Review: Scar-Lead Salvation on PlayStation 5

Scar-Lead Salvation is this wild game from Idea Factory International, Compile Heart, and Neilo Inc. It’s like, sci-fi meets roguelite meets third-person shooter—wild times on PS5. So yeah, let’s dig into this messy romp. Why? No clue, just felt like it.

Picture this: You’re Willow Martin. Or maybe you aren’t… she doesn’t remember. You wake up in some room, blank slate memory—survival mode kicks in. Ever been so clueless about what’s happening that you just roll with it? That’s Willow’s vibe.

Enemies pop up like whack-a-mole, but way less fun. Seriously, before you nail a couple, bam, they’re on your six faster than you can say “incoming.” But hey, there’s a military AI that’s either your pal or just some code on a mission. Trust it? Who knows.

The controls—gotta mention those. Left stick for moving, right for camera shenanigans. Sprint with the left stick (because pushing down sticks just makes sense, right?). X button jumps, Triangle’s for, you know, grabby stuff. R2 and L2 are for your shooting and aiming, while Square handles melee—slice, dice, pew-pew. Oh, and Circle’s your dodge shift, like an instant “nope” button.

Micro Armory boxes? Yeah, break ’em open for gear. Sometimes it’s weapons, sometimes it’s random goodies. Exo Force items boost your Exo Skill, whatever that really means—game mechanics, am I right? But take some hits, and your Exo stuff takes a nosedive. Fill it up, and boom, activate Onslaught by smacking R1. Invincibility? Sure, why not.

Elm is basically your cash to spend on skills and stuff at the shop. There’s a fancy workbench for weapon upgrades too. But beware! Die and you lose all but your Exo goodies. It’s hardcore. Want more skill slots? Keep plugging away—you’ll figure it out.

Oh, trophy collectors, there’s a Platinum here. Trophies for boss battles, using Onslaught to crush over 300 enemies, dodging bullets like Neo with Mirage Shift, and so much more. Seriously, 600,000 Elm chips collected—who’s got time for that?

Bottom line, Scar-Lead Salvation throws you into a roguelite hurricane on PS5. No memory, just survival instincts kicking in. It’s chaotic, messy, FUN—out now, if you’re curious.

Disclaimer: Played it on PS5, thanks to Idea Factory International sending over a copy.