Scathe | PC Review

Go through bullet-hell – in hell! Damage State Limited takes you into the labyrinth that is hell in their bullet-hell first-person shooter Scathe. There are so many FPS games being pumped out on almost an hourly basis nowadays, but hearing the term “bullet-hell” tied to them was a first for me when Scathe came along. I have been known to enjoy a good FPS from time to time, but bullet-hells have been hit or miss for me. The two put together, however, ignited a spark that told me I needed to go to hell. I should state that since this game is not available to the public as of this writing, I was not able to experience the co-op gameplay.

Going Through Hell

Scathe is the character you play, a fitting name for this portrayal of a celestial champion. The Divine Creator has designed and built you for this harrowing task, and now the time has come for you to fulfill your duty. You must journey through Hell itself, to defeat your master’s brother and bring back his staff. Doing this will allow The Divine Creator to rid the world of Hell forever.

As of now, there is little to no story to be enjoyed as you play the role of Scathe. The only story you get is told in a single cutscene that you get to witness before gameplay starts. And for what it’s worth, the cutscene I speak of feels very off-putting, almost generic in a way. Scathe moves extremely stiffly as he enters the room, and the whole sequence feels like it was forced. I actually feel Scathe would be better off without this intro piece, as it doesn’t seem to be followed up on at all throughout the gameplay.

Keep On Going

As I stated earlier, Scathe is a FPS Bullet-hell. It sounds like a difficult combo, but Damage State Limited really did something special here. As you encounter enemies, all of their attacks have a pattern. Projectiles such as bullets and fireballs will fly at you, hundreds at a time. However, they move at a pace that gives you the opportunity to discern the pattern they are performing , and dodge them, all while blasting your enemies in the face with one of the six brutal weapons you will find throughout the maze that is Hell. The difficulty settings can change how fast these projectiles will come at you.

Which brings me to my next joy: the maze. Hell in Scathe is a labyrinth of levels, or “rooms.” Each room is identified by a runic symbol, and for the most part, you won’t know where you’re going until you get there. Once you arrive at a room, its location is unlocked on the map, and it will show the paths connected to the one you’re in. This lets you know how many doors you can find in the room you’re in, and once you’ve traveled to a handful, gives you a basis to plan out your path. Along the way you will collect runes, which are needed to access the bosses, or “Guardians,” once you find the room they occupy. Everything about the gameplay in Scathe is absolutely fantastic. The controls are tight, play is fast, and the navigation is enthralling.

This Ain’t Mars

While there’s nothing overly spectacular about appearances here, Scathe’s levels are fascinating to play through and explore. When the levels you’re going through start to feel like they’re losing their visual appeal, all of a sudden you’re introduced to a different biome. This happens frequently enough to keep you engaged with your surroundings. The graphical fidelity is nothing eye-opening, but it’s done well and is smooth, which is important in the genres combined here.

The audio you hear pounding as you unload ammunition into your enemies is a very tribal-esque beat, oddly quiet yet adrenalizing all at once. This lends itself to the aspect of hearing the dangers around you. The many different enemy types you face all make distinct sounds when they are near, giving you instinctual clues as to where to look. Whether it be above in the skies, crawling on the ground, or bouncing around the corner, your ears will help you to survive as much as your trigger finger will.

Scathe Final Verdict

I really have to hand it to Damage State Limited. When I heard what Scathe was, I was cynical, but what they put in front of me was mesmerizing and wondrous one hundred percent of the time. I am looking forward to the full release of the game to be able to test the co-op waters, as I really do think that it could be an eye widening enigma of an experience. All in all, it had been a long time since I struggled to put down a bullet-hell or an FPS… until I went to Scathe’s hell.

To hear me talk more about Scathe, be sure to listen to Episode 412 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast around the 1:17:53 time stamp.

This review is based on a PC copy of Scathe provided by PressEngine for coverage purposes. As of the time of this writing it is exclusive to this platform.