The reveal trailer for the brand-new IP Scars Above landed at Gamescom, teasing a mysterious and dangerous alien world for players to explore through the eyes of protagonist Dr. Kate Ward. Mad Head Games promises a compelling and intricate story in this action-horror journey impressing players at Gamescom.
Many game trailers were shown opening night at Gamescom, including the reveal trailer for Scars Above. The game introduces a monumental like structure that resembles a pyramid hovering over Earth’s orbit, which is suspected to be, or hosts, some kind of alien race that threatens the planet. The Sentient Contact Assessment and Response team (SCAR) made up of engineers and scientists are sent to investigate, but in doing so, the alien structure transports them across space to an unfamiliar planet. This is the premise for Scars Above, which will have players control astronaut and SCAR member Dr. Kate Ward. Players must explore the alien world, find her missing crew, and uncover the secrets to this exoplanet’s mysteries.
Players will no doubt notice similarities to other games that Scars Above looks to be inspired by, such as BAFTA awarded best game Returnal, regarding the third-person shooter elements and starring a female astronaut protagonist stranded on an alien world. Even so, Scars Above will tell a different story and is also set up to play differently than Returnal. While Returnal is an arcade-like shooter experience, Scars Above will have players managing their stamina, crafting weapons and gadgets, and using elemental attacks against obstacles to overcome odds.
Scars Above also promises thrilling boss fights, and a diverse environment for players to explore in a variety of biomes, which will surely keep players on their toes as to what unexpected dangers might come next in this sci-fi adventure. Players might also notice that Scars Above may be taking a bit of inspiration from Dead Space as well, as the developers describe the mature content of the game as depicting violence in dead and mutated human bodies as well as aliens. Space horrors seem to be making a renaissance, as recent reports show that EA will reveal more on the Dead Space remake soon.
The initial release date for Scars Above was originally set for sometime in 2022, but the date now seems to have been pushed back to 2023, although the specific date has yet to be revealed. The Creative Director of Scars Above spoke to Game ZXC about the game last year, and described it as Alien meets Alice in Wonderland. Scars Above looks to be Mad Head's biggest game yet, and is its first game that will be hitting consoles, as its other releases have been made exclusively for mobile and PC. More information on this exciting new game will be available as Mad Head Games gets closer to its release.
Scars Above releases in 2023 on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.