Review: Scars Above is a Great Blending of Two Stellar Genres

There are good games, and then there are some great ones. And it’s not always going to be the ones you think are going to be as great that actually manage to surprise you. That’s the exact feeling I had as I played Mad Head Games and Prime Matter’s latest title, Scars Above. A game that I thought would be another dead-eyed sci-fi shooter, turned out to be an extremely fun, and unique experience that I loved from the moment I began shooting down alien enemies.

Scars Above Review Biggest Takeaways:

• Combat is Scars Above is complex enough to be intriguing, yet not too deep that it becomes a chore to play.
• The world that players will traverse is varied and feels unique, even when compared to other sci-fi locations in video games.
• Scars Above manages to balance Soulslike and Roguelite tropes perfectly, creating a game that feels full but without the bloatware.
• The entire story of Scars Above takes on a bio-horror tone with body mutations sick enough to make one squeezy.

Final Score: 8/10

A Nightmare Journey

When you first start out on Scars Above’s story, you don’t really get the vibe that there’s something truly horrible lurking around the corner until it’s too late. It’s a title that goes from zero to one hundred pretty quickly, enthralling players in a deadly, chaotic world that simply wants to kill you. Along the way, you’ll find yourself going toe to toe against some of the more horrific character models we’ve seen in horror games as of late.

Scars Above does not play around with its horror aesthetics, as its dev team, Mad Head Games knew exactly what it wanted to bring to the table. The team expertly crafted a cohesive world and story that envelopes the players from the time the game’s protagonist, Kate, wakes up to the events at hand. This is definitely one of most memorable horror stories gaming has offered in a while and could have a following akin to Criterion’s original Dead Space.

Gameplay That Actually Feels Fresh And Fun

What’s somehow better than Scars Above’s themes and narrative is its gameplay. I was expecting a run-of-the-mill shooter here but was pleasantly surprised to find that Scars Above is actually a pretty methodical game overall, with many layers to it. And while its final product is a truly unique experience, Scars Above most certainly takes some game mechanics from other notable titles but makes them its own.

There’s quite a bit of Soulslike mechanics on display here, with limited save points that act as places of refuge, giving players full ammo and health at save, but bringing enemies from the area back to life. Additionally, there are the RPG elements that allow players to upgrade Kate’s abilities in order for her to become more deadly and versatile over time.

Perhaps the biggest inspiration I found though was the vibe overall. This definitely felt very in line with Returnal, but its premise and gameplay overall were totally different. There are four weapons that players will become accustomed to over the course of the four chapters that Scars Above has players trek through, each with its own set-pieces that put the weapons to the test.

Many enemies throughout the game offer players chances to test out the weapons’ effectiveness in different scenarios. There are many, many instances where you’ll need to use most, if not all of the weapons in a single fight in order to take down your opponent. Moments like this are very satisfying, and really show how well the dev team knew how to create a captivating gameplay loop.

Related: Review: Hi-Fi Rush is the First Truly Fun Game of 2023

Is Scars Above Multiplayer?

While it would be a great addition to gameplay overall, Scars Above just simply does not offer players multiplayer capability. Because it’s such a narrative-heavy game with RPG elements, I don’t think it would fit into the confines of what is required of players to get through it. Plus, the story is crafted to make Kate feel isolated and alone, so having another person there would make that feeling null and void.

Things to Collect in Scars Above

Scars Above actually has some things to collect over the course of Kate’s trek, though most are strictly tied to things such as weapons and experience points. I will say that finding the strewn-about purple XP prisms are very crucial to have if you want to upgrade Kate as much as you can by the time the credits roll.

Secrets That Scars Above Doesn’t Explicitly Tell You

Because RPG elements play such a huge part in Scars Above gameplay, it can be pretty difficult to figure out how to upgrade Kate’s abilities over time. Luckily, Scars Above actually allows players to totally reset their abilities when they see fit and reuse the points spent to purchase the abilities they’d like to use next.

All Platforms That Scars Above is Available On

Scars Above is actually available on most major gaming platforms on February 28, 2023, including Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC. There has yet to be any announcement as to whether or not a Nintendo Switch version is planned or in the works.

Is Scars Above Worth The Terror?

After having played my fair share of Scars Above, I’ve got to say that I’m pretty impressed with what Mad Head Games was able to pull off. Scars Above is an incredibly fun and oftentimes, a horrific excursion that’s very much so worth the underwear that you’re certain to soil along the way. My only real gripes with the game are that sometimes the movement can feel a bit stilted, but the pros far outweigh the cons for what Scars Above has to offer its eager and willing participants.

So, now you know our thoughts on Scars Above! If you liked our review, then consider checking out some of our others too, such as “Review: Chasing Static Offers a Great Story and Setting But Fails in The Gameplay Department”. And don’t forget to like Gamer Journalist on Facebook as well for even more great content as well!