First impressions of Scar-Lead Salvation are that it is stylish with deep gameplay, but it comes with a steep learning curve to understand the mechanics and gameplay. It’s a third-person shooter roguelike game that some players will enjoy.

 Escape for Answers

You play as Willow Martin, the protagonist with no memories of her past who awakens in a military facility where she faces deadly machines. To escape and find answers, Willow must navigate through the facility with some help from a fellow AI for company.

As you progress from floor to floor, mechanical foes will pursue you until you are defeated. If your health gauge is completely depleted, you will start back from the beginning and lose the weapons you found on your journey. Finding these weapons isn’t too difficult, and at the end of a floor, players can upgrade their weapons before moving forward.

Familiar Vibes

Players will need to be strategic with these foes as they shoot projectiles your way in various forms. Some of these projectiles closely resemble the gameplay of the popular game NieR: Automata. Willow can deflect these projectiles back at enemies and utilize gun-styled weapons or engage in close combat for a quick finish. Additionally, you can warp quickly to dodge and maneuver around enemies. The gameplay is deep and offers players many options for combat.

However, there is a learning curve to playing Scar-Lead Salvation. From movement to various fighting techniques, players will need to experiment to find what best suits their style and works against enemies. Players will need to figure this out quickly as enemies become stronger the further you explore the facility. Additionally, the game’s menu setup and options can be overwhelming to players.

Travel With Care

Scar-Lead Salvation is a good choice to pick up and dive into if you have the patience to endure the learning and experimenting of its roguelike features. For a retail price of $59.99 USD, it’s a bit of a hard swallow for now.

A PlayStation 5 code provided for this article. Scar-Lead Salvation available on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC (Steam). Additional information can be found on the game’s official website.