Having been first announced in the dark ages (well, 2014), Scorn has been a shining star on an otherwise dark horizon for many of us horror fanatics. However, it looks as though it’s ‘land ahoy’ for a possible release as early as Spring of next year (2022).
While little is currently known about the intricacies of the game, there are some more than interesting details that have come to light, and under some bizarre law, it would probably be illegal as a games writer to not write about this upcoming FPS horror title. So, at the risk of arrest, here’s what we know so far.
Scorn is Inspired by True Greats
Level and character design are always vital aspects of a good horror game, and Scorn is inspired by two of the very best in dark arts (painting, not Voodoo), H.R Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński.
Beksiński is the lesser-known of the two distinctive artists, his paintings depict strange, dystopian landscapes with a recurring theme of death – cool! Giger, on the other hand, is known for his mixing of man and machinery to create images that haunt the psyche and dig their way under your skin. He is, in fact, the very man behind the iconic Xenomorphs from the Alien movies.
With two topics of inspiration as great as these guys, you can put your bottom dollar on a darkly delightful world, teeming with danger and surprise and heavy with a thick, cloying atmosphere that only the greatest of horror games can muster.
Scorn Will Carry Heavy Tones of an All-Time Classic
When the deathly, dystopian aspects seen the art of Beksiński merge into the man and machine works of Giger, what you are met with is a deeply rich world of macabre intrigue and a seamless blending of science fiction and horror.
Yes, this is a world we can’t wait to step into. Pillars carved from muscle and bone, doors fashioned from gaping mouths, and stairways forged of skeletal parts and glistening tissue. It sounds like the perfect setting for an FPS horror game. However, we can’t help but wonder where we have seen it before…?
In 2006, Prey was a prevalently loved game of the days of yore. Featuring the same principles as I have outlined above, Prey was leagues ahead of its time. The winding, puzzling mazes and organic weaponry made for one hell of a mix, and it’s a game I still look back fondly on to this day. So when we say that it’s been done before, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing.
Scorn – Release Date and Platforms
In what sounded to gamers, the world over, like the harps of heaven ..um… harping, it was announced that Scorn is set to come to Xbox Game Pass in the first day of its release in October of next year (2022). Furthermore, the word on the proverbial grape vine is that due to the game not being overly demanding in terms of specifications, it will be accessible to even those PC gamers that aren’t running high-end rigs.
Sadly for Sony fans, Scorn won’t be available on the PlayStation consoles, making it exclusive to Game Pass.
Summary
With horror art icons H.R Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński as the main inspiration, expect Scorn to be host to some twisted creatures, atmospherical and immersive. From the little we have seen from the screenshots and scarce video footage, the game looks exactly as you would expect. The man-machine hybrid theme is prevelant throughout the world and if you don’t get lost within the tight confines of the twisting tunnels, you will certainly get lost in the breathtaking artwork that sets the scene of what will possibly be the best horror game of 2022.