S.C.A.R
- July 15, 2020
- Savage Studios
Get on Steam"S.C.A.R," a first-person shooter by Savage Studios, pits you against endless hordes of monsters and mutated beasts in a fast-paced, bloody rampage. Utilize a variety of weapons and a grappling hook to traverse levels and defeat enemies, all set to an intense and aggressive soundtrack. Experience a retro-inspired monster killing spree with challenging bosses and multiple stages.
Reviews
- The game features high mobility mechanics, including double jumps, dashes, and a grappling hook, making movement fluid and enjoyable.
- The level design is expansive and encourages exploration, with plenty of secrets and verticality to enhance gameplay.
- The game captures the retro FPS vibe with fast-paced action and a satisfying combat experience, especially with the shotgun's unique mechanics.
- The game appears to be abandoned, with little content and no significant updates since its early access launch.
- There are numerous bugs and optimization issues, including poor enemy AI and frustrating level design that can lead to confusion.
- The weapon feedback and enemy designs are lacking, making combat feel unsatisfying and repetitive at times.
- music9 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise, particularly for its engaging menu theme that sets a positive tone from the start. Players have noted that the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, especially in intense moments, with a thumping score that elevates the atmosphere. Many reviewers consider the composer a standout talent in the genre, drawing favorable comparisons to other notable soundtracks.
“The first time I launched the game, I got called away shortly after, but logged six minutes just listening to the menu music and enjoying it massively – so certainly off to a good start.”
“If comparing the soundtrack to the man who gave us Bombshell, Dusk, Amid Evil, Rise of the Triad 2013, Brutal Doom, the list continues sounds insulting, you clearly haven’t experienced those games and the standard he produced.”
“If you, the people credited for the music, are reading this – I think many people would agree he is currently the master of music for this genre, be proud that I was almost expecting to see his name amongst the credits.”
“But oh boy, you enter that factory, the music thumps, your heart rate raises, before you even figure out where you are.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by fast-paced mechanics reminiscent of classic shooters like Quake and Doom, featuring arcade-style movement, a hook mechanic, and a variety of arenas that enhance the experience. While the mechanics are generally well-received, some players noted issues with audio distractions during gameplay. Overall, the demo offers a solid foundation with potential for more content in future episodes.
“Fast arcade movement including a hook, metal music, sweet but basic guns, and a large map (first episode, hopefully we get more episodes/maps) with various spaces/arenas both small and large to change the pace of the gameplay.”
“Fast-paced mixture of Quake and Doom with the addition of a hook mechanic that allows for dynamic movement.”
“Mechanics are amazing, shooting, zip-zooming around the level.”
“In the tutorial section, I found the game continued to refill my ability bar and keep it active throughout the whole thing – which in proper gameplay would be fine. However, the continued loud pulsing sound that plays while it is active is a nuisance over what is a gorgeous track.”
“Fast-paced mixture of Quake and Doom, but the gameplay feels unbalanced and lacks depth.”
“The gameplay is chaotic and frenetic, but it often feels overwhelming and disorganized, making it hard to enjoy.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics received mixed reviews, with some praising the edgy artwork and the option for filters like the toon style, while others criticized the visuals as blurry and washed out, leading to performance issues and discomfort during gameplay. Overall, the level design and art style were noted as problematic, contributing to navigation difficulties.
“The artwork is edgy enough, and by god, does it play well.”
“Scar has filters to change your graphics, and my favorite is the toon style, which makes it look fantastic.”
“The graphics are bad; it looks blurry and washed out. It literally made me feel dizzy while playing, and it also runs poorly, with terrible performance (went below 50fps during the boss fights).”
“Problems start with level design, enemy and map art style, and there is a bit of a problem not finding where to go.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, user reviews on optimization are mixed; while some players report smooth performance on high settings without noticeable frame drops, others experience significant optimization issues, including poor graphics quality and severe frame rate drops during intense gameplay.
“Performance-wise, I can run this game perfectly fine on my system (AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-core, GeForce RTX 2060, on Windows 10) at maximum settings, with no concern of the framerate dropping enough for me to notice.”
“There's way too many problems, optimization issues, and bugs. For some reason, I can't rebind the right mouse button.”
“The graphics are bad; it looks blurry and washed out. It literally made me feel dizzy while playing, and it also runs poorly, with terrible performance (went below 50fps during the boss fights).”
“On the bright side, optimization seems to be okay.”
- story1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The story aspect is perceived as lacking depth or resolution, with users indicating a sense of finality that leaves little room for further exploration or engagement.
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional impact of the game is significantly undermined by poor graphics and performance issues, which detract from the overall experience and can even induce discomfort, such as dizziness during gameplay.
