The folks at Ebb Software were kind enough to give us access to a hands-on preview of Scorn, coming out next month on Xbox and PC. We first saw this game at the Xbox & Bethesda showcase in 2021 and it was immediately one of the most notable titles of the event. The meaty, grotesque environments are unlike anything I’ve seen before – but what exactly is Scorn? We have the details for you.
Scorn is an atmospheric first person survival horror game set in a hellscape inspired by HR Giger. Essentially, it is a walking simulator, a puzzle game and a horror adventure combined in one.
On the road to madness
From the moment I started my preview, the gross out factor has been high. Your protagonist comes to life after being ripped from a mutated larvae-like thing and stumbles awake in an unfamiliar environment. Even your character’s design is gruesome. The humanoid character has no skin at all – all you can see is the muscular skeleton underneath.
Environments in Scorn are not your typical horror environments. Everything around you is made of flesh and slime. But while the design of the environments looks crude, visually the game is actually quite impressive. The textures are clean and sharp and the lighting, combined with the heavy volume, covers everything in a musky haze. Built on Unreal Engine 4, Scorn definitely has that ‘Unreal Engine’ look. But it still looks pretty good.
When I started exploring, I was initially confused about where to go. There were no tutorials or waypoints. I walked through several corridors and passed several locked doors along the way with no hint of how to open them. After moving on and exploring a bit more, I can finally figure out where to go. This was my first introduction to the puzzle mechanics in the game.
Merge puzzle
So puzzles in Scorn are not your ordinary old video game puzzles. These puzzles are complicated. It’s not just a series of puzzles in a row – the whole level itself is a puzzle. Most of the steps require you to interact with some kind of mechanisms that are mapped out on the map. Sometimes one of the mechanisms won’t work until you solve a puzzle deeper in the level. It’s a unique approach. The biggest tip I can give you is that if you ever get stuck in Scorn, just leave and come back and you’ll probably have a better idea of what to do.
One of the first puzzles in the starting area is a sort of sliding tile puzzle where I have to move an egg on one side of the wall to an elevator on the other. After taking the egg down, I went back to the lower level and transported it to a chainsaw so I could break it open. Then to another mechanism to extract it successfully. What’s in the egg is really disgusting but was needed to complete the area. Like I said – the whole level is one big puzzle.
However, there are some drawbacks to this approach. First, it’s just confusing at first. I spent quite a bit of time in the opening hours just wandering around trying to figure out where to go. However, once I got an idea of the puzzle design, things started to get a little more natural. But it still wasn’t perfect. You have to vouch for certain puzzles only the right spot, with no real indication of where that spot is. I predict that many people will look up walkthroughs.
A godless atmosphere
While Scorn can be a little frustrating, I couldn’t put it down either. I played the entire 45 minute demo (took me about two hours) in one sitting. It’s extremely immersive. This is aided by an excellent soundscape and audio design. Ominous music plays as you explore and there are constant sounds of flesh and ambient noises around you. Directional audio is also excellent, and it all leads to a very atmospheric, ghostly atmosphere.
Towards the end of the demo I get a brief taste of the combat, if you can call it that. I found a weapon, but it’s not quite what I expected. It looks like a sawed-off shotgun, but instead of bullets, there’s some kind of jackhammer attached to the end. I was only able to test it on a few weaker flying enemies in the preview. They spew hot steam at you that both damages you and forms an obstacle to getting through the area. With my jackhammer shotgun I can pop them like a balloon and clear the path. While this brief preview of combat was a very small part of the demo, it does indicate that some heavier combat sections and stronger enemies could appear later in the game. While there are weapons in Scorn, I certainly wouldn’t call it a shooter.
Scorn is an interesting little title that I don’t think will appeal to everyone. Horror fans should definitely give it a try, especially if you’re looking for something beyond the barrage of science fiction horror titles coming soon. However, instead of fearing terror and zombies, Scorn relies on the atmosphere and disturbing visuals. There is a lot of focus on solving puzzles and some of it is not well explained. Unfortunately, Scorn is coming out in a pretty full month and I’ll probably prioritize other titles. Thankfully, it’s coming to Xbox Game Pass day one, so entry fees are low, and it’s definitely something I’ll want to check out later. It’s really unlike anything I’ve ever played.
Scorn will be released on October 21, 2022 for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC.
The publisher has provided a Scorn sample key for sample purposes.
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