It’s pregnant with meaning
Scorn is a deliberately grim game with a lot of body horror.
Best avoid it and this review if you have issues with body horror themes.
I was talking to a friend aboutScornand they asked, “Is there astory?”.
And yeah, Scorn has a story.
It’s about the lizardy parasite latched to your back gradually transforming your body.
It’s about grim squishy noises and survival.
Scorn doesn’t have dialogue, or a map.
Maybe if I find the two missing ones, it’ll open up a way forward!"
It won’t even pull focus to the corridor you should check next.
You just have to look around, experiment, and figure it out.
I think I like it.
I don’t know if I can recommend it.
Everything I have described above, I heartily endorse.
Once you are, it’s almost a walk in the (moist) park.
Someone, somewhere at Ebb Software knows exactly what every machine in that world is for, and why.
Hell ifIknow, but they sure do.
It’s fleshy in part becuase the H.R.
Giger of it all has been overrun by a parasitical kind of hive-mind creature.
It’s a fascinating place that you want to understand, but also not.
Scorn pushes all its chips to the centre of the body horror table throughout.
It’s not a jump scare horror game.
It’s slow burn; it wants you to be perpetually uncomfortable.
Yet I,like Ed, found it strangely beautiful more than terrifying.
And there’s a feeling of mastery, once you’re more at home.
They’re tough, but they just need you to slow down and understandwhatspinswhereforwhichbutton.
Realising where to go next just by looking through a window and orienting yourself is fabulous.
The problem is the combat.
You’re not meant to seek out fights.
You have very little health and will go down as hard and easily as the statuary in this game.
Honestly, the squid was one of my favourite parts.
But it is in service to the annoyance that is the combat.
That doesn’t feel like an achievement.
It feels like a relief.
Why would you put multiple enemies that charge attack into your game, and not let me dodge them!
I’m clearly supposed to avoid most fights anyway!
Help me do the avoid bit!
It’s why, like Natalie Imbruglia, I’m torn.
I wanted to play Scorn.
The day one patch should, hopefully, spare you a similar fate.
The world of Scorn is singular, and carefully constructed, and intelligent.
But the most upsetting parts are upsetting by accident rather than intention.
I’m really glad it’s coming to Game Pass.
