[b]My Playtime:[/b] 3.1h (100% achievement, finished the game)
[list][*][i]Main levels[/i]: 2.5h
[*][i]Bonus levels[/i]: 0.6h[/list]
[b]Grindy Achievement(s):[/b] No.
[b]Optional Achievement(s):[/b] Yes (4 achievement).
[b]Difficult Achievement(s):[/b] No.
[h1]Intro[/h1]
[i]Mars Power Industries Deluxe[/i] is a puzzle game with a unique mechanic: you need to power certain buildings by building towers that can connect the resource to the building. It has 78+36 levels in total.
[b]Pros:[/b]
- 78+36+ levels
- Collectibles can be tracked easily
[b]Cons:[/b]
- Confusing story
- No hints in case you are stuck
[b]Specs[/b]
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 16GB RAM, AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT
[h1]Should you buy this game?[/h1]
[i]If you enjoy short, easy puzzle games that can be brute forced, buy it on sale.[/i]
[hr][/hr]
[h1]In-Depth Review[/h1]
[h3]The Game[/h3]
[i]Mars Power Industries Deluxe[/i] sets in Mars, where you have to direct resources to the building(s) in a level. Two types of buildings are available, each needing different resources. In doing so, you are armed with several towers that can consume the resource in that tile to give output to the tiles that are pointed by the tower.
The game uses a 5x4 grid on its level. Each grid might contain resources, buildings, or obstacles. Obviously, you can't direct resources to obstacles, and since the tower can only direct resources in a specific direction, you need to get around it to solve the level. A new type of obstacle and mechanic will be introduced as you play the game, although there weren't many of them; you'll be stuck doing the same thing for the majority of the game.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3633243034
That being said, the game is easy enough. Some levels might give you a headache—I almost gave up in two of them. Most puzzles can be easily brute-forced since there are only a few starting points. However, the harder ones might require some planning to finish.
There weren't many challenging levels in the game. In fact, 1/3 of the main levels can be finished very quickly, with you only having to click the only cells on the grid. The game seems to tone down the difficulty from time to time, either because it's introducing a new mechanic or just wants you to take a break.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2820173966
The game has many collectibles, and you can see which level has them in the level select. Most of them aren't hard to find, although some will still require your problem-solving skills to obtain. Finding them will unlock some bonus levels. The bonus levels are a bit harder than the main level, but still doable. In fact, I found the main level to be harder than most of the bonus levels since they tend to rely on moving objects, and I got confused a lot.
The story is confusing. The game has several cutscenes that play out from time to time, explaining what happened in the game. Some hints in the level or the level transition are also displayed to enrich the story, but honestly, they feel all over the place to me—I can't seem to piece them together.
[b]Length and Difficulty[/b]
I finished the main levels with all collectibles found in 2.5h. I spent the rest of my playtime finishing all bonus levels in 0.6h, totaling 3.1h of playtime. The game is easy to finish most of the time—you can brute force some of the solutions, although a few of them will leave you stumped if you don't use your brain.
[h1]Conclusion[/h1]
[i]Mars Power Industries Deluxe[/i] is an enjoyable puzzle game that can be finished in your spare time. It's very short, and although the puzzles might be brain-numbing sometimes, they are still enjoyable. I wouldn't recommend it if you prefer challenging puzzles, but casual gamers who prefer an easier one will enjoy it just fine.
