Scars Above Reviews

Story and setting had intrigued me enough into buying this game, but after getting inexplicably stuck in two different places (and by stuck, I mean the character model could only run in place-no amount of rolling/dodging or other kind of command would free the character from the spot in which you get stuck in) within an hour of playing this game, I can't possibly in good conscience recommend this game to ANYONE. It's been almost two years since this game has been released. Surely such a game-breaking glitch/bug would have been corrected by now?

Great game! Legit the best $5 I have ever spent! If I knew I would enjoy it this much, I would've paid full price on release date. Kudos to the devs!

TLDR - Bad script, and some bad qol features. Good Sound, Lighting and Atmosphere, Fun mechanics. 7/10 - The Bad - The story started off good but unfortunately kinda just fell into the same trope as your typical sci-fi stories go. The voice acting was pretty good but the script and facial animations really needed some work. Naya's motivations and character development being non existent for most of game led to a feeling of not caring about her story when it was told toward the end. The way the npcs would repeat the exact lore I had just read or heard through a recording I had found was super lame. The exp system was very boring and would have felt nicer if it was just a standard exp per kill scenario. There were a number of minor qol issues that were distracting and kind of annoying, biggest example being once I had purchased all skills, the skill point counter stayed on the screen. This leads to the next issue being, having 10 unspent skill points by the end of the game. I don't know, not really used to having too many skill points in games and it was a jarring unpleasant feeling. Lastly, the game made me feel like it was going to be a souls-like from the get go due to the first pillar. It really wasn't a souls like beyond enemies respawning. - The Good - I can not overstate how incredible the cinematography was throughout this game. It was largely what kept me going. The lighting and special effects were really on point throughout most of the game. I have to mention the grass in the opening sequence. I've never seen grass like that in a game before and it was stunning. There were so many instances of good cinematography. The sound design was super impressive. The atmosphere was great, I was always on edge due to how often enemy spawns made me jump. I enjoyed the puzzles but was a little disappointed that most were only used once. I loved the fight mechanics. Each fight felt like it's own mini puzzle. Was a bit easy but not in a bad/boring way. To sum up, a lot of the story/script lacking but the atmosphere, sound design and cinematography where brilliant enough to make up for it. The monsters made me jump more times than I care to admit and they were fun to learn. I am pretty keen to see what the dev team come out with next. 7/10

Solid gameplay, nice graphics, fun boss fights.

6,5/10 game. Good if you bought it on a sale. The typical playstation like game experience. A 3rd person story driven/focus game, pretty linear all around. You advance you kill some enemies, you get some loot or upgrade, you make a puzzle, and repeat. Graphics are ok but amazing, characters looks weird but some scenarios look good. To complete the game you need around 8-9 hours i have some afk moments, so i complete it in 10.3 hours in the first run. The combate itself its not bad but its not amazing either. There are some interesting mechanics like using different elements (different options of your gun) to deal with different enemies The problem is that all the hard enemies are basically: "hit in the weak point when they are going to perform an attack". And thats it, repeat until the enemie dies. Only boss thats requiere some kind of puzzle solving to deal with its "The Construct". The rest its hit the weak point I dont find the game particulary hard as some people are pointing, i die a few times but thats it, and if you find having problems you have gadgets and consumables, again the problem its that gravity slow down granade solve all the problems slowing down enemies allowing you to perform the hit in the weak spot, so No need to use any other gadget.

The game tells a classic scifi tale that intrigues and captivates the imagination. It asks the big questions of "What is out there?" and "Where are we coming from?" as well as "Is there a deeper meaning or purpose to our existence?". Storytelling and gameplay complemented each other well and the overall experience was fun, if challenging sometimes.

I have this habit of buying low budget games and hating every second of them. Though I am only 90 minutes in, this one feels more worth it than the others. The price is a bit offensive for how short it apparently is. Get it on sale.

Challenging and Difficulty rite in the description. Be prepared to be challenged to the MAX for what seems to be small rewards. The game looks awesome and plays awesome with what seems to be alot of work and care into making Scars Above. But the challenging parts that seem unrelenting between making fractional second decisions to choose the best weapon for the enemies and those weapons you have to charge up then release the trigger to fire, which makes your shots always 1/10 of a second too late....? UGH. With almost 9 hours in, I would say IMO, players need more adjustments or sumpn to make it not so cringy hard and off of my uninstall list. JMO but thumbs down for now because theres no middle vote. Its actually a good game, but I think some people are turned off to try to advance in the game when you have a 6,000lb rock guy rushing you, covering up the only target spots that really do any damage and its all timing, timing, timing to a frustrating degree that is more frustrating than anything.

Scars Above is really good! It's on the shorter side (9 hours or so), and it's very reasonably paced. I have a soft spot for space games since mass effect, and this one delivered pretty well with most of the focus being on the setting and combat. The story is pretty cool, but I don't feel it was anything incredible. Definitely paced reasonably, but I didn't feel much connection to the characters. Combat is where the game shines. It's mostly gun heavy, but you can melee if you want. Melee attacks are super inefficient though. A lot of the reviews said this game was pretty difficult, but I didn't really have that experience. Sure, I game quite a bit, but I don't think it was anything crazy. Most moves are telegraphed pretty well, the enemies have a lot of the same gimmicks, and if you can't figure it out, you may have to switch weapons or use the environment. The hardest part is the first two hours of the game by far... it gets much easier as you level up and get all the skills. I one shot the last boss because I had nearly infinite shields. Lastly, the environments were awesome. Great work from the art team. Some Negatives: - Voices don't sync up with mouth movements. It was pretty bad actually. Mouth movements were way ahead. Tried fixing my frame rate and dialing in my settings, and nothing works. Looks like most people are experiencing this. - Characters didn't have a ton of personality - facial expressions were really weird... luckily you don't see that much. MC looking at the last boss with "anger" was hilarious - Difficulty curve was odd. MUCH harder in the first hour or two than later.

Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed this indie game. Considering it's the first major launch from this studio, I think they did a fantastic job overall. However, I can't help but feel that the game had the potential to be something even greater. [h2]Story [/h2] If I had to pick the weakest aspect of the game, it would be the story. It feels like a mix of Mass Effect, Independence Day: Resurgence, and Returnal—those familiar with these titles will likely recognize the similarities. While the narrative is engaging, it can be quite predictable, lacking major twists or player-driven choices. The occasional Dead Space vibes with hallucinations add an intriguing layer, but unfortunately, this idea isn't fully explored. While I don’t mind a linear experience, a game with souls-like elements should ideally offer the player choices that impact the journey. We are not just playing as Kate; she should reflect our decisions rather than simply guiding us through a predetermined path. That being said, despite the predictable nature of the story, it still holds up better than Mass Effect: Andromeda, even if it leans toward the cheesy side. [h2]Voice Acting [/h2] The voice acting was impressive, especially considering the scale of the game. The main actress delivered a fantastic performance, bringing depth and emotion to the character. She has great potential in voice acting, and I’d love to see her take on more roles in the future. [h2]Music[/h2] The soundtrack is absolutely phenomenal. It carries a distinct Mass Effect and Blade Runner synth vibe, which complements the atmosphere perfectly. And that final song by The Doo—just wow. [h2]Gameplay[/h2] The gameplay is fun, but it could benefit from more variety. The elemental combo mechanics—such as toxic combos, melting effects, and freeze status—are fantastic, with breaking ice standing out as one of the best mechanics in the game. However, the talent tree feels underdeveloped, as if it was designed quickly without much depth. If the next game features a similar system, I would prefer either a more fleshed-out progression system or for it to be removed entirely. Leveling via purple cubes forces exploration, which is interesting, but it feels a bit unnecessary given the game’s linear nature. Utility spells are present, but only the freeze field stands out as particularly useful, especially when upgraded. The difficulty balance is another aspect that could use improvement—playing on Commander difficulty still felt very much like a Story Mode experience. The inventory and itemization elements give off a nice Resident Evil vibe, which I loved. However, they could have been utilized more effectively. Puzzles, while serviceable, are another missed opportunity; something along the lines of Remnant 2’s puzzle design could have added more depth. Melee combat is rather ineffective, primarily serving as a way to finish off enemies for a health regeneration perk. Movement and dodging can feel slightly clunky, sometimes causing the player to get stuck in mobs, but it's still manageable. [h2]Monsters & Bosses[/h2] The enemy design is decent but lacks diversity and strong AI. They are highly predictable, often spamming abilities in random directions. The encounters mostly revolve around exploiting weak points—on the back, in water with electricity, or with fire on ice—which becomes repetitive over time. Since enemies respawn after resting but don’t grant XP, this mechanic feels somewhat redundant. The Constructor boss fight is a highlight, but even that battle suffers from repetition. It follows a single pattern with only a few attack variations. While I wasn’t expecting FromSoftware-level boss fights, Remnant 2—also an indie title—managed to create some incredible souls-like encounters that this game could take inspiration from. [h2]Level Design[/h2] The game’s level design is quite linear, often presenting two paths—one for the main quest and another leading to upgrades or collectibles. Given its linearity, what stands out most is the atmosphere. From the vast plains to alien artifacts, the depths of gluttony, and icy landscapes reminiscent of Hoth, the environments are beautifully crafted and immersive. [h2]Characters[/h2] The protagonist is well-developed and likable, but unfortunately, the supporting cast lacks depth. The game needed more moments to establish emotional connections—perhaps through additional interactions, heroic sacrifices, or surprising betrayals. As it stands, I found myself indifferent to their fate, and even tempted to side with the antagonists just to bring an end to their struggles. A stronger emotional connection with the characters would have given their presence more weight. As it is, they feel less important than the creatures emerging from the water, only to be promptly vaporized. [h2]Final Thoughts[/h2] Despite its flaws, I truly enjoyed the game and would love to see a sequel. The ending leaves room for another adventure, and I hope the developers expand on the mechanics, story depth, and character development in the next installment. Also, a post-credits scene would have been a fantastic touch! Overall, this was a strong first major release for the studio, and I’m excited to see where they go from here!