Scars Above Reviews
There is some promise in Scars Above. The game presents solid foundations to build upon, and the fact that this is the maiden title from Mad Head Games is an achievement on its own. On the visual side, the game is a looker and performed admirably on PC. However it is hard to overlook its game design and technical shortcomings. While its use of repeated sci-fi tropes doesn’t do it any favors. Perhaps Scars Above will be the necessary learning experience that will likely enhance the studio’s future projects.
Scars Above is a game that have a lot of ideas but the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The game feels like a lesser version of Returnal with pacing and animation problems, that being said the game does have some neat concepts (specially the combined damage), but it doesn't get the time it deserves and feels a little bit undercooked.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Scars Above comes across as an average title. The developers had a lot of good ideas that fell flat due to mediocre execution. The game can be recommended to fans of the Alien movie franchise, but we recommend not to have too high expectations.
Review in Czech | Read full review
If you are okay with spending $39.99 for roughly a 6 to 8-hour sci-fi experience then I think Scars Above would be worth your time and money. However, if it was more than $39.99 then absolutely not, but thankfully that isn’t the case here. Scars Above is a decent game for its price point, but it isn’t your next big-budget sci-fi blockbuster.
Scars Above is a competent enough game that efficiently gets you through its six-hour runtime. It won't make you forget its influences, but if you can find this one on sale, you could definitely do a lot worse.
Scars Above really embraces its sci-fi and soulslike themes, offering an atmospheric game with a good balance between exploration, puzzle-solving and battles. It's a bit janky but palatable when you consider the game comes at a budget price. If you're looking for something different than the mainstream cooker cutter offering, Scars Above is worth the time and effort.
It is hard to say that Scars Above is a bad game, but rather, it feels like something that was not made for the modern gaming audience. There is some merit to how it approaches some of its systems, but they never ever go far enough to make a significant difference as a whole. Interesting ideas are only half the battle, and with its mixed visuals and wonky controls, it turns a potentially complex alien journey into a road of forgettable crashes.
Scars Above doesn’t rewrite the rule book, nor does it break any new ground, but it plays mostly well and remains enjoyable through to its end through combat variety, environments, movement and storytelling. Ropey graphics, bugs, light-feeling weapons, as well as frustrating sections, environments and some unfulfilled mechanics mean this also lacks the polish and quality to match up to other diamonds in the genre.
Scars Above is not your average shooter, but it will pleasantly surprise you. This is because you don't play a soldier, but a scientist. Because of this you will have to rely more on science instead of combat training. Despite the repetitive elements, due to the Souls-like touch, you will be faced with enough challenge. Scars Above has many layers, which makes for a unique experience.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Despite Scars Above’s stellar visual presentation and challenging combat, it suffers from lackluster story-telling and repetitive gameplay. Thankfully it does manage to redeem itself to some extent by effectively blending its exploration with combat and puzzle-solving even though it may get frustrating at times. If you like titles like Dead Space, Returnal, or Control, it may be worth checking out. But considering its inconsistent animations and glitches, it’s best to wait for a sale on this one.
Scars Above may be a little on the repetitive side, and sure it’s not perfect. I wouldn’t say it’s not worth trying out, but I would also classify it somewhere between a quick fix to expect nothing too lofty. The characters are forgettable, the story is not important, and its mission statement is worthless to its protagonist in the sense that there’s no goal to attain, rather a moral standard to which in a dire situation as this would be a judgement call, rather than any level headedness applied.
In years to come, Scars Above may be the sort of game you find in a “games you missed” list, or ones that deserve more attention. It’s rough around the edge, isn’t the prettiest, and doesn’t reinvent the gaming wheel, but what it does deliver is an enjoyable sci-fi romp that may gain a cult classic status one day.
All things considered, Scars Above works because its pain points are, for the most part, forgivable when the runtime is this short. For me at least, the opening was thrilling enough to trigger fond memories of Mass Effect’s heyday. And the final product is admirable when you remember that this is a fledgling studio with a lot of ambition that merely fell just slightly short in a few areas.
Scars Above will seek inspiration from many other works, but it does not emerge at any of the points it has carried. Poor quality of kinematics and dialogues, rudimentary and frustrating gameplay that reveals almost no motion capture, and dubious visual quality. A project that has to be looked at outside the most demanding levels of a high-profile, budgeted title below. You don't ask for a full price, nor could you, but even with a more desirable price I can't recommend it, fail the most important, reward the player for the hours you play it, and that Scars Above can't do it.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Overall Scars Above shows large promise in being a story that will be remembered and enjoyed by various types of gamers. For the price it is going for on the PlayStation Store (£36.97 at the time of writing this), it is a steal for an immersive and beautiful experience with plenty to shoot, investigate, and discover.
Scars Above provokes bittersweet feelings. It contains all the elements to be a very complete work, but some of its mechanics cause too much frustration.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Apart from some cutscene jank, Scars Above is still a fantastic new release that delivers a really great gaming experience.
Scars Above is an interesting toe in the water for many different genres but as you start to descend, you realise how shallow that puddle really is. An interesting world and decent elemental mechanics are held back by poor exploration and an unwillingness to push the boat out.
Scars Above has some promising ideas for a much deeper sci-fi action game, but not all were fully utilized. While it aims to be a Souls game, it ultimately comes out mostly as a decent third-person shooter. It's true that the game isn't perfect and has its share of drawbacks; still, it manages to differentiate itself from the crowd of soulslike games by introducing some fresh concepts.
Scars Above is a valiant attempt at providing a fresh spin on the souls-like genre. Its elemental-based third-person shooting feels genuinely fresh, with its reliance on environmental debuffs and stacking combos representing a genuine innovation within a space that isn’t exactly known for innovating, so it’s just a shame that the progression system feels so at odds with the efforts gone to by the developers in order to make Scars Above stand out. Despite that, the combat is still strong and is supplemented greatly by an atmosphere that, at times, feels truly out of this world. With that in mind, I definitely think souls-like fans and sci-fi fans alike should strap in and prepare for lift-off and join Kate on her journey into the unknown.