Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 66 | 96 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 97 | 1 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 77% | 72 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | – | 0 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 78% | 72 | 2141 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Oct 30, 2023) · 300 reviews sampled · 2141 total reviews in window · weighted 172.7 up / 30.5 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (84)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 50
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Story-driven sci-fi adventure is a rare guest these days. Despite low-budget limitationб Scars Above is a worthy experience to spend a few evenings with it.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Scars Above is a high-quality survival sci-fi horror game that will completely draw you in. Its intuitive controls, perfect sound design, classic story, and very likable main character will appeal to just about anyone. Unfortunately, I can’t shake the feeling that the one thing that really drags the game down is the lack of a minimap. We’ll see if the developers add one in a future patch, but it doesn’t look likely at the moment.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Scars Above is a decent game that fans of sci-fi can appreciate. It does suffer from jankiness and some issues, but it feels like Mad Head Games did put a lot of effort into making the elements in this game work properly.”
read full review ↗ - 55
“While the core shooting mechanics and elemental weapons deliver the goods by setting up engaging, open-ended tactical battles, all of the elements that surround that core are lacking in some way.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“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.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Scars Above is a more appealing prospect than it is a final product - an interesting premise that's ultimately lost amidst repetitive gameplay and mundane design. Some aspects of it are genuinely intriguing, if underexplored, but simply reaching for the stars alone is no guarantee of ever actually leaving orbit, let alone getting off the ground - and recommending this experience over any other is a bit rich, even for the lower asking price.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Scars Above's premise and storyline are the best parts but poorly balanced combat and lack of extra content make this sci-fi tale one that is over far too quickly to be memorable.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Scars Above is a solid sci-fi romp with an identity complex. It wants so badly to be a Soulslike and instead feels more like a game that just borrows ideas without understanding what makes them work. I enjoyed my playthrough, but I wish it would have leaned into its own ideas instead of trying to mimic something else. The story is interesting, the game play is fun, but I wish it wouldn’t have taken so much inspiration from other titles.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Scars Above is a very interesting and challenging game, in which you will move based on critical thinking, reflexes and multiple attempts.”
read full review ↗ - 72
“A game suitable for those who loves Sci-Fi creatures. It delivers the concept of facing various life forms during an adventure throughout an unknown planet quite well. A shooting action which requires puzzle-solving brain work is also quite interesting. However, you need to endure the unnatural modeling, stiff animation and unreasonable level designs before all these charms.”
read full review ↗
INDIANTVCZ
3DNews
Gaming Professors
Kakuchopurei
VGChartz
Gfinity
Gameffine
Push Square
Capsule Computers
ZTGD
Enternity.gr
INVEN…and 72 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- SCARS ABOVE - PATCH NOTESOct 30, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Scars Above - Patch Hotfix 1Mar 1, 2023