izigame.me

Scorn is an experience, a good and very unique one at that! For me, reviewing Scorn means I should describe and rate its 5 main aspects, which, in my opinion, are the following:

Worldbuilding & atmosphere
At the forefront of the Scorn experience is its worldbuilding and atmosphere. The world of Scorn has been deliberately and meticulously crafted to be a layered, biomechanical spectacle.
While the surface layer is a vast, barren landscape consisting of little more than an eerily empty desert shrouded in the foggy whispers of death; the sparringly placed (or perhaps simply the few remaining) structures speak tales of a once great civilisation of intelligent humans or humanoid creatures that has abandoned this place long ago. For reasons one can only speculate.
Inside these structures we find elaborate, carefully crafted interiors of mechanical excellence, covered in organic tissue that lives and breathes. Inspired by life and the natural order—birth, death, and rebirth—it is exceptionally fitting that these ancient structures now lie in decay while fleshy, cancerous growths and twisted, hostile lifeforms have overtaken the vast halls and countless chambers once called home by the much more civilised race that originally designed and built it.
With this combination of pristine Alien-looking architecture layered with organic but unwelcoming life thriving in its own way within the remnants of a long-forgotten history, Scorn has managed to make each corner of the world incite a very primal feeling of terror, fear, and a general feeling of unease. Never quite sure what new horror lies around the corner, and yet the only way forward is to push through.

Level design
As one might expect, the worldbuilding directly translates into the level design. Each major area in the world of Scorn feels like one giant organism of interconnected pathways in a labyrinth-like structure. The great level of detail put into every sinister crevice of the world makes for a great exploration experience.
Something I really loved is that on top of this, Scorn does not hold your hand along the way. It is entirely possible to get lost or even miss important areas, though fortunately never in a way that you get stuck later on. This intentional lack of guidance deepens the feeling of being alone in an unforgiving world where nobody is on your side and the only way to survive is to be deliberate and smart with everything you do.

Soundtrack & ambient sounds
Everything mentioned above is compounded by the sound design. The OST—music consisting largely of droning notes and atmospheric background noise with thumping, metallic groans, ritualistic chanting, and more mixed in at the right moments—adds to the dark and unsettling aesthetic of the world around you. Sometimes even the absence of music stirs the feelings of despair and loneliness you'll find yourself become familiar with as you progress through the path laid out before you.
Add the ambient sounds and background noise of this frightening and dangerous realm, and you got yourself a soundscape that grips you tight and deepens your immersion into the world. You never know for sure if the sound you just heard is an active threat, or just an ambient noise of the eroding realm being slowly consumed by a fleshy, organic evil.

Gameplay
Something that struck me by surprise is that Scorn is, at its core, a puzzle game (a genre I love). The physical puzzles aren't too complicated most of the time, but there is a second type of puzzle element: safely traversing the labyrinths. Enemies might crawl in and out of the organic material on the floor and walls, ammo and health is somewhat sparce, blocked pathways have to be cleared, unlockables are sometimes hidden, etc. It all makes for a solid mix of exploration, problem-solving, problem-avoiding, resource management, and occassional combat.
Worth noting is that while as a gamer I'd say the combat and some of the puzzle mechanics feel a bit clunky, as a puzzle and storytelling enthusiast I feel that the way these things are handled makes perfect sense given the biology of who we play as, their state of mind, and the unfamiliar biomechanical nature of every tool or weapon available. It increases the immersion and sense of urgency/danger.

Storytelling
Thankfully there are no quests, marked objectives, dialogue, or other such traditional aspects of a videogame storytelling. However, the storyline is absolutely there if you pay attention to the environment and its inhabitants, the recurring symbolism in all its many forms, and use your imagination to fill in the (intentional) gaps. It's a worthwhile storyline as well, I might add!

In conclusion
• Worldbuilding & atmosphere: rich and beautiful in a hauntingly disgusting way; 11/10
• Level design: perfectly matches the worldbuilding and serves the game's purposes well; 9/10
• Soundtrack & ambient sounds: deeply unsettling, dark, atmospheric; 10/10
• Gameplay: good mix of elements, could be smoother but it adds to the experience; 8/10
• Storytelling: environmental, nuanced but very intentional, minimalistic but profound; 9/10
Overal: 100% recommended to experience Scorn for yourself!