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Scars Above on Steam
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Scars Above is a challenging sci-fi third-person action adventure shooter combining the rewarding feel of overcoming difficulty with a compelling and intricate story, set in a mysterious alien world to explore.
Scars Above is a action, adventure and female protagonist game
developed by Mad Head Games
and published by Prime Matter.
Released on February 28th 2023 is available on Windows, Steam Deck and Steam Machine
in 12 languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish - Spain, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese - Portugal, Russian, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese.
It has received 2,776 reviews of which 2,138 were positive and 638 were negative resulting in a rating of 7.5 out of 10. 😊
The game is currently priced at 29.99€ on Steam, but you can find it for 1.49€ on Eneba.
The Steam community has classified Scars Above into these genres:
Action
Adventure
Female Protagonist
Sci-fi
Third-Person Shooter
Souls-like
Singleplayer
Exploration
Action-Adventure
Shooter
Horror
Third Person
Aliens
Difficult
3D
Space
Mystery
Open World
Here is the detailed breakdown of supported languages for Scars Above:
| UI | Subtitle | Audio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | |||
| German | |||
| French | |||
| Italian | |||
| Korean | |||
| Spanish - Spain | |||
| Simplified Chinese | |||
| Traditional Chinese | |||
| Russian | |||
| Japanese | |||
| Portuguese - Portugal | |||
| Polish |
Media & Screenshots
Get an in-depth look at Scars Above through various videos and screenshots.
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System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: Windows 10
- Processor: Intel Core i5-4440 or equivalent
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 670 / GeForce GTX 1050 / AMD Radeon HD 7870
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 18 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
Steam Price & Best Deals
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Nice shooting mechanics, nice story, it kept me on the edge the whole game. The moving, shooting, dodging etc. are a bit clunky though. But what I like the most is that you can reset your ability points anytime you want, how many times you want. There's no limit for that. So you can play around with different builds until you find the one that's right for you. But in the end you will have unlocked all of them anyway.
Surprisingly good for what it's worth. Given the lack of sci-fi games nowadays, definitely a must play if you like settings like this one. Combat mechanics might seem a bit janky and too basic at first, but once you unlock more weapons and abilities, the gameplay actually becomes fun. More importantly, the game doesn't overstate its welcome: 6-8 hours it takes to beat it feels exactly right. And also reminds of good old days when a game didn't throw tons of boring repetitive activities at you just to make the walkthrough longer.
Oh man, am I a sucker for a good Sci-Fi Game. Anything from Observation to Star Ocean. I am just a much a sucker for Sci-Fi games as I am a Cyberpunk game. So let's get into the review of Scars Above! Story: 6 / 10 The premise starts with strong classic sci-fi intrigue: Dr. Kate Ward and her SCAR (Sentient Contact Assessment and Response) team are sent to investigate the "Metahedron," a colossal alien structure that suddenly appears in Earth's orbit. Things quickly go sideways, and Kate wakes up alone on a hostile, enigmatic alien planet. While the scientific approach of the protagonist is a refreshing angle, the narrative pacing stumbles after the first couple of hours. The plot leans heavily on familiar genre tropes, the supporting characters feel underdeveloped, and promising lore concepts introduced late in the game fail to completely pay off, culminating in an abrupt cliffhanger. Graphics: 6 / 10 Visually, the game is a mixed bag that highlights its AA budget. On the positive side, the art direction and environmental aesthetics—ranging from murky, imposing alien wetlands to frozen mountain peaks—do an excellent job creating a tense atmosphere. The creature designs are genuinely creative and appropriately grotesque. However, the game falls short on human assets. Character models look stiff, and facial animations during dialogue cutscenes are noticeably unpolished, with distracting lip-syncing issues. Some environment assets also feel dropped onto the map rather than organically integrated. Audio: 6 / 10 The sound design performs adequately but rarely elevates the experience. Ambient environmental sounds effectively convey the isolation of the alien world, and the weapon audio profiles give the elemental firing modes a distinct identity. The voice acting for Kate is solid, keeping her grounded despite the chaotic circumstances. That said, the orchestral soundtrack is largely unmemorable, serving as generic background tension rather than adding an impactful auditory identity to major encounters. Controls: 7 / 10 The mechanical loop is heavily inspired by third-person shooters mixed with tactical elements (resembling a "Souls-like with guns"). The control layout is responsive, which is critical since the combat focuses on rapidly switching elemental weapons (electric, fire, ice, and acid) to exploit environmental hazards and enemy weak points. Dodging, aiming, and toggling gadgets (like decoy holograms or gravity shields) function smoothly on standard mouse/keyboard setups, though the dodge-roll and melee execution animations can occasionally feel rigid and mechanical. Value: 7 / 10 Launching originally at a mid-tier $40 price point and frequently seen on deep digital sales, the value proposition depends on what you expect from a sci-fi shooter. The campaign is a strictly linear, focused experience that clocks in at around 8 to 12 hours. It lacks extensive collectibles or a reason to backtrack, meaning replayability is low. However, for players looking for a compact, self-contained sci-fi campaign without modern open-world bloat, it delivers exactly what it promises on a budget. Final Score: 32 / 50 Final Thoughts Scars Above is a textbook definition of a solid, mid-tier AA title. It doesn't have the polished cinematic grandeur or the staggering visual budget of a massive AAA production, but it compensates with smart mechanical choices. The core gameplay hook—using elemental rock-paper-scissors combat to shatter enemy defenses and manipulating the environment to your advantage—is incredibly satisfying and keeps the gameplay engaging from start to finish. Where the game ultimately falters is in its lack of execution on the narrative front and its stiff presentation, particularly regarding human character models and animations. It is a highly focused, linear sci-fi adventure that respects your time by completely avoiding modern open-world padding. If you go into it expecting a polished, bite-sized "Souls-lite" shooter with a distinct science-first protagonist rather than a groundbreaking epic, Scars Above is a thoroughly enjoyable weekend campaign that is well worth picking up, especially on sale.
This is one of those games where I wish there was a middle ground between a positive and negative review. Because while this game is certainly no masterpiece, it also isn't *bad*. Let's start with the negatives. -Scars Above runs on the Unreal Engine, so it looks great, the character models and animations haven't gotten that memo tho. The lip movements don't sync up either. -The stamina bar also appears outside of combat, which gets annoying during long stretches of exploration. -The story itself works, but the writing is lackluster. Early in the game you discover what happens to the rest of the crew, and I sincerely couldn't bring myself to care. While some connection to the other characters is implied in the prologue, the player has no attachment to them. Richard's death at the hands of Kate in particular is later played up to be this big moment for her, but the guy held a corny speech at the beginning of the game and then became a monster, so not much for characterisation there. Meanwhile Kate seemingly doesn't care that she can horrifically over and over. Meanwhile she just touches anything and everything with her bare hands, including a substance that can freeze water on contact and highly acidic bugs. -Some levels also feel very "videogame-y". Trees in the middle of a swamp have white paint on them. Puzzles always work out perfectly while feeling very staged. The icy area has ever-smoldering plants in it. And some scene transition "duck through this narrow passage"-parts also broke my immersion hard. This game was published in 2023, there is no good reason to still use these. -The leveling system is another weak point. To level up you have to collect purple cubes that are hidden in the levels, and you can't backtrack once you left a level, so you can permanently miss out on skill points if you're not looking around. But then the skills also barely change gameplay (20% more health, quicker reload times if you do a QTE, 20% chance to not spend resources when using a consumable etc). In all likelihood the game would be better off if Kate just found those things (like the weapon upgrades). -30 bucks for 8 hours of playtime (and virtually no replayability) is also a steep price. Only get it on sale. Now for the good things, and this is where Scars Above really shines. -Combat and its elemental mechanics work well. Wet/frozen enemies take more damage from electric attacks and freeze quicker, but take less damage from fire. Enemies covered in acid will take extra damage from fire attacks, and the acid will strip armor. Shoot weakpoints of the same colour for extra damage. Well executed. Melee combat can watch from the cuck chair it deserves. -The areas. Hot damn, this game has some beautiful setpieces. All of level 5 as well, if you know, you know. -The voice acting is well done, as is the soundtrack. I can see myself using some of it for roleplaying games. -There's also an engaging amount of puzzles that don't feel repetitive. I think I got this game for like six bucks, and for that price it was decent enough. Only get it on sale though.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Scars Above is currently priced at 29.99€ on Steam.
No, Scars Above is currently not on sale. You can purchase it for 29.99€ on Steam.
Yes, Scars Above received 2,138 positive votes out of a total of 2,776 achieving a rating of 7.45.
😊
Scars Above was developed by Mad Head Games and published by Prime Matter.
Yes, Scars Above is playable and fully supported on Windows.
No, Scars Above is not playable on MacOS.
No, Scars Above is not playable on Linux.
Yes, Scars Above is playable on Steam Deck, though it might require a few minor tweaks. Make sure to check the Steam store page and community feedback on ProtonDB for exact compatibility details.
Yes, Scars Above is playable and fully supported on Steam Machine.
No, Scars Above does not support VR.
Scars Above is a single-player game.
Yes, there are 2 DLCs available for Scars Above. Explore additional content available for Scars Above on Steam.
No, Scars Above does not support mods via Steam Workshop.
No, Scars Above does not support Steam Remote Play.
Yes, Scars Above is enabled for Steam Family Sharing. This means you can share the game with authorized users from your Steam Library, allowing them to play it on their own accounts. For more details on how the feature works, you can read the original Steam Family Sharing announcement or visit the Steam Family Sharing user guide and FAQ page.
You can find solutions or submit a support ticket by visiting the Steam Support page for Scars Above.
Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 24 September 2026 04:20 UTC |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 16 October 2026 03:11 UTC |
| Steam price | 16 October 2026 03:07 UTC |
| Steam reviews | 13 October 2026 05:56 UTC |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Scars Above, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Scars Above
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Scars Above concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Scars Above compatibility
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Game modes
Features
Online players
8
Developer
Mad Head Games
Publisher
Prime Matter
Release
28 Feb 2023
Platforms
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