Haunted Heritage or Horror Humbug?

Indie horror games are often some of the very best that you are likely to encounter, because they have typically been developed by just one passionate person who loves horror and games. Usually a match made in heaven, as the saying goes. Enter Scarred – a Singaporean psychological indie horror puzzler title set in a school, with a focus on learning about what happened to a missing schoolmate. Does this culturally specific backdrop elevate the scares, or does the execution leave players feeling more perplexed than petrified? Read on to find out!

Echoes of the Past

Scarred immediately hooks the player with its intriguing premise: waking up in an abandoned school overrun by a terrifying infestation. This instantly creates an atmosphere of intimidation and dread, turning the familiar school setting into something menacing. The developer clearly aims to blend psychological horror with a story rooted in culture, a goal evident from the outset. True to the genre, the narrative unfolds slowly, encouraging players to explore interconnected environments and piece together the mystery through found notes, letters, and journal entries.

However, the core gameplay loop largely consists of moving from one area to the next with occasional puzzles, leaving the player wanting more interaction. While the narrative is advanced through well-animated cutscenes and the environments are undeniably creepy, the experience is often hampered by moments of frustrating aimless wandering, unsure of the next objective. This is especially disappointing considering the game’s linear structure, which should have provided a smooth and intuitive path from one place to the next. Ultimately, Scarred often feels like a walking simulator with horror elements tacked on.

Mechanics of Misery

The core gameplay of Scarred revolves around first-person exploration and puzzle-solving within labyrinthine environments. Players are tasked with meticulously scouring these locations for notes and essential items, which are then stored (and later accessed) conventionally in an inventory. The introduction of a second playable character brings with it an unusual twist: a basketball serving as both a combat tool and a key to environmental puzzles.

Sadly, these puzzles are a significant weak point, often feeling obscure and leading to moments of pure frustration. One particular puzzle that I encountered early on left me baffled, as it felt like nothing more than filler, rather than an actual point of progress. The puzzle in question required me to rotate rulers that were fixed to a whiteboard of all things, in order to create a letter of the alphabet. Once complete, the whiteboard shot away down a very long corridor, which I then had to walk down in order to progress to the next stage.

The overall impression is that of a walking simulator, heavily reliant on the backstory found within scattered journal entries. The protagonist’s basketball, a central mechanic for both interaction and attacking the environment’s spectral inhabitants, suffers from unwieldy and unresponsive controls, especially during combat. On the topic of combat, the enemies themselves, who are slow-moving spirits, fail to generate any real sense of danger, coming across as little more than mild obstacles in your character’s path.

A Palette of Phantoms and Faded Sounds

While the visual presentation of this indie title is a definite strength, showcasing well-crafted character models and believable environments, the voice acting and character facial animations unfortunately fall short. This disconnect significantly detracts from the overall premise.

The audio design, on the other hand, is generally effective, with realistic environmental sound effects enhancing the atmosphere. However, the background music, whilst good and atmospheric, suffers immensely from inconsistency as it tends to abruptly stop for no apparent reason, before randomly starting up again. This repeatedly drew my attention, which in turn ultimately proved to be a significant distraction from the gameplay.

Lingering Nightmares or Fleeting Frights?

Despite the inclusion of multiple endings, Scarred offers minimal replay value. The frustrating gameplay mechanics and underwhelming narrative delivery serve as substantial obstacles to revisiting the experience. Once the central mystery is solved, the incentive for subsequent playthroughs diminishes considerably.

Conclusion

Scarred presents an interesting premise, blending Singaporean cultural elements with psychological horror, particularly centred around a missing student from a school. However, the execution unfortunately falls short of achieving something great. While the atmospheric environments and the intent behind the narrative are commendable, the gameplay mechanics, puzzle design, and general lack of engaging activities have been significant drawbacks. The bizarre, clunky basketball mechanic and the underwhelming combat further detract from the intended horror experience. Ultimately, Scarred shows promise in its concept but seems to suffer from a lack of polish and focus in its gameplay, and comes across as little more than a creepy walking simulator.

Grade: 4 – Disappointing