In video games, one of the best setups for an action-adventure is a protagonist placed entirely out of their depth, faced with overwhelming odds, and using their wits and resourcefulness to triumph. This simple setup can be used to convey some incredibly effective narrative and gameplay mechanics, with some of gaming's biggest series like the rebooted Tomb Raider as examples. Now, another upcoming third-person shooter takes this idea and wraps it around a pure science-fiction narrative featuring a scientist trapped in an alien world.
Developed by Mad Head Games, indie title Scars Above stars Dr. Kate Ward as the aforementioned scientist trapped on a hostile planet. Equally inspired by other action adventure greats like Metroid, Returnal, and even sci-fi horror title Dead Space, Scars Above is a brilliant experience that highlights its protagonist's smarts as much as it does her physical prowess.
Scars Above Is Steeped in Sci-Fi Mystery
Scars Above begins its story on Earth, as the world is stunned by the sudden appearance of a massive alien structure in the planet's orbit. Nicknamed the Metahedron, this mysterious structure is due to be investigated by the Sentient Contact Assessment and Response team (SCAR), a group of scientists and engineers which includes protagonist Kate. However, plans soon change as the team is transported through space onto a mysterious planet teeming with dangerous alien lifeforms. When Kate wakes up alone, she will have to find a way to escape the planet, and find her missing teammates in the process.
Although the game presents itself as an action adventure, its setup is strangely similar to the excellent PlayStation 5 science-fiction shooter, Returnal. Kate, much like Returnal's protagonist Selene Vassos, is a scientist trapped on a hostile planet. Both games are built to be challenging, but Scars Above differentiates itself with its more cerebral, slower gameplay presentation. Much like the survival horror setup of Dead Space, Kate is not a soldier, but a scientist, so she will have to learn to adapt to survive.
Furthermore, also like Dead Space, Kate's weapons aren't dedicated firearms but modified tools that she has brought along to aid in her research. Her main weapon is the VERA, a highly modifiable rifle-shaped welder that acts as a rail gun, firing electrical arcs at enemies with satisfying effect. Kate can use a 3D printer table to modify the VERA into a flamethrower, which not only serves as an alternative attack that certain enemies are susceptible to, but also affords her a way to access new areas previously blocked by flammable biological webbing.
Kate's Intelligence Is Her Key to Survival
The way that the game explains these upgrades is another one of its more interesting features, focusing on Kate as a scientist first and foremost. Throughout the game, as Kate traverses the environments, she is able to constantly scan new flora and fauna. Much like a third-person version of Metroid Prime's scanning system, Scars Above allows players to uncover more about the world by utilizing this mechanic. One great example of this comes in the game's demo, wherein Kate discovers a benign creature that is able to use electrical pulses in its nervous system to produce a freezing fluid.
By scanning this creature, Kate explains her research of its body systems and is then able to upgrade her VERA into a grenade launcher that fires freezing projectiles. It isn't just another weapon for players, but also a way for Kate to traverse deadly worm-filled swamps by providing herself with a bridge made of ice. These systems feel like a natural evolution of the classic Metroid Prime gameplay, while also providing something new.
Certain enemies are weak to specific elemental damage, so players will have to keep this in mind while being swarmed by hostile alien lifeforms to gain the advantage. Scars Above's combat loop has players constantly dodging enemy attacks and switching between weapons to take out each type of enemy. The combat is methodical and satisfying, with each weapon type feeling hard-hitting and powerful, but balanced for a challenge.
Despite not yet having a concrete release date, Scars Above already looks gorgeous and features great voice-acting performances from its cast. It feels like a rare game that is as concerned with its science as it is with its action. Scars Above is available in demo form now, and it is slated to be released in the coming months.