Since it was first shown in 2014, atmospheric horror game Scorn has shown the promise of its creepy world, reminiscent of the Alien universe, through an art style that ramps up the intensity of the gameplay on offer. In the eight years since, the quality of the visuals has improved, and with Scorn releasing in October 2022, players will see how it takes advantage of its unique world with atmospheric storytelling to create something truly terrifying.
Scorn is an atmospheric horror game where the dark, macabre, and squishy environment will be one of the most important characters, as players will be dropped into a prison-type setting without any knowledge of their surroundings and be forced to learn how to navigate the world as they go. Instead of relying on straightforward action and combat, Scorn will use body horror in the biomechanical world players are dropped into, as well as some environmental tension to bring the scares as players attempt to escape.
The World is a Character in Scorn
Ebb Software has created an experience where players must learn about the nightmarish world of Scorn and the character they're playing by navigating a non-linear map to discover secrets, weapons, and enemies. Since players will have no advance knowledge, the environment will play a key role in driving the game's fear factor. Players will have to manually interact with all objects in the world, as nothing will be done automatically or by prompt, meaning players have plenty of opportunities for jump scares and building tension.
As players move through the world, they will experience zero cutscenes along the way, so there will be no breaks in the action that would normally serve as a chance to bring the tension down a bit. Horror films and games normally build tension to a climactic point before letting the player or viewer have an emotional break as the cycle begins again. Scorn will stand apart because it won't allow that, there will be no cutscenes to let a player set their controller down and catch their breath after a difficult, scary encounter. Players will simply have to attempt to recover as they move on.
Scorn Isn't a Typical Shooter
There are guns to be collected in Scorn, but Ebb Software stresses that the game is not a "shooter," and that many situations will call for hiding, finding a different path, or perhaps locking a gate to seal an enemy away. If a player chooses to engage in combat more often, ammo and resources will be very limited, so the focus should be more on solving puzzles and using the environment to find other solutions.
For players who do choose to go in guns blazing, the uniqueness of the weapons in Scorn is a perfect representation of the dark, creepy prison environment they have to escape. Guns are constructed from pieces of the world and even body parts, ranging from something as straightforward as a six-shooter pistol to a spinal cord with a trigger and pulsating fossil that shoots tongue-like spikes. The fact that weapons are so tied to the world and its inhabitants might hint at a deeper story element connection where everything in the environment has a sort of symbiotic relationship, which would be a unique touch for the adventure in Scorn.
Scorn has been highly anticipated for eight years, and it finally appears ready to give fans a new take on horror where the world is the star and the player is just trying to survive. How well that works remains to be seen, but the environment and weapons in Scorn make for a promising horror experience coming out just in time for Halloween.
Scorn releases on October 21, 2022, on PC and Xbox Series X/S.