Make Sure You Play - Scorn

I have without question missed the algorithm on this one, but who cares, right!? Soon we’ll all have to pay for any reach online, so when we post content will surely become less important than ever. I also rarely have the luxury of completing games in the days after release. Having a day job and doing all that parent stuff, that comes first, so cut me some intestinal slack (that was a foreshadowing pun).

So yes, Scorn, the ‘it’s not a survival horror it’s actually a puzzle / art piece game’ form indie developer Ebb Software. Originally starting life as a crowdfunding campaign, which failed, then later succeeded on a second attempt. In development for over 5 years, the game finally arrived on PC and Xbox Series consoles (in timed exclusivity) this past October.

I’d avoided almost ALL of the marketing for Scorn. I’d seen a few seconds of footage during a games showcase, plus a few out of context screenshots. What I was aware of, was the design and style influences of Zdzisław Beksiński and H. R. Giger, and quite frankly, that’s all I needed to know for the game to pique my interest.

It’s probably best to start with the visuals and overall aesthetic, given they’re the main selling point. The look and feel of Scorn is like the end-product of a migraine having a baby with a Xenomorph. It has hints of the biological purity of that double-mouthed bastard from the Alien films, but something is… off. Things are more twisted, sore, and surgical. The environments feel ancient, yet futuristic, and the creatures look primordial, but seep with the ooze of a failed experiment. Essentially any frame of the game could be a painting on your wall, and on occasion these shots offer a more calming vista which contrasts the hellraiser-esque torture of the more blood-soaked rooms. The world Scorn drops you into will stop you in your tracks. Sometimes you won’t know what to think. Parts of the visuals feel engineered to perfection, and will hypnotise you, almost as if distant structures are calling your name… while other areas will concern, and almost certainly unsettle you to your core.

I’m a glutton for this style, but I’ve often said as I get older I’m definitely becoming more sensitive to it all. Gazing upon the viscera (both metaphorical, and literal) which Scorn puts in front of you is breath-taking, but also, I didn’t always enjoy it. Much of it is not very nice to look at. I gave in to the obscene nature of it, and allowed myself to go along for the ride, but this is likely a game that will be too much for some people. Others may even observe it with a cynical eye (something I’m known for doing), suggesting the developers are making it disgusting for disgusting’s sake. I’m more inclined to buy into their artistic integrity, and the reference points they draw from, because you don’t create such a strange and deeply textured world unless you care about the reason it’s there. They’re not just throwing horrible things at you for a cheap pop. It’s not only the hard surface detail that’s creepy, it’s the lighting, the creatures, and the sound – the entire aesthetic has been very carefully considered, and I wish I was a fly on the wall at the mood board meetings during development. This isn’t some torture-porn show to gross you out, Scorn has nuance. It never steers you to a forced reaction, and instead chooses to create an environment that will have you questioning “Why is this like this is and why the hell am I here?!”. This applies to the ‘story’ too. I put story in inverted commas because it’s almost never explicitly clear what is actually happening.

If you like ambiguity and connecting the dots in your mind, then this story is for you. There is no dialogue, no text, only a handful of cut-scenes in which events unfold that don’t come with a great deal of context - and absolutely no exposition. The developers have made clear that this was their intention. They’ve dropped you into an unnerving world and want you to discover the story through the environment, and what happens to the playable character as you trudge forward. It makes the lack of clear story in Elden Ring look like a children’s nursery rhyme book. The basic set-up is that you’re looking for a way out of some strange factory, while also fending off an apparent parasite which gets cosy with you during the early stages of the game. You’ll visit new locations, each hinting towards what might be going on, and what your purpose is, but even by the frustration-inducing ending, you’ll still be asking many questions. Who’s the good guy? How did I get here? Why is that statue depicting fellatio? All that important stuff.

The gameplay is stripped back to something much more simplified than most modern titles, and it walks a line closer to Layers of Fear, than a more action-packed horror like a modern Resident Evil. It comes with some paced-down takes on combat and healing. Everything is considered to the point of being a struggle, because struggling is what Scorn is. Reloading, changing weapons, using blood sacs to heal – you see every moment (and are exposed to attacks when you do those things). It’s not overly difficult to play, but timing is key with combat, along with knowing when to just leg-it past an acid-spitting monstrosity. The punishing nature of limited resources and deadly enemies make it almost impossible to be a passive experience, and you’ll probably get annoyed, but it feels like part of the point. That being said, combat is about 1/3 of what this game is, and large sections of combat can just be avoided. Scorn is more about puzzle-solving and finding your way. The puzzles are varied, and dare I say, fun. Some are real head scratcher mini-game types, but honestly, don’t be afraid to use a guide if you must. The atmosphere and seeing what unfolds is probably the biggest selling point of this game, so give the puzzles a good crack, but don’t let them get in your way of finishing this experience.

Scorn is dreary spectacle, and a bit like visiting an art installation. It’s not going to be for everyone, and some may find it outright silly, but in an age of 20, 30, and 100 hour games, many of which have very similar offerings, this is captivating 5-ish hour wade through pain, pleasure, and the odd little shoot-out, is an experience I think lots of people should see through. The technical achievement is quite incredible for an indie-game, and the stripped back nature of the gameplay likely allows for such a beautifully rendered world and is reason alone to jack yourself in. Playing Scorn felt like a metaphor for life. Be born, amble around with an ever-growing pain, and deal with the obstacles thrown at you while constantly trying to figure out what the holy hell it all means… oh, and if you’re lucky, you might get milked now and again. Make sure you play it.