Scorn - review

Pain is constant. Fear is everywhere. Respite brings only fierce melancholy. Scorn is an incredible work of art, and the things it evokes are so uncomfortable that I had trouble in longer play sessions. Scorn’s rotting biomechanical hellscapes filled with first-person puzzles impose paranoia, and you are allowed to roam freely in its world, on a short leash, by the order of some horrible intelligence. The world you enter, peeled and thin, traveling from gloom to transcendent despair, is something I haven't felt since old cult horror films.

Although technically survival horror, Scorn is a completely alien game, and the distorted humanoid stuffed into an egg will follow you in your dreams. Scorn is different from anything I’ve ever played, avoiding many mechanical and narrative tropes to create something fascinating. The scenes in the game are grotesque and surreal, and given that Scorn draws inspiration from H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński, the truth of the horrors we inflict on ourselves and each other is logical—and clearly, Ebb Software inflicts them most on us.

A satirical, creepy portrait of the human body as fleshy gears leaking fluids are just some of the scenes in Scorn. Most of the game you walk through dark, shimmering corridors and are attacked by a range of creatures that look like minced meat combined with human body parts. Progressing through Scorn's world, in an attempt to find some meaning to hold onto, involves solving puzzles.

A world without words

Some players will argue that being completely left to your own devices is part of the magic of this game, while some will find it annoying to rack their brains over a series of puzzles and hope they stumble upon a solution. There are no voice lines in the game, and Scorn refuses to explain the story at any point. Also, there are no text logs, and basically no way to dig into the lore at any moment; you won't even find out the names of your enemies.

Ebb Software has perfected the sense of mystery. They managed to create a game that actually explains nothing, yet the world and the story you eventually understand will amaze you. Somewhere in the middle of the game, you will find yourself standing on a balcony, looking into a misty expanse while something moans in the distance. Haunted moments like this are perfect. There is something distinctly dark about the elements of this game. Almost everything looks like a sexual organ or a damaged body, and toward the end of the game, there are several statues that are, well, erotic.

Biomechanical interaction and combat

Short combat encounters are tense but rare, and they are not the highlight of the game, but it's not bad, and the enemy design is comfortably creepy. So, the enemies are designed with such bold artistry that you will dream about them! Combat is very difficult and uncomfortable because enemies spit at you and the space around you is cramped.

The weapons in the game are equally morbid-looking but are some of the most beautiful and fun I've had the chance to use in games. Although their origin is unknown, like everything in this game, it is said they were created by a race of powerful beings known as the Scorn. They were destroyed, but the weapons remained. Over time, these weapons fell into the hands of different factions and individuals who used them to further their own goals. Although the true power of these weapons is unknown, it is said they are powered by the negative emotions of those who use them. This means that the more rage, hatred, and pain the user feels, the more powerful the weapon becomes.