Familiar alien worlds
It is always amazing how we constantly put games into bubbles. I do the same thing. I was super excited for Scars Above. It looked like a new third person sci-fi adventure game, but immediately showcased its underlying inspirations right out of the gate. This game has a great setting and story with an interesting world and mechanics that falls short by trying to match a genre style. Yes, this is a Soulslike game with bonfires and respawning enemies. While not as challenging it is still impossible not to see the writing on the wall, or in this game’s case, on the monoliths.
The premise here is interesting as players take on the role of Dr. Kate Ward. The game kicks off on a vessel where Kate and her team known as SCARS are investigating something floating above the Earth. Things go awry and she is somehow transported to another world that is full of hostile alien life where she must discover what happened to her crew, as well as what happened to this alien planet.
MSRP: $39.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
The combat in the game is based around one weapon, the Vera. This is a 3D printed gun that can use elemental abilities as well as upgrades earned throughout the game. The shooting feels good and enemies are easy to tackle as long as I knew what they were weak to. I could also use the environment to my advantage. Stop me if you have heard of being able to use water to enhance the effects of electricity. Upgrades come at a brisk pace and I never felt underpowered in any situation.
Speaking of difficulty, this game wants to be a Soulslike, but never quite hits that peak. There are monoliths scattered around that serve as checkpoints. These refill health and ammo while also respawning all enemies in the area. There are also shortcuts that open up to make traversal much quicker as I progressed. It is a template at this point and Scars Above does its due diligence in hitting all the checkboxes. The problem is that it is never hitting that difficulty spike. The game is relatively easy at times with the abundance of ammo and upgrades. I never felt ill-equipped for any situation so I am not sure why they added the Souls elements to begin with. It feels like it is trying to be something it didn’t need to be.
There is also a skill tree to upgrade things such as defense, health, and ammo capacity. This is done through scanning items in the environment. I am not sure why all sci-fi games feel the need for a scanning mechanic, but here we are. Thing is they are everywhere, again letting me obtain upgrade points constantly. It really helps keep the game moving along, but it eliminates the sense of challenge. I finished the game with plenty of skills left unlocked as I never felt the need to grind them out.
Scars Above looks and runs great. Sure there are hitches here and there, but it never detracted from the game play. The frame rate feels good for a shooter and the visuals are decent at worst. Some of the enemy design is a little lackluster, but it sets a good mood for the theme. I do hate that the game attempts to get cheap shots on the player at times as enemies popping up are not telegraphed in any way. Again another attempt at the Souls formula that feels half-baked here.
Scars Above is a solid sci-fi romp with an identity complex. It wants so badly to be a Soulslike and instead feels more like a game that just borrows ideas without understanding what makes them work. I enjoyed my playthrough, but I wish it would have leaned into its own ideas instead of trying to mimic something else. The story is interesting, the game play is fun, but I wish it wouldn’t have taken so much inspiration from other titles.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
