Scorn Reviews
Scorn is unlike anything you can expect, sins somewhat by the lack of final satisfaction and a misfit and rudimentary gunplay. Short-lived, it is worth the visual presentation of a different concept in a genius of the unknown, to know what comes next and how we will achieve it. But more was expected of this title, or on the other hand, was it too required of the producer? It may be a case of too high expectations. Those who have the Game Pass can always try, but I prevent the high level of violence.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
There is really not much to complain when it comes to Scorn. My only real gripe is that the adventure is over a bit too soon. If you are decent at solving puzzles and good at figuring stuff out quickly then you can get through this horror of a journey in roughly four to six hours with five most likely being the average length that it would take to beat the game.
One playthrough of Scorn took between seven and eight hours to complete, and that seems like plenty of time to be immersed in the game's world. I for sure have theories about the game's story and its implications, but none that come close to allowing for any confident explanation of what transpired. I applaud Scorn for its ability to skirt around labels and explanations, but it's as exhausting as it is memorable, so for the time being, one playthrough seems to suffice.
Scorn's ways are obscure, and often frustrating in a way that gamers who didn’t grow up in the 90s may struggle with more than myself. It's a work of breathtaking vision and uneven execution - from its combat, to its unsatisfying ending that sadly doesn't do justice to the gruelling yet oddly poignant odyssey you embark upon. But for its flaws, Scorn makes a hell of an impression, filling me with equal parts immense curiosity and dread. I don't want to return to it any time soon - maybe ever - but I will be scouring the Subreddits and the Steam boards in an attempt to decipher it for a long time yet.
Scorn presents one of the most visually striking and untouchably atmospheric game worlds in recent memory. Ebb Software also admirably challenges horror gameplay conventions and profoundly examines humanity's insatiable desires. Unfortunately, the crawling pace might deter players from seeing it through.
Scorn is a half-won bet: aesthetically beautiful, with clear references to Giger's art, but all the substance and game mechanics are barely sketched.
Review in Italian | Read full review
A masterclass in world-building and tension. A horror game that relies more on the proper atmosphere rather than cheap jump scares
A remarkable, vital piece of art that both transcends and is blemished by shortcomings specific to the medium of video games.
Which is exactly why it pains me to remember that Scorn was a long time coming, and while the visuals suffer nothing for it, the mechanical design of the game at large feels outdated and incongruous with its aesthetic triumphs. Despite a solid (if somewhat superficial) iteration of survival horror mechanics, the lack of enemy variety and an archaic checkpoint system guarantee multiple spots of unnecessary frustration. These sections end up being little more than forced time away from the game’s proper strengths of puzzles and atmosphere. Scorn is still a journey worth taking for its appearance and environments alone, but I would have traded away every single repetitive combat encounter for just one more puzzle to sink my teeth into.
An atmospheric experience more than a game itself, Scorn is a desolate travel reminiscent of old school adventure games like Myst.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
As far as horror games that ape the works of H.R. Giger are concerned, Scorn is certainly one of the most interesting examples around, and many of its puzzles are nicely executed. However, crappy combat cramps Scorn’s style, while the unrelenting bleakness of the thing will leave you feeling deflated.
Scorn is a hard game to pin down, but it’s one I can’t help but recommend. It’s disgustingly alluring in its visual execution, with each new location bringing with it a waterfall of questions as you poke, prod, and cower at every discovery. This ambition of being artsy and cryptic can hold it back at points, but there’s something fiercely admirable in its artistic vision that few games in the genre are able to match. This is a tragic horror of Lovecraftian proportions, and one that really must be seen to be believed.
Scorn is a game with a terrific art direction that is directly inspired by the creator of Alien, H.R Giger, but also the works of David Cronenberg. An incredible ode to Hans Ruedi Giger that fails on every other level. Combats aren't good and necessary, and puzzles are too often base on the same mecanic. A VR version could have made the ride perhaps less tedious.
Review in French | Read full review
It’s hard not to admire developer Ebb’s commitment to a bleak and violent biomechanical world. No game has ever nailed the style of Giger quite so precisely and consistently. Scorn is genuinely disturbing in the way of an unsettling nightmare, but even unrelenting tension eventually loses impact. Its puzzles and exploration sometimes feel arbitrary and needlessly obtuse. Ebb might not care if I waste time getting lost or missing important clues, but Scorn’s rewards aren’t always worth the effort. Scorn is a darkly beautiful vision but just not much fun to play.
Most video games that model themselves on H.R. Giger's biomechanical monstrosities are purely aesthetic. Scorn wears its influences not on its sleeves, but inside them; a mass of ooze and darkness and gnarly, desiccated things; a grimly singular puzzle, but perhaps one that didn't need the combat to deliver its horrors home.
If you are a fan of extreme horror, you should really try Scorn.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Unconventional experience in an impressive H.R. Giger world that shoots itself in the leg with superfluous shooter mechanics.
Review in German | Read full review
Scorn is a feast for the eyes, a buffet for the mind but not for those of a weak stomach. It satisfies the morbid and the curious with its odd forms and sombre tapestries.
Scorn is an exercise in environmental storytelling, eschewing cutscenes and exposition in favour of simply letting the player piece things together for themselves. It doesn't provide all the answers, leaving much of its deeper meaning wide open to interpretation: and it's all the more compelling as a result.