Overview
Early impressions of Attack From Mars suggest a disappointing execution of the match-3 formula that fails to justify its thematic premise. What could have been an engaging alien invasion twist on a familiar genre instead delivers a frustratingly generic experience plagued by incoherent design choices. The disconnect between the Martian attack concept and the actual gameplay leaves players questioning the creative vision behind this tile-matching exercise.
A Bejeweled Clone Without Charm
Attack From Mars offers little innovation beyond established match-3 mechanics, requiring players to swap adjacent tiles to create rows or columns of three identical items. The core gameplay loop feels indistinguishable from countless predecessors in the genre, lacking unique hooks or compelling progression systems. What truly baffles is the visual incoherence of the matching elements, which range from generic balls to random pop culture references like "Pac-man with spinny-top hat" alongside mundane vegetables. This visual chaos creates cognitive dissonance rather than thematic cohesion, making the game feel like a collection of mismatched assets rather than a thoughtfully designed experience.
The attack from Mars is happening in your incoherent game of Bejeweled. And the attack is really, really, mildly irritating.
Gohst
Theme Integration That Misses the Mark
The titular Martian invasion manifests as floating alien heads that randomly disrupt gameplay by swapping tiles. Rather than feeling like an exciting invasion scenario, this mechanic registers as a cheap frustration device that undermines strategic planning. The alien interference lacks meaningful connection to the match-3 gameplay, creating tonal whiplash between the cosmic threat premise and the mundane tile-matching reality. This jarring juxtaposition epitomizes the game's fundamental failure to integrate its theme with its mechanics, leaving players with a disjointed experience that satisfies neither puzzle enthusiasts nor sci-fi fans.
Verdict
Generic match-three with incoherent Martian gimmick