Scurge: Hive

"Scurge Prime"

Scurge: Hive was one of many late Gameboy Advance games to be ported over to the DS. Consequently, the game is nearly identical on both platforms aside from an added map on the lower DS screen. That being said, it should be expected that Scurge: Hive for the DS is somewhat of a “last-gen” experience. With the mindset that Scurge doesn't take full advantage of the DS hardware, the game is a pleasant surprise for a new IP. Developer Orbital Media has pulled off an excellent, atmospheric action adventure game reminiscent of Nintendo's Metroid license.

In Scurge: Hive, players take control of a female bounty hunter decked out in a gadget-ridden space suit and equipped with an arm cannon. She is left to scavenge a deserted research center on an alien planet infested with hostile life forms. No her name isn't Samus, It's Jenosa, and while they both share the same career, there are a few things that set Orbital's bounty hunter apart from Nintendo's. Jenosa isn't shrouded in as much mystery as Samus, she talks frequently and lacks a concealing helmet. There's no denying that Scurge shares and uncanny resemblance to Metroid, and in fact the action will even feel very familiar to those who have previously played Metroid games. One of the key differences in Scurge is the infection meter. Straight out of the shoot, Jenosa is infected by the Scurge which begin to slowly take over her body. A meter at the top of the screen indicates the percentage of her body infected, and once the meter reaches zero Jenosa's life begins to deplete. Hopping in a sick bay can offset this deterioration by refreshing her life and reseting the infection to zero percent (not to mention saving the game as well). What this does, essentially, is add a constant time limit to the game. Initially this appears to be an extremely annoying inclusion as it entails constantly rushing between sick bays. However there are enough sick bays scattered throughout the world that the Scurge infection is the least of your worries. There are still instances where sick bays are placed far enough away that getting there requires a mad dash and some close calls. In most cases though, Jenosa's health is of more concern as the world is crawling with all manner of beasts. Each room is crammed with monsters, which becomes extremely frustrating because they all re-spawn upon leaving the room. Jenosa receives health upgrades by picking up green orbs dropped by defeated enemies so it is almost a necessity to have an excess of aliens, but that doesn't mean it's enjoyable.

Not only can Jenosa boost her health, there are also several upgrades for her arm canon scattered throughout the world. These upgrades generally give her bullets a different attribute, for example electricity or fire. Different elements are more effective against certain enemies, while some actually boost the speed and attack of others. This requires constant juggling of weapons to defeat groups of enemies, and is especially important in boss fights. Fortunately it's easy to swap between weapons on the fly, and in fact it is rather satisfying to quickly cycle through weapons and wipe out a large group of aliens. Bullet attributes aren't the only upgrades for Jenosa's arm canon, however. One upgrade sends an icy blast through the entire screen, freezing enemies in a block of ice, while another gives Jenosa a burst of adrenaline, making everything around her appear to move slower. All of the weapon upgrades deplete a constantly recharging power meter; limiting the time Jenosa can spend in slow motion or continually using rapid fire. The weapons system is very well featured and makes for some interesting puzzles when fighting bosses.

Scurge: Hive features an isometric two-and-a-half-dimension view. This gives Jenosa a bit more freedom to roam environments, and allows for more complicated maps. This freedom comes at a cost, however, and that cost is a difficult control scheme. Isometric views have never been very intuitive, and it feels even more awkward in Scurge. Aiming is difficult due to the limitations of eight-directional movement. Jenosa must be positioned in just the right spot to be able to hit an enemy, as the jump from one position to the next leaves a wide dead zone. This makes firing at enemies requires a lot of unnecessary repositioning. The isometric view at times makes platform hopping a real chore because it can be difficult to tell which ledges can be reached and where to be positioned when jumping. These issues plague every game that implements an isometric view; it's simply the price you pay for ‘3D' on a 2-D handheld. As a DS product, it is disappointing that Scurge doesn't run in true 3D.

As disappointing as the lack of 3D is, this is a GBA port, and can be overlooked. Especially since the game's graphics are so well produced. The game features very atmospheric and colorful environments. The overall presentation is very vibrant and cartoon like, while still retaining a mature and engaging presentation. Jenosa, while somewhat over the top, has a wide array of smooth animations. All of the monsters, and there are a lot of them, inhabiting the planet are well crafted and animated. The sheer variety of environments and creatures in Scurge is amazing.

Closing Comments
Scurge: Hive is a real gem. It may seem like familiar ground for Metroid fans, but the game does it so well that this is actually a good thing. The isometric view allows for some interesting and complex level design, however this also sacrifices a comfortable control scheme. Scurge's engaging gameplay and emphasis on exploration more than make up for this though. The weapons system is possibly the best I've seen in a game; juggling weapons to wipe out monsters is highly satisfying. Overall the game is well polished and deserves a look for anyone remotely interested in the Metroid franchise.

Points
+ Large and complex level design
+ Weapons system
-- Isometric view
-- Monsters re-spawn too quickly

Score: 8.5

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/18/07