Speculations about the possibility of life on the Red Planet has persisted for centuries, attracting minds as diverse as noted 19th century British scientist and philosopher William Whewell (who theorized about lands, seas, and lifeforms on the planet) to celebrated American pulp fiction writer Edgar Rice Burroughs (whose series "John Carter of Mars" remains a classic of science fiction. Oh and incidentally - he invented Tarzan as well.)
And of course, who can forget War of the Worlds?
Whether its little green men in circular ships, heroic human-like warriors living in a pre-industrial world, or micro-organisms buried beneath that distinctive red soil - man has often dreamt of finding life on Mars.
And now we have, on this little app game that is.
Waking Mars offers a rather distinct experience to its player. In an industry often dominated by action/adventure first person shooters, this little app game stands out for one simple reason: Discovery.
The whole premise of Waking Mars rests on a chance discovery by 2 members of a scientific expedition to the Red Planet. Dr. Liang Qi (pictured above) a biologist from Earth along with his colleague Amani (depicted above on the left) have encountered a new lifeform extraterrestrial in origin.
Trapped beneath the caverns of Mars armed with nothing but a jetpack and his sharp mind, Liang finds himself re-cultivating a dormant eco-system in order to uncover the secrets buried beneath.
I know what your thinking, how can "cosmic gardening" amount to any kind of fun?
The challenge lays in the fact that the player, like Liang Qi, has absolutely no knowledge whatsoever about the lifeforms prior to encountering them. Researching the creatures and plant life discovered is a large aspect of the game as is understanding how they interact with each other.
The designers over at TigerStyle Games put a lot of effort into simulating an actual eco-system. Some lifeforms, collectively called Zoa, have a symbiotic relationship. Others can be quite predatory and may even attack Liang Qi. It is by experimenting with these combinations and observing the Zoa's interactions amongst themselves that a player begins to slip into the mindset of both scientist and explorer.
Oh yes, and of course there are those rather compelling "ancient secrets beneath the sands" bits....
So if you prefer a bit of the "old school" science fiction, where speculative thoughts about the universe bump up against real science and outright fantasy, gave this game a whirl. It won't disappoint.
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