Inspired by many games you’ve probably played, Scars Above does its best to tell a unique story and stand out. Does he succeed or is he lost in space?
The review is based on the PS5 version. It is also relevant for PC, XSX, XONE and PS4 versions.
Being trapped on an alien planet and finding your way home is a common theme in many space games and is a common catalyst that fuels your character’s actions. It’s how you approach the situation and what you do to achieve that ultimate goal that makes the experience such an adventure. Even if you add Souls-like structure to the mix, the game can get a bit more difficult, but it can still feel like it’s already been done.
BENEFITS:
- An exciting story that develops as you play;
- Elemental combat combos are fun to perform and master;
- Impressive and thrilling boss fights.
AGAINST :
- wooden animations;
- Predictable enemy attacks;
- Lack of difficulty and too much assistance sometimes.
Scars Above looks a lot like that, but has some fun moments throughout its very familiar structure inspired by games like Returnal, Dark Souls, Metroid Prime, and many more that will instantly come to mind as you play. these are references to previous games, a fun combat system, and an intriguing story that will keep you playing even if its execution isn’t particularly stellar.
failed again
Scars Above’s story is fairly predictable, but it quickly turns into an intriguing narrative that not only gives it structure, but also manages to incorporate why your character can respawn at different checkpoints each time they die. Yes, this game has a Souls vibe, but it’s not as difficult as old ring-far from there. It’s not a piece of cake, but it’s also not a game that will have you tossing the controller and stepping away from it for a few hours. Scars Above is much more accessible, if not repetitive, at times.
Scars Above, published by Prime Matter (2023)
You play as Dr. Kate Ward, a member of the Conscious Contact Assessment and Response team, or SCAR for short, who was on a mission to investigate a strange object called a Metahedron that orbits near Earth. As their ship approaches this strange structure, they are suddenly sucked into a wormhole and transported to a strange alien world with danger around every corner.
VERDICT:
While some things work wonders for the game given its inspirations, Scars Above falls short of them due to its design and gameplay limitations. It’s an ambitious game for sure, and while its combat is fun and the story hooks you, you’ll wish it were more polished and challenging.
Kate awakens to find she can communicate with the hologram of an Asari-like alien who provides context and offers to help her find her friends and find her way home. What follows is linear gameplay that has you exploring various biomes on this planet, including a rainy swamp, icy peaks, and the interior of numerous caverns that house various creatures eager to fight you.
Right away, you’ll notice that Scars Above isn’t particularly appealing. Sure, the environments are pretty, and there are even some that remind you of distant worlds you’ve played in other games, but the character design, on the other hand, looks decent at best. Kate has a bland expression that makes cutscenes feel awkward and because the voice track doesn’t sync up with what you’re watching, the game feels like an old video game from the 90s at times.. Add to that some wooden animations (Kate literally looks stiff coming down from a ledge) and the game loses some of its charm.
Scars Above, published by Prime Matter (2023)
Enemies, however, are a mixed bag, with some looking incredible when you first fight them. There are these giant armored gorilla-like monsters attacking you at the start of the game. Your first fight against one even feels like a mini-boss battle, but they quickly lose their effectiveness after your umpteenth fight. . Not only that, but there are five different variants, each fighting with the same animation and attack patterns as the original copy, making them less special. The bosses on the other hand, with the exception of the end, are unfortunately a joy to behold and even more so to fight..
Plenty of references
You can save your progress and recover your health and resources at checkpoint pillars you find, but this resets all enemies in the area, like in a Souls game. This design choice at first seems menacing because the genre is known for its ruthless efforts that require you to play smart or die to the same enemy over and over again. However, Scars Above doesn’t feel particularly difficult and feels more Souls-lite than anything else.
You may die multiple times at first, but after memorizing the predictable attack patterns of repeating enemies and realizing how generous the game is in giving you ammo and resources to heal yourself, you’ll find it much more manageable if not a bit too easy. Also, since it’s fairly linear, you don’t need to retrace your steps, and even when you return to areas you’ve previously visited, your old enemies don’t respawn as you might expect, which which makes walking too easy.
Scars Above, published by Prime Matter (2023)
The combat in Scars Above closely resembles that of Metroid Prime mixed with the over-the-shoulder structure of older games like Resident Evil 4 (jump scares included). Kate is a scientist and not a fighter so of course her weapon of choice would be none other than a 3D printed tool called VERA and not an actual weapon and just like Gordon Freeman Kate relies on her engineering tools to stay urge. At first, VERA can only fire an electric charge, but soon you can upgrade it to fire fire, ice, and even acid projectiles at your enemies. This elemental feature resembles Metroid Prime where you have to switch to different weapons to hit the weak points of various enemies. Some creatures have a glowing red dot on their chest indicating that they are weak at shooting, for example, shooting a writhing monster in water with electricity will deal more damage.
Not only are your various elemental moves fun to play, but the game encourages you to always make combos and use the environment to your advantage.. Swampy areas will benefit from your electricity towers, so sometimes you’ll want to lure enemies closer to the water. On the other hand, fighting enemies in freezing regions means you’ll want to melt the ice they’re on so they fall and freeze for a quick headbutt. Add to that that there is a slowly rising hypothermia bar in these cold areas, and these times become exhilarating and a true test of survival.
You don’t get experience for fighting enemies, but the game rewards you for finding various “knowledge” shards scattered around your environments that add skill points to boost your health, reload speed, and more. useful traits. The game is generous with this, so even if you feel like you have to make crucial decisions about what to upgrade early on, you’ll have a bonus of points when you finish the game.
Scars Above, published by Prime Matter (2023)
Kate also has several tools she can use during combat, such as a shield, a hologram to distract enemies, and even a time-stopping grenade that allows her to reposition herself in the blink of an eye. These are fun to use and add variety to your gatherings. At first you’ll want to manage your resources so you don’t run out of healing during a battle, but by mid-game you’ll get so many buffs that that fear will be gone.
final thoughts
Scars Above looks like Returnal and sounds like Mass Effect in that it tells you a story that unfolds and continues to grow as you play. However, when you get to the end and realize the game is over and only lasted about 8 hours, you feel like it hasn’t had enough time to really shine.. His ending hints at more adventures for SCAR, so he can only go up from here.
And that’s the thing. While some things work wonders for the game given its inspirations, Scars Above falls short of them due to its design and gameplay limitations. It’s an ambitious game for sure, and while its combat is fun and the story hooks you, you’ll wish it were more polished and challenging.
Giancarlo Saldana | juegopresion.com