When bounty hunter Jenosa Arma takes on a mission to investigate Planet Inos, a research center investigating an alien lifeform called Scurge, she gets more than she bargained for. While in orbit around the planet, she is attacked and quickly infected with the Scurge herself. Jenosa has no alternative but to land onto Inos, to investigate the Scurge and find a cure.
Scurge: Hive is an action game with some similarities in storyline to Nintendo’s Metroid series. However, the game itself is significantly different from Metroid. As Jenosa, players must blast their way through Planet Inos while trying to constantly contain their own infection. While progressing through the game, Jenosa’s ‘infection meter’ slowly increases (faster if she is standing on red patches of Scurge) – the meter can only be reduced back to 1% by using a Decontamination Platform, which also acts as a save point. Failing to temporarily cure Jenosa of the Scurge results in rapid depletion of life as the virus takes over, so players must complete mission objectives quickly!
Jenosa can earn experience as she blasts infected life forms; this experience will upgrade her firepower and health. Better weaponry can be found, as well as gadgets which help Jenosa access new areas. Some weapons are twice as effective on particular opponents; inversely, they are ineffective against other enemy types. It’s up to you to figure out the best weapon for the right situation.