Scars Above is a sci-fi shooter that is parts Metroid Prime and parts Returnal. Players wind up on a mysterious planet as Kate, a scientist who was studying an alien pyramid above Earth. Kate is unaware of how she got to this planet and how to get off. Along the way, she will find new guns and gadgets to fight off the alien scourge.
Scanning Knowledge points and monster corpses will level up Kate and earn her ability points. There are 22 abilities altogether in tiers spread across four categories. These eight abilities should be unlocked as soon as possible in Scars Above.
8 Load Management
Load Management is a great early skill because it increases stamina by 20%. It is located on the left side of the Tier 1 list. This skill will allow players to sprint longer and dodge without the worry of running out.
No one wants to be in the middle of a tough boss fight wherein all stamina is lost. That’s a nightmare in hardcore action games like the Dark Souls series when death is almost certain, so this skill should alleviate that fear.
7 Xenotronics
Xenotronics is another Tier 1 skill, but this increases the battery life. Gadgets are one of the three main pieces of gear in Kate’s inventory. They come in all varieties, like an early one called Protective Barrier which will form a barrier around Kate, thus increasing her defenses. Another Gadget will allow her to throw a hologram to distract enemies.
Gadgets are more like a support type of gear in an action game, so nothing will harm enemies directly. Still, having more battery life to use these Gadgets should help players be smarter in their pursuit to leave this wild planet.
6 Constitution
Constitution will raise health by 20%. It is imperative that this is unlocked soon because even on the easiest setting, Scars Above is going to challenge beginners. The weapon loadout is minimal and players won’t have a lot of healing items at their disposal.
Overall, it is a slow burn of an experience but sometimes that can make sci-fi games more engaging. As great as it is to feel the horror in a game like this, having more health is a good thing too.
5 Biomass Combining
Biomass Combining will reduce the cost of Consumables by cost 20%. Consumables then are the other part of the player’s gear set besides weapons and Gadgets. As the name might suggest, Consumables are potion-like concoctions that will do everything from healing Kate to getting rid of poison enveloping her body.
With reduced costs, players can use Consumables more. It’s a simple skill that isn’t flashy but none of these upgrades really are. It’s all about creating a better defense for Kate as far as the lore goes.
4 Improved Backpack
Improved Backpack is the first Tier 2 skill in Scars Above worth mentioning. This ability will increase how much ammo and Fiber players can carry by 50%. Ammo does not need to be explained as it is an obvious commodity in a shooter.
Each one of Kate’s four guns takes a different type of ammo from the normal electric blaster to the fire mod. Fiber is the material that Consumables use. Unlike ammo, Fiber will not be replenished as checkpoints, so the more players can hold, the better.
3 Recon
A lot of modern games have a scanning ability that can highlight things in the environment. One of the biggest games that upped the ante for the mechanic was Batman: Arkham Asylum with its excellent Detective Mode.
Scars Above has a scanning ability as well but, unfortunately, the starting model for it won’t highlight much. Recon, as an upgrade, will make the scanning ability way more useful. This will make it easier to spot things like the aforementioned Knowledge points.
2 Resist The Elements
The reason starting players die so quickly in Scars Above does not just come down to a lack of healing items. There are enemies that can poison players, which will drain away health as is standard in RPGs. It takes a while to get the Consumable to cure poison as well, meaning that players will have to waste normal healing items to resist dying.
It may take longer to get this upgrade but Resist The Elements is a much-needed skill to stave off this poison scourge. It will increase Kate’s immune system from poison and other factors by 30%.
1 Resist The Killing Blow
This is one of the best abilities in Scars Above and it cannot be unlocked until Tier 3. Resist The Killing Blow will allow players to survive an attack. This means that even if players fall in battle, they can get back up for another shot.
This can only be used once in the wild, like the revive mechanic in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Any type of game that has a skill like this should be unlocked as soon as possible. It is the ultimate defense mechanism.
Scars Above was released on February 28, 2023 and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.