Scars Above: How Classic Sci-Fi and Modern Storytelling Combined for a New Narrative Adventure
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All of us within the studio have been nice sci-fi followers since we had been children, and with a few of us now in our forties, meaning we’ve been into science fiction for a number of many years at this level.
Quite a lot of issues have modified since a few of these traditional tales had been first advised; however the core themes appear to remain simply as thought-provoking and tales appear simply as present at present as they had been again then, even when they missed the mark in sure particulars. For instance, an Xbox console might be a number of orders of magnitude extra highly effective than the central laptop of the unique Enterprise judging by its response time to Mr. Spock’s queries.
We injected this love of science fiction into our recreation – Scars Above, a single-player third individual motion journey. Scars combines the rewarding really feel of overcoming issue with a compelling sci-fi story. The truth is, the problem itself is woven into the narrative, as are the sport’s core mechanics. Set on a mysterious alien world, you play a stranded astronaut confronted with overwhelming odds, having to make use of each useful resource at her disposal to outlive. From crafting and utilizing elemental weapons and devices, to exploiting the weaknesses of hostile fauna and flora, and alternatives discovered within the atmosphere – the strategy to fight just isn’t solely a design choice but additionally a storytelling one.
When writing Scars Above, we needed to seize an old-school sci-fi really feel; partly attributable to our love for these tales, but additionally attributable to their continued relevance, thrill, and imagination-building that stands the take a look at of time. After all, we gave our story a contemporary spin and hopefully managed to sneak in a couple of surprises right here and there too.
Whereas Scars attracts inspiration from many sources – and there are too many to notice right here – a couple of of genre-defining works had been caught in my thoughts whereas arising with the sport’s unique idea: the moral dilemmas of science and the risks of unchecked technological progress in Basis by Asimov; the mission-oriented AI devoid of moral restraints from Clarke’s 2001: A Area Odyssey; and, maybe surprisingly, the strangeness and the unexpectedness discovered past the rabbit gap in Carrol’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, all left their mark on Kate’s journey on the mysterious extrasolar planet.
In terms of the cult classics on the display, the comparability to Alien is, after all, apparent; from the resourcefulness of Ellen Ripley to the organic horror of the Xenomorph. A much less apparent inspiration may be present in a film earlier than my time (I keep in mind watching it on TCM as a child, it was an “previous traditional” even then) – “Forbidden Planet” from 1956. It was the primary science fiction film set fully on one other planet, removed from Earth. It additionally featured one of many first AI characters with its personal persona.
Lastly, the thought of protagonists being explorers and scientists as a substitute of troopers and warriors stems from Star Trek – a unbroken supply of inspiration for our whole studio. The truth is, right here’s some trivia for you: Kate is known as after the actress Kate Mulgrew – Captain Janeway from Star Trek Voyager.
Good sci-fi is timeless and we hope to have captured a few of its essence within the story of Scars Above, giving it a little bit of that enduring high quality. After all, it’s a contemporary story in a contemporary story-driven motion recreation, following present traits in each gameplay and storytelling. Our plan has at all times been to have an interaction between the story and recreation mechanics. For instance, the best way Scars is difficult displays the dimensions between Kate and the terrifying organic monstrosities that she should face. Kate’s engineering and scientific expertise, quite than fight coaching, translate to devices and weapons gamers have to depend on as a part of the tactical fight within the recreation.
When she’s not preventing, Kate is fixing the thriller of the planet and revealing the story via analysis and scientific exploration, additionally depicted via gameplay. We made gameplay mechanics part of the story (even the “respawn” mechanic is a story factor), and we used the story to drive the design of the mechanics. It’s a contemporary story, advised by fashionable gameplay – impressed by sci-fi classics and eternal themes of human curiosity, exploration, and science; and alien planets full of scary monsters, after all.
We are able to’t wait so that you can beat the chances utilizing information, experimentation, tactical considering, and sharp capturing expertise – as you wrestle to remain calm and exact throughout intense moments of terror. Scars Above comes out at present, February 28th for Xbox One and Xbox Sequence X|S.
Scars Above
Prime Matter
$39.99
Scars Above is a difficult sci-fi third-person motion journey shooter combining the rewarding really feel of overcoming issue with a compelling and complex story, set in a mysterious alien world to discover.
Some issues weren’t meant to be found…
A colossal and enigmatic alien construction seems in Earth’s orbit and stuns all the world; humanity names it ‘The Metahedron’. The Sentient Contact Evaluation and Response workforce (SCAR) – consisting of scientists and engineers – is distributed to research.
Issues don’t go as deliberate and the Metahedron hauls the workforce throughout area onto a mysterious extrasolar planet. Enjoying the position of Dr Kate Ward – a SCAR member – who wakes up dazed, alone in an odd, hostile atmosphere. Decided to outlive, you got down to discover your crew and unravel the thriller behind what’s occurred.
SURVIVE AGAINST ALL ODDS:
Kate is an astronaut and a scientist – not a soldier – however she’s resourceful and decided to do something to outlive.
Use a mix of ranged weapons, gadgets, consumables and melee assaults, it is advisable handle stamina as you run, dodge, exploit weak factors and uncover efficient techniques to defeat your foes
Mix totally different elemental assaults to beat the chances and break via in any other case impassable obstacles.
Craft totally different objects and devices to assist you towards the numerous threats on this exoplanet.
EXPLORE A MYSTERIOUS EXOPLANET:
Immerse your self in a rigorously crafted journey, impressed by the sci-fi classics.
Discover an alien world full of numerous threats, beautiful landscapes and ruins hinting of an historic – but superior – civilisation that in some way disappeared.
Journey via totally different biomes, equivalent to marshlands, freezing wastelands, underground caverns and alien services – all with their very own set of challenges, enemies, secrets and techniques and environmental hazards.
EMBARK ON A RESEARCH JOURNEY:
Kate is a scientist to her core and you will use that scientific experience to extract info out of your environment by scanning artifacts, supplies and creatures to be able to study their options, properties and weaknesses.
As you discover your environment, you’ll conduct evaluation and achieve information which is able to can help you craft new devices, weapons and unlock skills in Xenobiology and Engineering timber.
THRILLING BOSS FIGHTS:
Ghastly enemy designs – with numerous methods and techniques – will maintain encounters recent, forcing you to seek out inventive methods to defeat them.
The Scars Above Expertise:
[*] Immerse your self in an thrilling sci-fi journey impressed by the classics of the style
[*] Discover an enigmatic and complex alien world – with loads of mysteries to uncover
[*] Combat tactically, utilizing a mix of elemental assaults, devices and objects, exploit the atmosphere and enemy weaknesses
[*] Interact thrilling and difficult enemies and managers, from hulking rock-covered monstrosities to nightmarish creatures lurking at midnight
[*] Acquire information and purchase new expertise
[* ]Scan enemies to study their weaknesses and behaviours
[*] Use your scientific expertise to conduct analysis and extrapolate info
Mature Content material Description:
The builders describe the content material like this:
Violence, Depictions mutated human our bodies, Depictions of lifeless and mutilated aliens.
