Under-Rated: Scurge: Hive

Category: review
Posted: June 05, 2009

imageTypically when a game sounds like a tremendous rip-off of an established and popular franchise, that means the game is bound to be pretty bad. On paper, Scurge: Hive is trying very hard to be Metroid. You play as a female bounty hunter called in to check out a research facility that has been infested with an alien life form that is parasitic in nature. In addition, you are spending the entire game fighting off an infection of this very creature, which your suit slows down but cannot stop. Not only does this sound like Metroid, but it sounds a lot like Metroid: Fusion in particular.

Yet this game manages to break expectations. While it has a lot in common with Metroid, it stands as its own unique gaming experience. A fun one at that.

The game was originally developed for the Game Boy Advance and was then ported for the DS, so it doesn’t take advantage of the touch screen much. This isn’t a bad thing, though, as the game doesn’t need to force any of the system’s features in order to be fun. Having the second screen to provide a map is actually more than enough of a use, as it provides a constant and much appreciated reference as to your position and where objectives are located.

Instead of being a side-scroller, the game takes on an isometric viewpoint (top-down at an angle, similar to Super Mario RPG). The environment feels very three-dimensional, and when your character or enemies stand behind a larger structure in the level their icon is overlayed as a shadow, allowing you to constantly see their position. This doesn’t always work as it should and is a bit glitchy at times, but for the most part you are always aware of your location and the location of your foes, of which there are many. As you progress through the game you will obtain a variety of new weapons, each with a useful purpose. Three of the weapons have an elemental alignment and are strong against one type of enemy whilst strengthening the abilities of another. The three types of enemy are energy-based, machine-based and biological. They are often easy enough to tell apart, but sometimes become a bit confusing. In addition to weaknesses, these special weapons have chain effects to enemies in close contact with each other. By shooting one you can defeat several at once, but simultaneously you may strengthen another enemy standing within the vicinity of the chain. This happens frequently, as enemies become numerous throughout the game and you will constantly be swapping weapons, which is done easily by holding down R and using a radial menu. You are not taken out of the action at all. Selection is quick and easy.

There are a few other beams available that are more used for puzzle solving than combat, but still have their purposes. One weapon freezes enemies inside ice blocks, which leaves them invulnerable but also allows you to flee or to push them onto pressure plates to activate puzzles. Another weapon slows time allowing you to pass through quick moving obstacles, avoid quick attacks or simply outrun a number of foes. The final is a bomb that can harm large groups of enemies as well as destroy piles of rubble.

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In addition to a variety of weapons, the game also gives the player a grapple arm. Originally it can only be used to grab and pull objects, including power nodes used to activate each level’s teleporter, but later gains the ability to latch onto points that send you through the air from one platform to another. While this is technically a mimicry of Metroid’s grapple beam or Bionic Commando, it is executed in a different enough manner that it feels as if its a brand new experience.

There are more abilities and upgrades you collect throughout the game, and they are all used at the central research station slowly throughout Scurge. The game’s structure takes you back to the research station repeatedly, where you leave to complete four or five other levels in their entirety before returning and making some slow progress back at the main hub of activity. Within each level you must reactivate six nodes that turn on that level’s teleporter, which then takes you to the boss and completes the level. In addition to these nodes and any weapon or ability upgrades, you will be collecting key cards in order to access certain doors to progress further. Whenever you enter a room with a key card, an icon in the lower right corner of the screen will spin and chime, letting you know there is an item to collect. This makes collection of the items easy enough, though on occasion you may find yourself backtracking and searching high and low to find that single key card you missed earlier. This tends to be frustrating later in the game as enemies become more and more numerous.

Throughout the course of the game, our lady bounty hunter will be fighting off an infection of the life form that has overrun the facility. Save stations can reduce the infection rate to 1%, but if it reaches 100% the heroine begins to take damage. This never becomes much of a problem however, as early in the game save stations are close enough as you will rarely reach as high as 70%, let alone 100. Once you reach 60% infection, a heart beat sound effect begins to pump through the speakers, letting you know how close you’re getting. Later in the game, when save stations become further apart, infection may occasionally reach 100%. It doesn’t matter much, though, as by then the player will have gained enough health they can last a while. In addition, defeating enemies drops little green drops of matter, which when absorbed restore hit points as well as add to experience. So if you defeat just about every enemy in your path, you will level up very quickly. It is easy to have a full 999 hit points by the end of the game, and even if you don’t surviving will not be a problem. The greater advantage to leveling up is that your weapons deal more damage, which certainly makes a difference for bosses as well as taking enemies out quick.

Of course, no game comes without its flaws. As stated, each level requires you to collect nodes and upgrades, which becomes rather repetitive towards the end. It feels as if the game was merely prolonged just to add game time. The enemies also become numerous enough that, if you ever have to back track for a single key card, they become frustrating and annoying. A couple of the later bosses also require a few attempts to learn their pattern, being very difficult. The final boss in particular is a major headache, as there are three phases of combat, two of which take a long time to complete. Of course, each boss also has its patterns and once you learn them, they prove to be quite easy.

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Despite its minor frustrations, the game as a whole is surprisingly well done. Even the moments where you just want to scream at the game become very reminiscient of the younger Super Nintendo days. If you at all grew up as a gamer in the early 90’s, then this game should be right up your alley. While it doesn’t do as much as some of the classic favorites and the major franchises that played a clear inspiration, it does enough to be a fun experience while retaining its very own spirit. If you can find it at a store, I’d recommend dropping the change to give it a go. You won’t be disappointed.


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