Deliver Us Mars sees KeokeN Interactive aim beyond 'The Moon'

Three years ago, the team at KeokeN Interactive delivered an exciting science fiction narrative set in space. Deliver Us The Moon told the story of a future in which the Earth's natural resources have been totally exhausted and humanity was on the brink of extinction. Gorgeously constructed on Unreal Engine 4, KeokeN was able to dazzle players with an enchanting view of space while also telling a gripping story. The development is now ready to do it all again, as they prepare to release the upcoming sequel, Deliver Us Mars. Shacknews recently had an opportunity to try it out.

Deliver Us Mars is set in the same world as its predecessor. Ten years have passed since the events of Deliver Us The Moon with the Earth increasingly devastated by the effects of climate change. A solution is needed to ensure the planet's survival and that lies in vessels called the ARKs. The ARKs contain the power to reverse climate change, but they're being held by a mysterious organization called Outward. The task of retrieving the ARKs falls on astronaut-in-training Kathy Johanson, whose father defected to the Outward faction and was later lost. Kathy sets out to complete this critical mission while also seeking to uncover the details of her father's defection and subsequent disappearance.

At its core, Deliver Us Mars is an atmospheric narrative adventure, much like Deliver Us The Moon was. Our demo primarily took place in the confines of an abandoned space station. While Kathy is mainly working on her own, she is accompanied by a single observation drone called the ASE, which makes its return from Deliver Us The Moon. The ASE can be used to trigger nearby switches, interact with electronic interfaces, and travel through vents in order to reach new areas. A bulk of the time spent in this early stage was spent activating switches, breaking through hatches with Kathy's wrist-mounted laser, providing power to doors, and diverting power sources to open up new paths.

While the early part of the hands-on demo was focused on puzzle-solving, Deliver Us Mars looks to promise a varied gameplay experience. Over the course of the game, players will explore new terrain, travel across the Martian surface aboard a lunar buggy, make perilous jumps with the aid of climbing axes, and even submerging beneath treacherous waters.

Both KeokeN Interactive and new publisher Frontier Foundry appear to be taking certain criticisms from the first game to heart. They're promising a longer, more substantial campaign in an effort to give the story a chance to breathe, as well as give players more of a chance to experience the game's stunning visuals.

KeokeN's sophomore effort is just a few short months away. Look for Deliver Us Mars to release on February 2 on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?