
Mars 2120 is a Metroidvania game that does a couple things in it’s design choices that keep it from being just another Metroidvania, though there are a few things holding it back that keep it from standing with the greats that have come out of the genre in recent years.
It’s a short but fun experience overall. Not heavy on the plot if you’re looking for that kind of game but, it may satisfy those just looking for a quick Metroidvania to run through. You play as Charlotte, a soldier from a lab colony on Mars who upon returning, finds the lab completely destroyed and overrun by monstrous experiments. Unfortunately a couple of tedious designs as well as some glitches do hold the game back.
Pros
One thing I like about Mars 2120 is that it doesn’t really lock basic abilities from you early. You’re given abilities like the double jump, dodge and ability to grab ledges immediately. There are definitely some Metroidvania games I’ve played that lock abilities like this off, sometimes a bit later into the game at that so it was pretty refreshing to see that. You do get other powers fairly quick as well so it keeps the game pretty streamlined overall.
Mars 2120 also features an upgrade system. You’ll find various things you can upgrade such as your rate of fire, defense and various other attributes. There are even a few extra powers to find such as a boost move with The shield ability. The game also gives you the option to play with upgrades completely locked off if someone wants a greater challenge.

Combat in Mars 2120 features an elemental system where some enemies will be immune to certain powers. There are three elements that Charlotte commands: Electric, ice and fire and you do sometimes have to switch between them for certain enemies. The system in a small way reminds me of Ikuraga. I do think they could’ve explored this more like another game in the genre, Outland did but, it still does enough to shake things up.

The game’s level design and environments are mostly well designed. The lab features areas ranging from a jungle area to multiple caves of ice and a volcanic factory. The different areas are all fairly large and there’s plenty to explore. As the game goes on some areas will even change up, unlocking new pathways and previously unreachable secrets.


Mars 2120 platforming works well. Your electric powers in particular give you the most traversal options outside of your standard double jump as it gives you the ability to dash in multiple directions. You can even use them to warp into some background areas by accessing points that turn you into a bolt of lighting which never got boring to look at for me. It never felt like I got screwed by badly designed platforming or anything like that.
Cons
So unfortunately Mars 2120 did have a few glitches. My game did randomly restart more than once and there were a couple incidents where Charlotte had just completely locked in place which forced me to restart the game. Even worse, there was one really bad incident which forced me to restart the game completely as a vital power was somehow rendered inaccessible.
Outside the glitches, I feel one weakness from the game it’s bosses. The games bosses weren’t cheap or anything but some simply had tedious designs. As you’d expect, some of the bosses have certain weak points. The problem is however that it was pretty random when they’d expose those. There were long periods of time where the boss would do everything but expose their weak point making the battle feel like it took longer than it needed since you only get a short window to do damage. Unfortunately, the bosses that weren’t tedious also felt a bit too easy, even in the later game.

Overall, id say that the game was perhaps a bit too easy as a whole. The game not being long isn’t a problem as it’s only 20$ but it could use a bit more challenge. Outside the bosses, most of the games secrets were pretty easy to find. Someone experienced with Metroidvania games can likely find everything the game has to offer in one sitting.
Final thoughts
Mars 2120 is a solid game that had the potential to be much more. For those looking for a solid Metroidvania to run through, I do think it’s worth running through. However some aspects of the game may just leave fans wanting more and hopefully the games glitches do get worked out soon.

Mars 2120 released on August 1st 2024, and was reviewed on Xbox Series X. It is available on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4/PS5 and Nintendo Switch.