Scorn Reviews
Check out Scorn Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 33 reviews on CriticDB, Scorn has a score of:
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.
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.
A masterclass in world-building and tension. A horror game that relies more on the proper atmosphere rather than cheap jump scares.
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...
With Scorn finally being released, and the devs saying it wouldn't work on Deck, I am happy to say they were very wrong!
A surreal horror adventure that feels like a Harlan Ellison story.
Overall, I would very highly recommend Scorn to fans of both horror and puzzle games. It definitely stands out in both genres as unique, and its challenges will keep you thinking constantly. It is also a game worth checking out if you are a fan of the Alien series or anything biopunk. The art alone was enough for me to immediately wishlist it. While the lack of dialogue did at times feel upsetting, possibly because I myself am a writer at heart, it definitely did add to the creepiness of the atmosphere. With more dialogue, it is very likely that my immersion would have been broken, or at the least, paused.
Scorn is a survival horror shooter puzzle game and it uses each of those elements in its own mold.
A grim yet unforgettable journey through an unthinkably hostile world.
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.
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 works wonders with Giger's and Beksiński's artwork, not only in terms of aesthetic fidelity but in creating a world that's utterly strange to exist in. This is a violent, painful, but fascinating place, thick with symbolism and interlocking puzzles that hint at some terrifying grand design. While it can be overly obscure and frustrating, especially in combat, Scorn serves up one hell of a journey.
Scorn is clearly a labour of grotesque love, feeling unlike almost any other game out there. The alien are satisfying, the lack of handholding adds to the sense of a hostile world, and the nihilistic drive of the game in subjecting your character to further degradation really makes it stand out. It is a game that will live long in the memory, but it is the very definition of a divisive experience.
Scorn is an interesting game to play. Lacking any real story to follow, it instead relies on your own curiosity to see it through. You’ll be interacting with all sorts of disgusting things, and fighting off horrifying creatures, and if you’re the kind of person who can not only stomach the aesthetic, but actually enjoy it, Scorn will undoubtedly be a wonderful experience. For just about everyone else, though, maybe look at a couple of screenshots and trailers and see if you can stomach the aesthetic first.
A remarkable, vital piece of art that both transcends and is blemished by shortcomings specific to the medium of video games.
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 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 throws you into a world filled with grotesque imagery and expects you to figure your way forward. Its lack of direction creates a wonderful feeling of dread, but it can become a maddening experience for some.
Ebb Software's rigid focus will immediately put off some (for fair reasons), but also earn the respect of horror fans who can stomach this grotesque world.Reviewer's Note: Given its importance to my critique, there are SPOILERS about a specific entity that's tied to the story [...]
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.
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.
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,
If you love H.R. Giger, unsettling body horror such as those seen in the works of Junji Ito, or creepy alien experimentation scenes from films like Fire in the Sky, you’ll undoubtedly appreciate Scorn’s overarching concept. Sadly the execution leaves much to be desired, which is a shame as I feel like Scorn could have been a real standout as far as atmospheric horror games go.
“Scorn impresses as a visual tribute to H. R. Giger, but half-formed gameplay hurt its horror more than it helps.”
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's frustrating combat, unbalanced puzzles, and unforgiving checkpoints make it an infuriating slog through an otherwise intriguing setting.
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?
Finishing Scorn does not leave players with a sense of satisfaction; it's not scary and it's not fun. Most will be glad that it's over, and at least it's mercifully short. It only takes about five hours to beat Scorn, and our playthrough ended with us earning 11 out of 12 of the game's achievements. Scorn gives players absolutely no reason to return to it, and quite frankly, it doesn't offer much reason to play it even once.
Scorn's dreadful bio-mechanical world is a fantastic example of horror design and level design alike, but its lovely mess of flesh is let down by messier combat.