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New third-person sci-fi shooter scars is already available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, which means that the first reviews are starting to appear on the web.
First impressions of Mad Head Games’ latest title seem mixed, though the shooter’s core mechanics have received plenty of praise so far. Here’s what critics are saying in the Scars Above early reviews:
“Scars Above offers a great shooter experience that is a little difficult in some areas when it comes to realizing its vision and potential. While these issues are notable, I don’t feel like it takes away too much of the complete product while delivering a haunting survival horror experience with a unique gimmick that challenges players to think about the best approach to dealing with the environment around their enemies”.
A great addition to the library of single-player adventures, Scars Above tells an engaging sci-fi story that challenges ideas of genetic manipulation, free will, and sacrifice. Although it loses some momentum towards the end, it serves as a fantastic advertisement for low-budget games and is well worth picking up.
Despite its flaws, Scars Above’s engaging combat and expansive toolset keep it engaging throughout its 10-hour campaign. Although its world is gray and the story that takes you through its levels is a disappointment, the instant gameplay makes the journey interesting. This space adventure isn’t the final frontier of third-person action gaming, but it still manages to deliver much of the same thrills as a good SyFy original movie. It’s not the ultimate, but it’s cutting edge on its own.”
“While Scars Above has a predictable story, it’s an engaging and interesting sci-fi title that would have benefited from being a shooter/crawler hybrid rather than the Soulslike it aims to be. Your experience will certainly vary, but if you’re intrigued by its premise, don’t be afraid to drop down to its lowest difficulty to try and experience it.”
“Scars Above is more of a compelling prospect than an end product: an interesting premise that ends up getting lost amid repetitive gameplay and unremarkable design. Some aspects are genuinely intriguing, if underexplored , but simply reaching for the stars is no guarantee of success.” getting out of orbit, let alone blasting off, and recommending this experience over another is a bit rich, even for the lower asking price.”
IGN (5/10)
“Scars Above shows a lot of potential in its third-person shooting, fun elemental reactions, and a good number of creatures to experiment with. However, the thrill of exploring a new alien world is short-lived as the weapons and the gadgets in your arsenal quickly become so powerful that nothing poses a threat.And while there are great environments to explore, everything in them – the characters, the story and the setting – feels flimsy and underdeveloped, giving you little reason to stop and smell the alien roses once you cross.”
GVC (4/10)
“There are some fundamental positives in Scars Above, like the interesting puzzle solving and a story that, while somewhat predictable, was told well, but not enough to justify the criminally stiff move, huge technical glitches and ugly, seamless animations.” life. At the end of the day, even the best parts of Scars Above were made so much better almost two years ago.”
Scars Above on Xbox Series X and S sits at 69 on Metacritic at the time of writing, which is a respectable but unremarkable score, all things considered. This one seems worth it if you’re in reality in your challenging third-person action games, maybe moderate your expectations accordingly!
Tempted to discover Scars Above on Xbox? Let us know!
Ben is a fan of action, racing, and direct fire in every video game he can get his hands on. When he’s not playing, Ben spends his time listening to too many Guns N’ Roses, watching football, and probably eating somewhere.