for those unfamiliar with the franchise, the concept works remarkably well. The result is a game that combines management, research, dark humor, and a healthy dose of satire without relying solely on the strength of its license.

GAMEPLAY

The core gameplay revolves around building and managing Martian parks. Players must create habitats for different groups of humans, meet their specific needs, attract visitors, manage staff, and maintain the park's financial stability.

The economic management systems offer a surprising amount of depth. Loans, pricing strategies, marketing campaigns, merchandise sales, donations, and multiple revenue streams all require constant attention. At the same time, human specimens feature various needs related to hunger, comfort, hygiene, social interaction, entertainment, and habitat quality.

Another interesting aspect is the expedition system. These missions allow players to travel across different periods of human history to capture new specimens and gather resources. Vikings, Ancient Egyptians, Feudal Japanese, American Frontier settlers, and even Soviet citizens appear among the unlockable habitats, providing a diverse range of challenges and management opportunities.

The game also maintains a strong sense of progression. Main and secondary objectives constantly guide players forward while new maps, mechanics, and systems are gradually introduced.

My main criticism concerns the interface. The side-menu system works well during the opening hours when there are relatively few options available. However, as the park expands and new mechanics are introduced, a more traditional management HUD with bottom menus or additional shortcuts could make navigation significantly more efficient. It never becomes a major issue, but it is an area that could benefit from refinement.

I also found myself wishing for a greater variety of game modes. The campaign and its various scenarios provide plenty of content, but additional options such as an endless sandbox mode could further increase replayability for players who enjoy building without objective-based restrictions.

VISUALS AND SOUND

Visually, Mars Attracts does an excellent job of representing the franchise's universe.

The alien designs remain extremely faithful to the film, preserving the exaggerated proportions and cartoonish appearance that made the Martians so memorable. The same level of attention extends to the architecture, scientific equipment, and futuristic technology scattered throughout the park.

The art direction also deserves praise for its creative portrayal of humans. The game constantly plays with the idea that humans are primitive creatures being observed by a superior civilization, and this concept is reflected through habitat design, animations, and character behavior.

The arid Martian setting naturally limits environmental variety to some extent, but the developers make a noticeable effort to differentiate maps, structures, and research areas throughout the campaign.

Another aspect worth highlighting is the game's commitment to its premise. Mars Attracts never attempts to soften the franchise's dark humor. Many situations involving humans can be considered brutal, yet they work precisely because they fit the satire established from the very beginning. In many cases, the exaggerated violence functions as a humorous commentary on the way humans themselves treat animals in zoos, reserves, and laboratories.

The soundtrack and sound effects complement the retro science-fiction atmosphere very well, constantly reinforcing the feeling of being inside a production inspired by the classic B-movies that originally influenced Mars Attacks.

ACHIEVEMENTS

The achievement list provides a good indication of the game's overall scope.

Objectives include unlocking new historical habitats, reaching advanced levels of human knowledge, hiring specialized staff members, expanding visitor numbers, and developing parks capable of achieving top-tier ratings.

Some achievements clearly demonstrate that there is far more content beyond the opening hours. Attracting 500 simultaneous visitors, generating massive amounts of revenue, and earning a five-star park rating are goals that require a complete understanding of the game's management systems.

There are also several amusing achievements, such as calling in a SWAT team or discovering a hidden dating simulator, reinforcing the sense of humor that remains present throughout the entire experience.

TRAILER OFFICIAL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Liv5mcLRRc

FINAL THOUGHTS

Mars Attracts is a solid management simulator that fully understands the franchise it represents. The combination of park management, scientific research, dark humor, and constant progression creates an enjoyable experience even for players with little or no connection to the original source material.

The interface could be more efficient in certain situations, and the addition of extra game modes would certainly improve the title's long-term value. However, these shortcomings do little to diminish what remains a creative and highly original management game.

Even though it uses a well-known license, Mars Attracts does not rely entirely on nostalgia. Its management systems are strong enough to stand on their own, while the franchise setting adds a unique layer of personality that makes progression even more entertaining.

For management simulation fans, the game succeeds on its own merits. For those familiar with Tim Burton's film, the experience becomes even more enjoyable thanks to the many references and ideas successfully adapted into gameplay. It is the kind of game that can easily keep players engaged for hours as they expand their Martian park, conduct bizarre experiments, and turn humanity into a profitable tourist attraction.

SCORE: 8.2/10

 Review by Gamertag: Scoulz