The title that we analyze today in review is Scorn, a controversial, bloody and gruesome title. Everyone waited silently, ready to discover the dark magic of this new horror world, literally creepy, those real. The new video game developed by Ebb Software and published by Kepler Interactive is clearly inspired by the wonders already created over the years by the minds of HR Giger and David Cronenberg, just to name two. Great artists of the world of horror, able to build unforgettable products such as The Fly, Videodrome, Crimes of The Future, Alien and many more. So, a video game of those who really know how to accompany you in the deepest nightmares, right from awake.
We cannot deny you that, after the quick but decidedly intense experience guaranteed by Scorn, we had to reflect a little on how to talk to you about the product and give it the right attention even with objectivity. And here is finally our review on the game that, perhaps, it was among the most disturbing we have experienced in the last few years, and able to entertain us at the right point despite the gameplay gaps, which we will evaluate together.
But let's start from the beginning, in order to conclude this introduction in the most correct and complete way possible. What is Scorn, in practical practical terms? What should you expect from the title, if you haven't tried it yet or if you haven't seen anything other than a few game frames? Scorn, for those who don't already know, it means contempt, and we felt this sensation clearly, as if our noses were wrinkled in a sense of disturbance and our eyebrows frowned in fear of what would come in front of our gaze, innocent and unaware until that moment.
The title made by Ebb Software is a silent journey, without dialogue or soundtrack, which takes us in a completely unknown place and in dynamics that we will have to guess by trying and erring. Between puzzles, fights and eviscerations carried out by disturbing robotic machinery, the product will know how to drag you along. But not metaphorically but literally, between pools of blood and deformed enemies all along the intricate map. Let's go into the details of the title that we had the pleasure of trying on Xbox.
Lamentations and deformities, in a world without words
Let's start with a premise, before going into the merits of Scorn's narrative, design and gameplay: it is actually a very dark and macabre game, designed to imprison you in a creepy setting that you don't know, where you don't know how to survive or what to do. Undoubtedly, this is a highly discouraged product for anyone who is afraid of seeing and / or taking part in cruel scenes, very explicit and sometimes complicated to tolerate. Scorn is not a "horror wannabe" and is, from a map and character design standpoint, extremely scary. The misadventure starts with a difficult moment to interpret: between a simple awakening or a real rebirth, the character we will take possession of opens his eyes wide and forcibly detaches himself from this sort of machine / creature with which he seems to have merged.
He gets up and, from that moment the game becomes in first person, without any information available. Which path to take? What should we do? Should we click on that object or could we do damage and awaken something fearsome? There is no way to know without taking risks. Each step forward will be a step into the unknown and, sometimes, there will be to deal with many environmental puzzles.
With a little patience they will resolve themselves, do not worry. We won't tell you what kind of puzzles or what they might cause because, given that Scorn's beauty and painful nature are found in this continual leap into the unknown, it would be unfair to you. However, we would like to tell you that i puzzle they are not the least compelling part, as you might think. Rather, it is about main elements for gameplay progression and often they are rather ingenious. On the other hand, we found the fighting over the course of the title a bit "slow" and less functional.
We will have various types of equipment available and the first weapons will be particularly woody to manage. The fights appear uneven: the damage inflicted by our enemies is many and on our part the response will be slow and less efficient than we would expect. Which is frustrating to try, especially bearing in mind that you find yourself catapulted into a truly dark world, under every aspect.
So what should be ours search for a way out from that alien world - whether by our will or the character's, we could never know it clearly - is punctuated by these simple elements, elements that perfectly match the type of narrative chosen by the development team.
Macabre places, narrow corridors, large and gigantic rooms that undoubtedly reminded us of the Prometheus locations, film directed by Ridley Scott. It all works, but we'd be lying if we told you that battling Scorn's monsters didn't frustrate us enough. design and instead, impeccable under every aspect. To shudder for the realization and the meticulous attention to detail. Undoubtedly a good level horror work, recommended for fans of similar settings.
Review- Scorn (Tested on XBX / S) 7.2 Final grade
The title created by Ebb Software is a silent journey, without dialogue or soundtrack, which takes us to a completely unknown place and in dynamics that we will have to guess by trying and erring. Between puzzles, fights and eviscerations carried out by the disturbing robotic machines, the game will know how to drag and upset you.
