Scar-Lead Salvation is certainly one of the most interesting games from Idea Factory. It takes the third-person roguelike shooter formula and applies what Idea Factory does best with its games, to varying degrees of success.
Another Gaming Amnesiac
The game follows Willow Martin, an amnesiac woman who wakes up one day to find herself trapped in a mysterious and highly sterile government facility filled with dangerous robots and alien-like monsters. She must navigate her way out with only a sarcastic AI in her ear guiding and accompanying her. Unfortunately, Scar Lead’s story is fairly minimal compared to roguelikes such as Hades, but it is about on par with games like Returnal. There are not many cutscenes, and the story mainly progresses when players defeat bosses and advance through several floors filled with waves of enemies, or when the AI decides to make an appearance.
If you are someone who enjoys a well-developed story, you may find Scar Lead lacking. However, one narrative element that remains compelling is the mystery. The game raises questions such as who Willow is, where the facility is located, the true nature of the AI, and why Willow behaves as she does. These questions and others are enough to keep players engaged as they fight through repetitive but well-designed enemies. The story becomes more intriguing as it is revealed that the world is facing an alien invasion and that the military is aware of Willow’s presence but refuses to intervene because the facility is a secret.
Returnal In Anime Clothing
In terms of gameplay, it functions similarly to Returnal. Combat is challenging, and death results in the loss of all progress, forcing players to start over from the beginning. Players obtain a variety of weapons throughout each wave; some are hidden, while others require platforming to reach. Although there is the potential to find stronger weapons, it is uncommon to obtain good new weapons once you have already acquired solid gear. There are also modifiers such as increased health, defense, and melee damage. Players unlock additional modifier slots after defeating bosses and gradually become stronger. However, these modifiers cap at level 10, limiting the maximum strength achievable.
Progression involves defeating successive waves of enemies. The game allows players to “zone out” and focus purely on combat. While the difficulty increases over time, the gameplay does not become more engaging. Although Scar Lead is more forgiving than Returnal, players have the option to restore health and receive a brief reprieve before boss fights at the cost of restarting the game from the beginning. However, levels are visually repetitive, enemy variety is limited, and dialogue exchanges between Willow and the AI quickly become monotonous. Boss encounters stand out as the most notable aspect of the game. They are well-designed and quite challenging. The boss fights resemble those in Returnal, which can be considered a positive comparison.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Scar-Lead Salvation demonstrates significant potential but is held back by repetitive level design, limited enemy variety, and a story that could benefit from more depth and development. For players who enjoy Returnal but desire a more anime-inspired experience, this game will appeal. The game runs smoothly on the PS5, with no significant glitches and only occasional minor frame rate drops. It also features both English and Japanese voice acting, though only two characters have voiced lines, which somewhat diminishes the impact of this feature. Ultimately, Scar-Lead Salvation is a decent game, especially for roguelike enthusiasts who prioritize gameplay above other elements. However, it offers little beyond that.
The Review
Scar-Lead Salvation
Scar-Lead Salvation is a decent game, especially for roguelike enthusiasts who prioritize gameplay above other elements. However, it offers little beyond that.
PROS
- Great bosses
- Provides a great challenge
- Intriguing mysteries
CONS
- Barebones level designed
- Unsatisfying story telling
