Plunge into unrelenting hell with terrifying battles in Scorn.
A dead civilization in Scorn
Scorn, is a first-person puzzle game about exploring the ruins of a dead civilization. With a mesmerizing, biomechanical aesthetic inspired by I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream by HR Giger and Harlan Ellison, it's far more disturbing and unsettling than it is terrifying.
An artistic world
The most impressive bone is the macabre artistic direction that creates a cohesive world. even if each of Scorn's midpoints are different in their dazzling grandeur. The architecture and strange puzzle devices exist in a space that's not so much an amalgamation of flesh and machine, but more like someone who's mixed the two until you can't quite tell if anything you're looking at is alive or is artificial. Soaring alien towers mimic the shapes of bones and guts, while foreboding tunnels give you the distinct impression of being swallowed whole.
What happened?
With no dialogue or text to explain why you're here or what happened, you'll have to look closely at all of these intriguingly awkward images to get a clue as to why the world is so jumbled and mostly deserted. This is a world where ultimately there are no definite answers. You can draw your own conclusions based on the clues.
Strange contraptions
The otherworldly Myst-like contraptions aren't exactly master-level brain teasers, but some of them are tricky enough. You first need to understand how it works. They all have mechanical parts that fit together and feel a bit like an engineering exam. Sometimes you need to get several different wheels that can rotate together or independently to align with a central hub. Other times, you'll need to count the revolutions of a spinning disc to fix it when your vision is partially obscured. Some of the more elaborate ones take up the space of an entire level and have you running back and forth moving walkable platforms with a giant clawed arm for crane games.
Motivating curiosity
In Scorn, you awaken and set about solving some moderately challenging puzzles with no other stated mission than to keep advancing. So it was pure curiosity that motivated me to keep going. The nameless homunculus asks you philosophical questions: Is any of this even worth saving? And a non-skippable cutscene seems to indicate early on: No. You get no sense of self-preservation or hope for salvation. This place and this character probably got what they deserved. The game is constantly, unforgivingly dark.
A gloomy world
This aspect highlights another issue with Scorn, which is constantly and unforgivingly grim. Better horror games like Amnesia or Resident Evil alternate moments of stress and discomfort with islands of calm, only to induce fear very effectively. There's just no such thing in Scorn's world. There are parts of it that could perhaps be described as darkly beautiful, but a journey awaits you that will never cease to shock and unsettle you. This led to the opposite effect. Partially indifferent to the relentless psychological torment. Without something to fight for, a sense of serenity to look forward to, or something worth stealing, it loses its impact.
The sound
Yet there is a unique clear vision behind every sight and sound. Scorn doesn't have a soundtrack so much as it has a subtle electronic ambience that deserves to be experienced on some nice surround sound headphones with good bass. It's amazing how everything you can interact with has moving parts that fit together, whether it's one of those colossal puzzles the size of an entire tower or even your inventory made up of weird, fleshy artifacts.
The fight
The fight itself cannot inspire. Most enemies have high-precision ranged attacks, your speed is painfully slow, and the only weapon that does a decent amount of damage has very limited ammo. Some of the hitboxes make it feel like you should be able to shoot through the bars on a cage-like rotating platform, but you can't, undermining the tactile feel Scorn is trying to create. Both healing items and control points are set quite stingy. Luckily, the combat is only a big part of one of five chapters. It doesn't completely ruin the game.
Conclusion
Scorn is an interesting horror puzzle game. The fact that it's such a bite-sized sprint through the gruesome and surreal makes it unforgettable and satisfying. The frustrating battle appears only a fraction of the game time. The superb, darkly mystifying art direction and ambient soundtrack completely pervade the game and bring the grisly world to life. It's an uncomfortable, sometimes confusing experience. If you can deal with a disturbing environment, the game is warmly recommended.
