Scars Above is exactly the kind of game we talk about when we lament the loss of the AA game development scene. This sci-fi, third-person shooter has been (somewhat deservedly) held fast in comparison to the critically acclaimed Returnal, sharing more than a few recognisable similarities in both aesthetics and gameplay. It’s not a flattering comparison when made directly, but it does serve as something of a jumping off point for what Scars Above actually is.
Retailing at a neat sixty bucks Australian, Scars Above is a return to form for the budget title. A term we have largely come to deride in the market but one that I, and many others, associate with a particular itch that needs scratching. Sometimes, on a lazy Sunday arvo or a restless hump day evening, you just want to unwind and play a capital V. G. Video Game. It doesn’t demand a huge amount from you, happy to give you some solid action thrills and palatable reasons to delve down that extra path before barrelling ahead. Scars Above is that game. The comfortable and sorely missed B-grade shooter.
A mysterious and immense object, dubbed the Metahedron, has appeared above Earth. Its presence effectively sparks International Space Race 2: Alien Boogaloo as scientists across the globe attempt to engage the enigmatic ship. You play as Kate Ward, an accomplished young scientist who has the knowhow to propel her team of SCAR (Sentient Contact Assessment and Response) agents headlong into the not-at-all-ominous pyramid in the sky.
It’s here that Scars Above gently opens, landing its first of many surprise hits with a short but sweet section aboard your ship ala Mass Effect. You can roam about the shuttle, chatting with colleagues and assembling the basic tools of the game in their initial scientific context. Your primary gun only exists in the first place to deliver short bursts of energy to a stagnant engine. It’s neatly presented and relatively cute all things considered, even if the writing barely ticks above the notable line.
But as is wont to happen when a group of idealistically intrepid explorers toss themselves at the great unknown, things go terribly wrong. The Metahedron responds to your presence, directly interfacing with Kate through some means before whipping you across space and time. Stranded, and now eerily alone with only scant signs of the crash to follow as clues, Kate finds herself on Scars Above’s unknown alien world and the game begins in earnest. There is some proper noun writing involving an aloof alien hologram and the contractually obligated visions delivered by ancient alien technology, but moment-to-moment, this is largely the story of Kate’s survival. Soon after arriving you’ll be acquainted with Scars Above’s pillars system, effectively the Soulslike bonfires of your combat and exploration loop.
From what I’ve seen so far, it seems as though Kate will have a limited arsenal of base elemental weapons that are bolstered by upgrades and a rather fetching set of tools. Ol’ reliable is your automatic electric rifle, affectionally referred to as VERA, but as you progress, you’ll also unlock several other launchers with distinct fire rates, feel and effect. Kate will frequently use her scientific wits to craft supplementary gadgets such as grenades, healing items and traps, forming a wholistic and flexible approach to combat encounters. For example, early on you’ll discover a means of crafting an orb of flammable liquid to accelerate the impact of your Thermic Charger, a cracker fire starter that requires a long hold before its ready to release. These are not revolutionary mechanics, but they are solid and the give and take between Kate and her environment is harsh and compelling enough to paper over any semi-rote trappings.
Scars Above is being pitched as a difficult experience and while there are certainly moments where the game can overwhelm if you’re not careful, its early impressions haven’t convinced me it fully understands how to be challenging. While exploring semi-linear levels you’ll run into a variety of mobs and more powerful standalone foes, scavenging limited ammo and the game’s base currency used for healing and gadgets. These sections are fun enough, diverting you to find little upgrades and so on, typically leading to a boss encounter where difficulty can suddenly spike. Sometimes this is because an alien creature requires dexterous dodging and weapon cycling, others because of a frustrating stun-lock, but all leading to repeated attempts.
Using a bonfire system like these pillars requires near-constantly compelling boss routes as you’ll be running them over and over in the worst-case scenario and Scars Above doesn’t quite have it down yet. Doubly so considering how little else there is to see and do on these paths after a first and thorough pass. Conversely, enemy variety was always a joy as Scars Above has taken some inspiration from classics such as John Carpenter’s The Thing. Grotesque and mutated creatures are everywhere, with some especially fun boss designs taking me right back to 1980s horror. As for environmental art, things are a little less inspired. The opening hours are the weakest aesthetically speaking, all flat greys and drab lighting, but as you explore further there are some surprisingly warmly rich environments to discover.
There is also a small but noticeable dissonance at the core of Scars Above and it’s one that a preview window isn’t enough to fully grapple with. Much ado has been made about Kate’s scientific background, both in marketing and the game’s world, as you’re levelling up comes by way of Knowledge collection rather than outright combat. This is primarily found in floating purple boxes littered through the environment, but I can forgive some goofy Video Game framing.
What’s less easy to parse is that Scars Above’s central language remains one of violence. An obvious enough statement about a third-person shooter of course but one that is incongruous with the game’s admirable greater ambitions. You’ll occasionally be prompted to enter first-person segments in which Kate observes something in the environment, scanning it several times to identify its structure and usefulness. A fascinating alien churns its stomach acid and fires its cortex to produce bile that can freeze things. It’s cool and weird and creepy. And of course, Kate must turn it into a gun.
Simmering just under the surface of Scars Above is a narrative about corrupted nature, of typically peaceful alien wildlife turned violent by some nebulous goop. You can feel it aching in these analysis moments, reminiscent of the best of Metroid Prime’s vibes. You can see it as you crest a hill and find a horde of grazing space bison, unconcerned and happy to hang with you in an untouched valley, waiting to be consumed by the violent machine churning around them. It’s why the game opens the way it does and it’s arguably the most interesting thing about Scars Above. How well it’s able to embody these themes and ideals remains to be seen but every time I would be rewarded with another ammo upgrade or means of slaughter, I wondered about my role as invader and if the game was prepared to grapple with it.
Still, amid these lofty concerns and some mildly grindy boss runs, Scars Above exhibits the promise of a good weekend game. Given the considerable dent I’ve already put in the game’s achievement list I can’t envision this outstaying its welcome and with a solid mechanical foundation and a little narrative luck, this will be a great way to kick off 2023’s gaming line-up. I just hope developers Mad Head Games are as bold and inquisitive with their world as Kate attempts to be in hers.
Scars Above comes to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC on February 28, 2023.
