Scorn – Everything You Need to Know About This Long-Overdue Atmospheric First-Person Horror Adventure

Officially announced as a Kickstarter project in 2014, Scorn is being developed by Serbian developer Ebb Software and inspired by the works of visual artists Zdzisław Beksiński and H. R. Giger. Following the failed Kickstarter campaign, the atmospheric first-person horror adventure received private funding in 2015 before getting another Kickstarter campaign in 2017. This time around, the game reached its funding goal in September 2017, beginning its long journey towards release.

Pricing, platforms, release date

Scorn is coming to PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, Xbox Series X|S, and day one on Xbox Game Pass on October 14th, 2022, having just been bumped up from the previous October 21st date.

On both PC and Xbox Series, the Standard Edition will sell for $39.99. However, there is currently a 10% pre-order discount that brings the price down to $35.99. There is also a Deluxe Edition priced at $49.99 ($45.99 with the aforementioned discount), coming with the official digital soundtrack of the game, composed by Aethek & Lustmord, and a 192-page digital artbook including a massive amount of exclusive artwork and research designs.

It is unclear whether the console exclusivity deal is timed or not; either way, a PlayStation 5 version of Scorn hasn’t been confirmed just yet.

Setting

Set in a nightmarish universe of weird forms and bleak tapestry, Scorn was designed around the idea of “being thrown into the world”. According to the developer, players won’t be taking control of an already fleshed-out main character with a predetermined personality and history. Instead, it will be up to the player to give their own interpretation of the events, themes, and their role in this universe through exploration and interaction with the game world. The story and themes that the game tries to convey get their desired effect through experience rather than exposition.

Gameplay Mechanics

Scorn takes place in an open-ended, cohesive world with different interconnected zones you can explore in a non-linear way. Each zone is a maze-like area with various rooms and paths to discover. The environment itself is a character. Every location contains its own theme (story), puzzles, and characters that are an integral part of the setting. Players will progressively open up new areas of the game, acquiring different skill sets and various items.

Ebb Software also implemented full body awareness features so that the player would experience better immersion by being aware of the character’s body and movement. Interaction with the world is said to be realistic: objects are picked up with your hands (instead of just floating in midair), machines and instruments are operated by grabbing the controls, et cetera.

Scorn also completely foregoes any form of Heads-Up Display (HUD) for greater immersion into the world. As such, everything is implied and indicated through environmental design.

Another key aspect of the gameplay mechanics is the importance of inventory and ammo management. Ebb Software said it plays a big role in keeping the player in an even greater state of awareness throughout the whole game. Players will have to think about when to fight and when to take cover, and how their actions affect the world around them. Different play styles will be needed to advance.

The developers also offered an estimate of the game’s length, which is expected to range between six and eight hours.

Technical Specifications

Down below, you’ll find both the minimum and recommended PC system requirements. The game will also be released on Xbox Series X|S. On both platforms, Scorn will support Microsoft’s DirectStorage API.

Trailers

Since the game’s official announcement in 2014, various trailers have been released, including the Kickstarter trailer and the 2016 teaser trailer. Upon the announcement that Scorn would also be coming to Xbox Series, several new videos were shared. Last year, the game received a release date reveal trailer. The most recent trailer, featuring 8 minutes of gameplay from the prologue, was released earlier this month.