Scars Above is a third-person action-adventure shooter with a strong sci-fi theme. You will embody Kate, an astronaut and scientist with no knowledge of combat, but tenacious and able to face all the circumstances that will come her way. With it you will explore an alien planet full of scary creatures and you will reveal great mysteries.
In Scars Above we find several references and inspirations from other titles, whether in the game systems or in the narrative itself. Right from the start, with the appearance of a strange alien mass in the atmosphere and a group of scientists approaching to investigate it, Scars Above reminds us of movies like Independence Day or Alien: The Eighth Passenger.
The great reference that is present throughout the game, comes from the subgenre soul-like of video games. A style that is characterized by high levels of difficulty and a very elaborate narrative in which the player is the main architect, using exploration to unite the fragmented pieces of knowledge. Additionally, the enemies Kate has to face are quite difficult to defeat, as well as quite unpredictable, especially the final bosses. The environment also influences this subgenre, since it allows you to unlock paths to extend exploration and recruit as much material as possible. During the adventure through the alien planet, large pillars are scattered which, when activated, save progress, heal, and also serve as a starting point when the protagonist dies.
Although it should be remembered that the game is more classified as a third-person shooter. For example, while exploring, we will encounter a biome full of swamps where you will be hunted by large alien beasts and a species of arachnids. This set recalls the marshy world of Dagoba Featured in the Star Wars movie The Empire Strikes Back.
The study ensures that in addition to the notorious influences of the Alien franchise, there are also influences from somewhat more current films, such as Annihilation or Arrival. In truth, any story that deals with humans coming into contact with something unknown, in an alien world and how they face dangers and overcome them in order to survive, fits the premise of Scars Above perfectly.
Scars Above arrives today and is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC.