Scorn Reviews

While a heavily niche game, Scorn executes on a type of horror that most can only superficially attempt. Pacing is an issue with several puzzles, and the gameplay on its own isn't gripping. Nonetheless, the world itself makes up for all of that, telling vague stories that both compel and repel you. Scorn is an absolute must for horror fans.

Scorn is a horror/adventure game filled with grotesque depictions of rot, gore and terror. It instills a sense of foreboding dread extremely well with its abstruse, minimal storytelling. This isn’t a game for the faint of heart or stomach, though.

I think it’s safe to say, like most people, Scorn caught my eye with its art style clearly inspired by H.R. Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński. It’s such a striking visual style that it’s hard not to want to see more, as it peaks your macabre sense of wonder. From Ebb Software’s little teasers, you simply want to see more of this Alien-inspired world and what nasty, slimy, biopunk things will come next. This is essentially the core of what made Scorn so appealing to me throughout the enti...

You better have to choose if it’s worth spending your spare cash, because it might not be the game for you and it might be for others.

Scorn really brings the art that inspired to 3D life, meshes it with good music, and presents it on a stable platform. But the mundane puzzles and poor combat drag it down.

Aesthetically disgusting, Scorn touches on several deep-seated phobias all at once, ensnaring you with its alien and disgusting universe. While the worldbuilding shines, the combat can be pure frustration. Come for the visceral stomach churn, and stick around for one of the stranger stories you’ll ever see. While the combat will frustrate, the setting is worth the fight.

Scorn may make a few missteps here and there, with some short-lived but shoddy combat sequences and puzzles that grow a little repetitive as the game reaches its climax, but none of this really takes away from the artistic achievement at core of this adventure. Ebb Software's debut is one of the most gruesome, thought-provoking and completely alien experiences we've had in a very long time. It's a game that flings you headlong into a blood-soaked nightmare, leaves you to push and prod and make your own way forward, to draw your own conclusions, and it's one that's left a lasting impression on us as a result of some truly superb world-building and startling imagery. It's absolutely not for everyone, but if it sounds like your cup of tea, we urge you to give this one a whirl.

Scorn is as gross as horror gets in 2022.

Scorn is aesthetically impressive and sets a tone early on. Unfortunately there's nothing more to back up this experience as plot is non-existent and puzzles are linear.

Scorn is a horror adventure that’s heavily influenced by the works of H.R Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński (which is a trend we’re starting to see a lot in games), and it has been on the periphery of our release calendar for what seems like forever. Following an unsuccessful Kickstarter in 2014 and then a successful one in 2017, developer Ebb Software is finally releasing it into the wild,

Control wise there is no jump button, just an aim, reload, and use. You have an inventory that shows each fleshy attachment and how many bio-ammo pieces are currently embedded in them. Your tiny ammo and health squid monster thing will never not be massively disturbing.  So much behind this title seems focused on being weird and out there, instead of engaging and enjoyable. It is a routinely miserable experience for every single one of your senses with only the occasional burst of creativity for your vision. That’s what really gets me in the end. How could something that has taken so long to come out release in this state? I’ve played games in this genre before, and they can be fantastic. There is nothing scary here, nor is there any type of hook in any area. Was the thought of “let’s make some cool-looking sets and then stick long rods into tight holes” the entire sales pitch?

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.

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 has three things on its mind: birth, death, and H. R. Giger.

Scorn is a survival horror shooter puzzle game and it uses each of those elements in its own mold.

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.

A masterclass in world-building and tension. A horror game that relies more on the proper atmosphere rather than cheap jump scares.

Scorn's frustrating combat, unbalanced puzzles, and unforgiving checkpoints make it an infuriating slog through an otherwise intriguing setting.

Scorn is a special experience for anybody looking to have their expectations subverted for what a good horror game can be. It is a gory, surreal, provocative dive into difficult or even taboo topics, and is wonderfully crafted, and near perfectly optimized. The game’s themes and visuals are challenging and extremely mature, but executed with great subtlety. The game is a technical marvel and concise as any horror game should be, so as to not overstay its welcome.

With Scorn finally being released, and the devs saying it wouldn't work on Deck, I am happy to say they were very wrong!