Based on the movie of the same name, Total Recall puts you in charge of Douglas Quaid, who must find a way to Mars in order to find the answers to his two questions: why is he being hunted, and who is hunting him. In order to do this, Quaid must go through level after level of beating up bad guys that get in his way. Some of the levels differ in gameplay, and range between action and driving scenes. The action scenes mainly require you to collect some items before leaving the level. You have only one chance to complete the current level, which means that if your energy is lost, the game ends. Energy is lost if you are attacked by an obstacle, or if you are shot at by an enemy. You can gain more energy by either collecting some pills or a heart, depending on the platform.

Doug Quaid is a mild-mannered construction worker with a gorgeous wife in an apartment on futuristic Earth. Plagued by restless feelings and dreams of Mars, he heads to Rekall, Inc. to purchase a commercial memory implant of a Martian vacation 'cheaper, better, and safer than the real thing'. However, the implant procedure uncovers latent memories of Quaid's real life as a secret agent for the Martian government. Pursued relentlessly by his former employers, Quaid must fight from Earth to Mars in a battle to reclaim his past and secure his future.