Scars Above is a recent addition to the gaming industry’s rich tradition of sci-fi shooters. Ever since the shooter genre got its start with the iconic Doom, gunplay and science fiction have gone hand in hand in video games. Scars Above was developed by Mad Head Games and published by Prime Matter, which also handled the recent remake of System Shock, another iconic sci-fi shooter. Unfortunately, Scars Above does not look like it’s due to receive the same measure of fame as icons of the genre like Halo and Gears of War. While fans have praised its environments, enemy designs, and gunplay, it’s been held back by some serious technical issues which have resulted in frequent crashes. If you’re willing to deal with these issues, however, here’s everything else you need to know about Scars Above.
Scars Above Premise
In Scars Above you play as Dr. Kate Ward, member of a scientific team dispatched to explore a mysterious alien megastructure that suddenly appears in Earth’s orbit. When the structure sends Kate and the rest of her team to a distant alien world in deep space, she must struggle to survive, unravel the mysteries of this alien technology, and find a way home. Kate has a broad arsenal of weapons at her disposal, and there is an intricate elemental damage mechanic to keep in mind in order to maximize damage against the alien threats populating this hostile world. The game also boasts a crafting mechanic, letting you put together a variety of tools and gadgets to aid you in your journey.
Scars Above Main Characters
The story of Scars Above is basically centered on your attempts to make it home with the other members of your research team. Your fellow scientists are therefore central to the narrative, and to your struggles to understand this mysterious new world. As you strive to keep yourself alive on an alien planet, here are the most important figures you’ll be working with.
- Kate Ward: The protagonist, Kate Ward, specializes in biology and mechanical engineering, and brings these skills to bear in order to craft new tools and weapons and survive in this hostile alien world.
- Mike Yoshida: Mike Yoshida is a brilliant physicist, who was consequently the first pick for the crew sent to investigate the alien structure. He can also be recognized by his cat doll, Mr. Jefferson, which he brings with him whenever he leaves Earth.
- Tamara Coleman: Tamara is Kate’s best friend and the physician on this mission. Consequently, she specializes in rare diseases.
- Richard Robinson: Commander Richard Robinson is in charge of the mission. As a successful army pilot, Robinson commands the spaceship sent to investigate the mysterious alien structure known as the Metahedron.
Scars Above Cheat Codes
Unfortunately, Scars Above has no cheat codes. Given the technical issues and glitches which have been plaguing the game, a debugging mode might have been a worthy addition. Tragically, however, there is no known way to access such a mode. As with many PC games, you can probably find cheat engines and trainers online to aid you in this game. This is, of course, a risky proposition. Third parties that you don’t trust could afflict your PC with viruses and malware. If you want a more legitimate way to conquer Scars Above, therefore, here’s a full list of achievements you can unlock in-game.
- Construction Work: Assemble VERA.
- Beyond the Horizon: Discover the Metahedron vista.
- He Ruined Us: Weather the mysterious storm.
- The Body Must Be Cleansed: Investigate the area around Richard’s backpack to discover where he went.
- Blades of Grass: Reach the grassy plains.
- Fallen Deity: Find the crashed remains of the Hermes.
- Lost Scientist: Find Mr. Jefferson.
- The Code of Life: Learn of the mysterious code hidden in genes.
- Control Variable: Learn of Kate’s special status.
- I Just Wanted You To See Her: Discover Naya’s fate.
- We Are SCARs: Complete the game.
- Pillars of the Earth: Activate your first pillar.
- Pillars Everywhere: Activate five pillars.
- Worlds Without End: Activate all pillars.
- Ready and Able: Unlock the first ability.
- Peak Potential: Unlock a tier 4 ability.
- Masterclass: Unlock all abilities.
- Aristotle’s Apprentice: Scan your first natural resource.
- Master Scientist: Scan all available unique natural resources.
- Darwin’s Theory: Scan your first hostile creature.
- Scientific Collection: Scan all hostile creatures.
- Putting Together The Initial Pieces: Solve the alien console puzzle.
- A Healthy Mind: Solve all puzzles.
- Knowledge is Power: Scan a Knowledge Cube.
- Destructive Tool Printing: Use the Mobile Printing Unit to craft the Thermic Charger.
- Destructive Tool Collection: Craft all weapons.
- Tinkerer: Craft a weapon upgrade.
- Applied Science: Craft an upgrade for all weapons.
- Improvise, Adapt, Overcome: Craft your first gadget.
- Science Wins: Craft all gadgets.
- Survivor: Craft your first consumable.
- Master Survivor: Craft all consumables.
- Alpha: Defeat the Alpha.
- Fear Keeps You Sharp: Defeat the Alluvial King.
- Deconstructed: Defeat the Construct.
- Flesh and Bones: Defeat the Feliform Cadavar.
- Face the Nightmare: Defeat the neuro-parasite.
- Omega: Defeat the Omega and the Custodian.
- CAUTION: Flammable: Ignite multiple enemies with a single Flammable Liquid charge.
- Trapped: Keep an enemy inside the Gravity Trap for its whole duration.
- Final Destination: Use the shield to deflect incoming damage that would have killed you.
- Baited: Kill an enemy while it’s affected by the Holo-lure.
- Shattered: Kill an enemy while it’s in its frozen state.
- Newton’s Third Law: Cause an elemental reaction.
- Real-time Analysis: Use the pulse scan to reveal an enemy weak point.
Scars Above FAQ
Is Scars Above a horror game?
Scars Above has some definite horror elements. The dark secrets of this sinister alien world can make for some very uncomfortable revelations. Similarly, the gruesome design of the alien monsters in the game can be quite unsettling as well. While the darker elements of Scars Above might not be fit for everyone, the game is not officially a horror game. It’s more of a sci-fi action shooter with horror elements, closer to something like Returnal than a proper space horror game like Dead Space.
How long is Scars Above?
Scars Above, despite its hefty achievement list, is not a long game. If you engage in a fair amount of side content you can expect to spend around eight hours playing it. Completionists will probably get closer to ten hours’ worth of content, but that’s still pretty tiny when compared to most AAA games these days. Some may feel that this is an inadequate run time for the cost of the game, while others might appreciate a game that doesn’t overstay its welcome. This is a purely subjective choice, of course, but if you’re thinking of spending money on this game, you should be aware that it runs a little short.
Is Scars Above soulslike?
Scars Above does borrow liberally from the informal “soulslike” genre. Features like an emphasis on difficulty, a vital dodge roll mechanic, and randomly spaced checkpoints that replenish health. This sets it apart from the similar PS5 title Returnal, which also features a female scientist forced to survive on a hostile and mysterious alien planet. Returnal has a much greater focus on roguelike mechanics and arcade-style combat, however, contrasting Scars Above’s soulslike approach.
Does Scars Above have an easy mode?
Most soulslikes force the player to endure a single set difficulty. This is a controversial feature, as many feel that the high learning curve of the genre makes it inaccessible to new players. Luckily, Scars Above offers an alternative. The game has three difficulty settings: Rookie, Specialist, and Commander. These three difficulties fall on the traditional easy, medium, and hard scale most gamers will be used to. You can also swap between them as you play, allowing you to tailor your experience over time in order to make sure the challenges presented by this strange alien world are right for you.