CES: Exploring ScaryGirl's Quirky World

ScaryGirl from TikGames and Square Enix takes the oldest of video game genres (2D platforming), and gives it an unorthodox and bizarre spin. Make no mistake – this is one weird game. How could it be anything else, when it's based on a graphic novel starring an abandoned child with a tentacle arm who dresses like a pirate?

ScaryGirl is on a mission to find out the source of her bad dreams, and to discover the identity of the strange man that keeps recurring in them. The adventure begins in the relatively innocuous Owl Woods, but later stages take place in far creepier environments, including one especially memorable set of levels in an unsettling spider cave.

Luckily, ScaryGirl is no damsel in distress, and is more than capable of dishing out punishment. The biggest surprise during my hands-on time with the title is just how combat-heavy it is at times. The controller's four face buttons are used to jump, roll, light attack, and heavy attack. Heavy attacks toss enemies into the air, opening up several options for juggling and large hit combos.

My combat options really opened up once I got better at incorporating ScaryGirl's aforementioned tentacle arm, controlled by the right trigger. Stunned enemies can be grabbed and tossed in any direction, or, awesomely, wielded directly as a weapon. In one smooth moment I was able to smack around an enemy owl, grab it, bludgeon more owls with it, and finish up by tossing it at an incoming airborne enemy. Nice.


Rounding out ScaryGirl's abilities are a block button and, my personal favorite, the option to temporarily enter "Scary Mode," significantly boosting Scary Girl's power, with accompanying trippy visuals.

When not beating up on unsuspecting enemies, ScaryGirl plays more like a standard platformer. In my demo I frequently jumped and hovered over gaps, hit switches to unlock doors, and timed jumps to avoid spike traps.

While ScaryGirl's combat and platforming are competent, the game's true star is its genuinely excellent presentation. Everything is presented through a slightly-askew lens. Normally mundane environments like a forest or city streets are given a frightening and dream-like bent. But I don't feel they are actually intended to be scary. The game's entire art direction just oozes confidence and wholeness of vision. ScaryGirl wears its weirdness unabashedly on its sleeve.


ScaryGirl's adventure spans seven total worlds, each made up of several stages. TikGames has encouraged replay value by allowing players to purchase new moves, combos, and cosmetic upgrades with the gems collected in each stage, and by marking any level players manage to clear without dying.

Xbox Live gamers can download ScaryGirl for $15 on January 18th. The PSN release follows one week later, on January 24th, with a PC release shortly after.

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Justin Davis is the executive editor of IGN Wireless. You can follow him on Twitter.

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