As a kid, I used to love playing several Apogee Software games. Of course, I never had the full versions, only shareware, but I still spent many hours playing them, the platformers in particular. And yet... Monuments of Mars is one I'd never actually played. And, if I did, then I don't recall it.

So, coming to it with a fresh perspective, I can say... Time has not been kind to this game. While I can still see myself enjoying other classics from this era, like, say, the original Duke Nukem or Secret Agent, this one I pretty much forced my way through. Fortunately, it's not a very challenging game, otherwise I don't know if I'd have made it through it. Plain and simple, the controls are very clunky, with inconsistent jumps and movement. The level design is also rather simple; the game is divided in four chapters of 20 levels each, each level being a single screen. Most of the time, you'll be figuring out how to get to the exit, perhaps interacting with different switches or looking for a key to spice things up.

Storywise, well, it's once again simple, which is expected for a game as old as this one. You play as an unnamed astronaut who's been tasked with rescuing missing astronauts from Mars, while investigating mysterious "monuments" left behind by some unknown civilization. As far as graphics go, well, this game was made for PC in an era in which PCs weren't all that powerful, so it has a very limited colour palette; sound is also just a handful of beeps and boops.

All in all, I can't really recommend this game. Then again, it's been delisted from Steam, so if anything, I'm just sharing my thoughts.

As a kid, I used to love playing several Apogee Software games. Of course, I never had the full versions, only shareware, but I still spent many hours playing them, the platformers in particular. And yet... Monuments of Mars is one I'd never actually played. And, if I did, then I don't recall it. So, coming to it with a fresh perspective, I can say... Time has not been kind to this game. While I can still see myself enjoying other classics from this era, like, say, the original Duke Nukem or Secret Agent, this one I pretty much forced my way through. Fortunately, it's not a very challenging game, otherwise I don't know if I'd have made it through it. Plain and simple, the controls are very clunky, with inconsistent jumps and movement. The level design is also rather simple; the game is divided in four chapters of 20 levels each, each level being a single screen. Most of the time, you'll be figuring out how to get to the exit, perhaps interacting with different switches or looking for a key to spice things up. Storywise, well, it's once again simple, which is expected for a game as old as this one. You play as an unnamed astronaut who's been tasked with rescuing missing astronauts from Mars, while investigating mysterious "monuments" left behind by some unknown civilization. As far as graphics go, well, this game was made for PC in an era in which PCs weren't all that powerful, so it has a very limited colour palette; sound is also just a handful of beeps and boops. All in all, I can't really recommend this game. Then again, it's been delisted from Steam, so if anything, I'm just sharing my thoughts.