Scars Above

Scars Above is a fascinating mix of point-and-click narrative and Soulslike action games. I can’t recall playing a game quite like it in the recent past, and for that alone, it deserves praise.

Scars Above is an incredibly challenging and satisfying third-person shooter that mixes and matches elements from some of the most popular video game franchises in history. It doesn't fully flesh out elements from any of these franchises though its addictive gameplay loop, fueled by some diligent boss encounters, is enough incentive to finish its campaign. However, its bland writing and underwhelming vocal performance mean you won't remember this one for a very long time.

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Far from being a wasted opportunity, Scars Above remains a journey worth taking if you’re not the overly demanding type – just turn off your brain, let yourself go, and appreciate the ride for what it is.

An interesting concoction of genre traits and structures makes Scars Above one of the more engaging action-adventure game attempts even if it does suffer from some combat woes.

Scars Above draws from Dark Souls and third-person shooters with fun elemental mechanics.

We somewhat enjoyed Scars Above, but we wanted to like it a lot more than we did. It has some interesting ideas and a solid story, but the gameplay unfortunately feels a tad too basic. And then there are the bugs. They might not be all that common, but when you do encounter them, they frustrate. Hopefully they’ll be quashed quickly after launch. In any case, pick up Scars Above, manage your expectations, and chances are you’ll have an enjoyable time with it overall. Just be aware that it’s more akin to a B-movie than a main feature.

Scars Above was a surprisingly short game, but the sci-fi story it tells is interesting enough. While it seems from the outside to borrow many soul-like ideas, the game does enough differently to set itself apart.

Scars Above reaches for the stars but doesn't quite get there thanks to hum drum storytelling and passable shooting action.

In the end, that’s what Scars Above is. It’s solid, but not exciting. The game looks good, and it’s got cool creature designs, but it’s lacking in everything else. The boss fights aren’t interesting, the combat becomes routinised and while the narrative engaged me, the characters aren’t well-written. If anybody told me they were emotionally connected with Kate, I would be very hesitant to believe them. Scars Above is a fine game, but not a very memorable one, especially in a period when sci-fi survival horror is becoming a crowded field. Much like the planet you explore, Scars Above is devoid ...

Perhaps if Scars Above had put more work into the areas where our lead heroine has to explore this strange world and analyze it more in order to solve various puzzles, basically letting her be the scientist she is, it could have been vastly better overall, or at least help give it a better identity to help it stand out more. Instead, Scars Above settles for being a generic third-person action game that rarely, if ever, takes any sort of risks. While it may not fall prey to anything that feels egregiously bad and at least has decent combat, you'll likely walk away from the mystery of the Metahe...

With an intriguing set-up, likeable lead, and aspirations of grandeur, Scars Above is a sci-fi adventure game that we really wanted to like. Unfortunately, the experience is held back by lacklustre combat, abysmal map design, and a central narrative that ultimately fails to launch.