I strongly recommend: Scorn (Review)

The Matte Black Ridge Wallet is 30% off for the next 48 hours when you use offer code SKILLUP30 at checkout, or get 10% off site-wide by using offer code SKILLUP on any purchase. Visit ridge.com/skillup
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Scorn sits comfortably where other games might squirm. It actively avoids the more traditional design tropes we associate with walking sims, horror games, puzzle games or shooters. As a result, parts of it can seem underdeveloped or unpolished, but I think it's all a conscious choice to chart a course between the traditional genre buckets, creating something unique in the process.
Scorn is out today for PC and Xbox as either a stand-alone purchase or as part of Xbox Gamepass.
#Scorn #Review #Gamepass
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Edited by Austin @ausomehd
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[@SkillUp]

The Matte Black Ridge Wallet is 30% off for the next 48 hours when you use offer code SKILLUP30 at check out, or get 10% off site-wide by using offer code SKILLUP on any purchase. Visit ridge.com/skillup

[@rafaelgomes9119]

Suberb content. Has always *

[@lalo38th41]

Have you increased the UMA buffer on your steam deck from 1gb to 4gb? That might be the reason the levels aren't loading.

[@jamescunningham8092]

Your affiliate link gives a 503 error, fwiw

[@Zool0ka]

Error 503 SSL handshake error SSL handshake error Error 54113 Details: cache-vie6353-VIE 1665743879 567992635 Varnish cache server

[@TheDragonfriday]

Wow thanks for mentioning the steam deck because I'm downloading on it right now ;-;

[@Mysterialic]

I have to applaud the devs for sticking firmly on their vision for this game.

[@sailaway30]

I normally find it when a developer knows what they want to do with the game and as long as they get have good leader ship and everyone knows not to go beyond their boundaries AK star citizen I find that normally 90% of the time games do come out polished and functional I just wish I could say the same for AAA gaming nowadays but I digress

[@sneakyking]

Yes.

[@EcchiRevenge]

Most definitely not enough lgbtq representation. ;)

[@ulqinaku8471]

@@EcchiRevenge you’re not funny

[@sailaway30]

@@EcchiRevenge okay one that is not the main issue and two normally when stuff movies games focus way too much on that shit they normal come out bad there are numerous things that I could give an example to but I don’t need to pretty much everyone knows the examples and second of all how are you supposed to do that sort of thing in scorn when the game is based on HR Giger I am very confused by your statement

[@Kwiteee]

Great review, minor correction is that settings for FOV can be found in the Camera Options menu, which is found under Controls for some god forsaken reason. Weird design choice.

[@CrispyHulk1]

FOV is overrated and games shouldn’t be judged over a setting that applies to a tiny minority of motion sickness babies.

[@jacknickels8341]

@@CrispyHulk1 such a stupid viewpoint. Accessibility is extremely important nowadays. A game should be judged over all aspects, and not having a basic option like an FOV slider should be considered in a full review, especially when the game revolves around the visual aesthetics and atmosphere

[@iliilliliiliilliliiliillil9137]

@@CrispyHulk1 What a stupid comment. FOV isn't there because people get motion sickness, genius. Some people happen to get motion sickness if they are used to playing on higher FOV. If you aren't worried about it then stick to your low-powered previous gen consoles. FOH

[@smallbutdeadly931]

Green Hoodie sighting in the wild

[@activeace8955]

Is this for pc only ? :(

[@dantelucef]

Just a small note: there IS an FOV slider! It is in camera settings under CONTROLS It has a warning that it could cause issues with graphics but it does let you adjust it! Something to note, possibly worth an update.

[@walterwang2011]

Nice, cuz without fov slider this is going be a hard pass for me. I got sick from watching the video.

[@CanIHasThisName]

Awesome' Thanks for letting us know. FOV was my biggest concern after the blur effect. Also, I got really motion sick from the previous video, not from this one. So it could be the blurring was a bigger problem than the FOV.

[@anatoliasmercenary.]

@@CanIHasThisName the blurring honestly helps the atmosphere tbh

[@NuclearAbyss]

no, its not there. unless you are referring to smoothing.

[@anatoliasmercenary.]

@@NuclearAbyss what I meant is that the blur helps with the uncomfortable atmosphere and overal feel of the game, just my opinion tho

[@hoodiepen]

This game reminds me of the early 2000s era where developers’ creativity are through the roof. It’s nice to have these kinds of games in a while during this era of battle royales, MTXs and gacha clones.

[@GregKhar-NU-Metalhead2000]

i love ghosthunter 2004 and f.e.a.r

[@D0NU75]

yeah i remember quite a number of games not being strangers to have outlandish world settings, then it all became space game, then brown military games and a few years ago, zombie games. I think nowadays we are living on the fortnite-like games

[@heart_of_a_daedra3649]

there hasn't been a new BR in almost 3 years

[@D0NU75]

After giving it more thought i finally identified what phase are we, the games as a "service" era; you get a very basic game and then you get sold tons of optional content and dlc, not to mention season passes

[@artistanthony1007]

Remember Alter Echo? I do and it's a shame it didn't sell well or made a big impact, it was creative in every way and they did something unique, you have a good flow with combat moves & abilities as you switch between the three forms but ohh well.

[@yashamaru86]

Last month I had a chance to be on Beksiński exhibition. Despite his son's suicide death, and his work being so dark, he was incredibly warm and positive person. And his art? God it was touching. The amount of details, pictures hidden in a picture, death and decay, jeez that was something. I encourage everyone if you have a chance to see it youreself. I guarantee it will mark you forever, in a different way for everyone.

[@brandyyn]

isnt he dead

[@yashamaru86]

@@brandyyn Yes he is. That's why I was using past tense. He was stabbed multiple times by the 19yo teenager, who with his family used to work in Beksiński's workshop. The reason was that Beksiński refused to lend this teenager some money. 2 days later he was accused of murder and sentenced for 24y in prison. His 16yo cousin tried to help him hide the body on the balcony, and for that was sentenced with 4y in prison. Sad story of a happy mind that was incredibly potent, sharp and positive, despite the times and area he used to live

[@brandyyn]

@@yashamaru86 oh wow thank you for telling me, i really appreciate it

[@yashamaru86]

@@brandyyn you're welcome lad! Happy u liked it :D

[@liamshiels8626]

I love the idea of Artist A being invaded by Artist B s a concept for a game. Can we have Bosch being invaded by Escher in another game? Or maybe Picasso by Pollock? Magritte by Dali? That'd be grand.

[@TheCocomunges]

Call of duty zombies, does this. Shadows of evil is lovecraftian:a bio organic squid weapon you shove your hand into, Cthulhu egg statues used to make a living sword And it all takes place in a 1920s bootlegger Chicago. Mob of the dead is Alcatraz fused with purgatory. Etc

[@MisterK-YT]

Ok nerd... Mr. “I’m-so-cultured-and-know-different-artists”! 😘 jk. I know at least a few of those. Dali meets Escher would be kinda tits. Impossible staircases in surreal dimensions.

[@liamshiels8626]

@@MisterK-YT Fuck yeah Dali v Escher would be a grand idea. Though how those elephants with all the knees would take all those infinite staircases would be interesting to watch. The other guys are pretty awesome as well :)

[@G_Rad_Ski]

Go to the Prado and you will get Goya invading Bosch. I like this idea but how many devs could actually capture what makes seeing those paintings timeless.

[@waff6ix]

magritte is tha 1 artist i remember from kollege💯never paid attention but his work always stood out 2 me

[@domzaeWoW]

This honestly looks perfect as a (PC)VR title... From the atmosphere to the style of gameplay, everything about it screams virtual reality to me. I really hope at the least someone figures out a way to make a mod for it!

[@Josie.770]

So less of a game and more of just shit to look at

[@__-tt2ot]

Exactly what I'm thinking; it's just begging for a VR conversion.

[@michaelmonstar4276]

A lot of people have been saying that and I'd sooner play it in VR than just on my wideass monitor. - If it's about eye-candy, then make it three-dimensional while you're at it. It would be amazing for this one in how you see things so up close, like when holding weird stuff, and the scale of more distant stuff. - In 2D it can be rather boring, especially when the gameplay is already boring. - Just too bad I do NOT have a VR-set and probably won't have one for years to come. - I think I'll just buy the art-book...

[@Ghorda9]

@@Josie.770 it's a lot like the early silent hill games.

[@ionseven]

I appreciate the devs actually trying to say something with their art vs falling into a trend. Before microtransactions companies had to be creative with quality products or they fell. This feels like a return to that time and I welcome it.

[@Steeezecake]

I ❤ SkillUp

[@phat-Rat]

That's why its gonna fail atomically. It's an art project, not a video game.

[@lukew6725]

Creative = horrifically bad combat system? Ok.

[@phat-Rat]

@@scandalouspanda7489? I'm not demanding anything. I'm just saying the game will fail. And it IS failing lol.

[@REXae86]

@@phat-Rat you are demanding. you stated the game "will fail" because you don't like it.

[@Rakka5]

Considering how long this development took, I'm so happy that this ended up being as good as it is. It's always an amazing thing in this modern times when we find a video game doing something truly unique instead of chasing the latest AAA fad.

[@ivanvonmayer1]

pre-alpha footage was shown in 2014, so they've been working on this for nearly 10 years

[@kaejuka6249]

@@ivanvonmayer1 I mean cyberpunk also took ten years and its only now at least somewhat living up to the promises, after two years from release

[@babyyyz7948]

@@ivanvonmayer1 is there combat in this game? Any action?

[@ivanvonmayer1]

@@babyyyz7948 I haven’t yet played it but it seems like there is a sparse amount of combat. It’s there but it probably isn’t very fleshed out or focused on. I think this is primarily a game you play for puzzles and atmosphere.

[@ivanvonmayer1]

@@kaejuka6249 that’s true. Although I would note that Cyberpunk is a much larger and more ambitious game than Scorn. Cyberpunk promised a LOT that it ended up not being able to completely deliver on, whereas Scorn is a much smaller game in comparison that is promising a much more niche, short and small scale experience.

[@dr.narwhalmd4885]

The level design aspect of everything looking so similar seems really cool. Based on the review it seems like getting lost and feeling desparate in a world like the one in scorn is just part of the experience. I respect games that stick to their guns theme wise because after all video games are a form of art, and don't always have to provide a player with a fun, thrilling experience.

[@exquisitemeat5845]

One strength I feel Scorn had is its lenght. The frustrating parts didn't manage to linger for long before the next, usually visual, reward.

[@Eassstt]

FOV Slider is now in the game btw

[@AngeloC1988]

I think one of the biggest wins is the fact that they don’t hold your hand. The game is definitely flawed in a lot of ways, but in so many other ways does it remind me of games from the past that at least treated you like you have a brain. I guess that comes with territory of making more money, gaming having been thrust into the mainstream, games are being made to appeal to a broader audience to sell more copies. Great review, as always!

[@D0NU75]

it reminds me a lot of the first portal game, the game itself believed in your ability to solve a problem on your own by showing you some basic things and letting you fill in the rest. It never threw you on a space so big you had to backtrack or something to the point of getting lost in it's corridors, but Scorn seems to give you enough credit that if you do, you'll eventually figure it out.

[@phat-Rat]

@@D0NU75 Comparing this game to portal is just an insult to portal.

[@jacksnuller4867]

The game is unfair. Enemies have range. You have no save points so have fun running the same route 20 times. Even if you get through the enemies and get hit you might as well die because you don't know what is coming after the next checkpoint and since there only limited healing you probably have to load earlier save.

[@Ashtarte3D]

The biggest flaw though is there is no real point to the game. There is no real story to understand or grasp; no message to unravel through what it shows us. Just a lot of dark, gory imagery. There are much better games that "don't hold your hand" and have actual artistic merit of their own. I routinely recommend 'This War of Mine' with the simple sentence of "You won't enjoy it, but you will appreciate the experience."

[@leonardofarias8843]

@@Ashtarte3D Is this game about miscarriage and death?

[@jasperoerlevan3420]

Honestly, what an amazing review, it might be one of your best ever. You really express the fact that you are not pretending you have all the answers as a single reviewer, and you convey the aspects that might be appealing to some and not to others clearly. You praise the developer for committing to their vision ever so firmly and criticise this individual piece of art by the rules it sets itself, instead of comparing it to mainstream appeal standards. Gotta admire you for this. Fantastic work as always!

[@audiolatte]

This is my thoughts exactly, even though I don't have the linguistic eloquence that you posses to actually relay my thoughts

[@via_negativa6183]

Yes, It was articulate and thoughtful without being long and pretentious.

[@zip2kx]

jesus...

[@peabuddie]

That's what I like about his reviews. He's the most balanced reviewer out there in my opinion. I don't always agree with him, but he is always fair and thoughtful.

[@Cenot4ph]

hes one of the most boring reviewers i have come across and recommends games that should be more criticized.

[@bloodmay]

So far I've played through 2 areas in Scorn, reached the 3rd and looked around. My opinion on level design is that it's fine. You might be frustrated if you're trying to rush a game for some reason (like for example trying to meet a deadline for review), but if you go at your own pace, relaxing in the evening with the game, taking in all the sights, the level design is not a problem. It just naturally mapped out in my brain. I feel it might be only an issue if you don't have enough time to thoroughly analyze the surroundings. It's a game more suited for Myst fans, rather than twitch shooter fans imo.

[@regular4634]

This, the level design it's actually really good because of this, the areas are complex but easy to memorize

[@Outplayedqt]

Loved the Myst comparison! Just finished Scorn and felt similar vibes to playing Myst back in the '90s. Grateful to the devs for crafting such a surreal experience for us to immerse ourselves in.

[@KoeiNL]

I'm not sure this is the game for me, but I'll give it a go on Gamepass. However, I'm happy Microsoft invests to get games like this on Gamepass. Because it gives special games like this a platform, and while I might not like this game maybe the next unique game might be right up my ally.

[@ItsReallyJCole]

I gave it a shot on gamepass definitely isn’t my thing. Absolutely visually amazing I want to see more of it I’m just not interested to play it anymore

[@nanashiryuu5630]

It's bad. It's not a game but more of an artistic walking sim interpretation of the cycle of birth. Played it, finished it. Boring moment to moment ganeplay. Convoluted story telling. Barebones puzzles. Combat if you can even call it that. Ur character is literally sperm, trying going through various cycles to be born.

[@ItsReallyJCole]

@@nanashiryuu5630 recommend you watch a dude named peach cobbler talk about this game. He has a different interpretation which is a lot darker

[@yt_Ajay_]

Why do developers bother including motion blur in their games when everybody hates it and turns it off at the first opportunity?

[@BackwardsPancake]

Come to think of it, yeah, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that they like motion blur. Unless I'm missing something, the only thing it really accomplishes is making the game look more movie-esque, in certain scenes. Which really isn't super relevant for most games.

[@HeyItsTheWykydtron]

This reminded me of the time I bought Blasphemous. I was attracted so much to the art style and visuals that it made me buy the game. I'll be doing the same with Scorn. I guess this time, I'm playing a game mostly for the graphics

[@mr.b89]

Wouldn't you mostly be playing it for the art style then?

[@oystersoup3434]

I love Blasphemous. The art style was definitely the main draw for me too.

[@andreasheinze9685]

@@mr.b89 And is that a bad thing?

[@mr.b89]

@@andreasheinze9685 Not at all I'm just confused

[@nightdriver7216]

But Blasphemous was actually innovative. 2D Metroidvania meets Souls. This... isn't really. Apart from the artistic vision.

[@franlovelsimic8421]

Giger and Beksinski are among my all time favorite painters alongside Bosch, Bruegel Elder and so forth so the fact this looks as good as it does not only makes me happy but proud of the devs who committed to their vision and seemingly fulfilled the promise and potential that was hinted at its reveal so many years ago. Don't have a machine that is strong enough to run this so I'll have to be patient until one day I get my hands on it. Great review as always.

[@jurtheorc8117]

Now let's hope for a good game inspired by works and creatures of Bosch and Pieter Bruegel the Elder someday. And also other medieval and late-medieval funky illustrations and creatures. Be it a strange fantasy platformer, hack-and-slasher or Pokémon-ish one.

[@CharonValis]

Maybe you can run it in the cloud by using Game pass?

[@RandallBalls]

Sounds like you enjoy artists who do ART, and don't just throw paint at a wall and call it such. Pollock is bollocks

[@prasannakarthik3733]

Commenting so I remember this

[@thegoodguy9756]

It’s mentioned that people get lost and that could be a downside to the game. I think there is a reason why they don’t give you a map. It is designed for you to get lost, it creates a challenge which is good I think.

[@EriesAston]

I can get lost even with a map

[@thegoodguy9756]

@@Flufferpup I get that but what I am saying is that they didn’t give us a map for a reason.

[@smokeemifyagotem8851]

@@thegoodguy9756 people love to have their hands held. I personally love no map

[@thegoodguy9756]

@@smokeemifyagotem8851 same. People don’t want a challenge anymore.

[@thenegromancer4695]

If the map is made to confuse you considering your human brain doesn't know how a alien world works that's good game design last game to confuse me was quake

[@jvgoddard4296]

Games like Death Stranding, Scorn and in some ways, Returnal (IMO underrated title) are games that people should be encouraged to play. This is why I feel demos should be more accessible; so that gamers can try these non mainstream titles first and buy them if they like it, and thus, encourages devs to create these irreverent IP’s.

[@calomel88]

The game is in Gamepass so he will have more than likely a ton of people trying it!!

[@jvgoddard4296]

@@calomel88 Which is great for GP subscribers. I’m referring to those 3rd party games that may not be on GP or PS+ that gamers would like to try, but might be put off by mixed reviews. This is where demos would really help.

[@Tom-dg5sc]

@@calomel88 Not even half of Xbox one users have gamepass.

[@soshady9572]

@@jvgoddard4296 , sounds good on paper, although studies have shown that games with a demo available before or at launch actually tend to sell less copies then if there was no demo. Yes lots get to try the game out, but a ton of people that were going to buy the game, end up talking themselves out of it after playing the demo. This is why most games don't do demos. At least during the launch window.

[@jvgoddard4296]

@@soshady9572 Are there any figures/articles to back this? If it’s true, it would be an interesting read. For me, while anecdotal, games I’ve been on the fence with, a demo (or in my case, playing someone else’s copy!) has pushed me to pull the trigger on that game. I won’t pay £70/$70 on a game I’m unsure about, but that’s just me.

[@nozaman01]

As someone lives in South Korea, I love the time you uploaded this video. Great to be in nearer time zone with Australia!

[@fl00d69]

I think of this as 'playable' art. And since Giger and Beksinski are my two all time favourites, I think I'm going to enjoy this game very much indeed.

[@bozzwick]

Damn gamespot gave this one a 4 😂. (So did a few others). Sitting at a 70 meta currently. Games rant gave it a 2. Looks like one of those really polarizing games. For me it’s continuing the “at least it’s free* on game pass 🤷🏻‍♂️”/10. Experience I’ve been having this year.

[@BradyPartain]

Thank God it's free I'd be pissed if I spent 40 on this (which I would have if not for gp)

[@nightdriver7216]

What creates the polarization is who Microsoft sent the moolah to.

[@artistanthony1007]

Honestly the one thing I really loved is how you get more ammunition & health items through those Machines, the animations were so good & satisfying and the creativity was fantastic but creativity for other things like weapons were also fantastic and what I love.

[@positivevibesrfc]

It feels like alot of mental gymnastics are required to enjoy this game.

[@FatalFist]

People who beat a game like this will look back and appreciate the lack of hand holding. That's why I loved Tomb Raider 1 before I ever looked at a Game Guide. I learned there was so much sense of accomplishment in solving a puzzle as opposed to games now days that just proceed to hold your hand through segments you look at and go, "Yeah, I could have figured that out on my own. Thanks."

[@leonardofarias8843]

Do you feel accomplished running the same route 20 times?

[@PinchedSlinky]

I just finished Scorn myself and I'm on the side of really having enjoyed this one... personally think it's a good length for what it is. It's easy to feel there could have been more puzzle, but each area was a puzzle/labyrinth and I really enjoyed that. Also with it not being super long in length, I feel this is a positive as it lends itself to being replayable (similar to games like Journey, Little Nightmares, and even DARQ... among many others). I can already personally see myself going back to Scorn after some time and replaying it through, just simply to immerse myself in the world and visuals again.

[@elra1894]

How are things on the story side? Are things explained or is there lore? Something? I'm asking since while I enjoy amiguity, my fear with the game is that you go through it with there being zero story, lore pieces you can find, etc

[@bendovahkiin8405]

The game feels like 70% finished as implied by the artbook

[@apache5971]

@@elra1894 There's literally no story in game. You go through the whole thing without any form of explanation as to what's going on or what your goals are. You can of course just paste whatever interpretation of the game you want on it but, if you want to understand approximately what's happening you'll need to buy the deluxe edition with the art book that also doubles as a lore book.

[@Ghorda9]

@@elra1894 you get bits and pieces of lore through events and the environment but that's it.

[@1.21gigawatts2]

What a charming and delightful game. I'm going to buy this for my six year old.

[@reanimatorpl]

I have just finished Scorn and as a huge fan of the Alien movie and Giger work I am very impressed. But let’s be honest here. It’s a $30 tech demo showcasing how pretty next-gem games can look like if developers put a lot of time, talent and passion into their game.

[@potatoeOnRooftop]

Thanks bro I was searching for reviews when this dropped. It's all I need ❤️

[@ThePlanetDez]

the FOV is in the Controls setting, under the Camera menu

[@ragmanx6256]

I can appreciate the fact the devs weren't willing to compromise their vision to pander to a wider audience. I expect this to become a cult classic.

[@themalteseninja8307]

This will literally be playing art, I’m a huge fan of Giger’s art, (watch his documentary!) this is such a gift from the developers. I can see their love went into this. (pun intended 😉)

[@badger297]

This & ACG are the only reviews I watch. Good stuff 👏 👍

[@joshuabenton3785]

This game seems to excel at bringing concept to life

[@asmodeusml]

Maybe mine is not a popular opinion but other than the art there is nothing in this game. Plot and gameplay are primitive and rudimentary. And even the art itself is not quite what they promised. Surprised that so little people speak about it. You see, Giger's works depict esthetic biomechanisms that are horrifying in their precision, deliberation and effectiveness. Like a peak of evolution in a given universe. But Scorn is different: everything is covered in blood, gore, intestines and secretions. It is like everything is made with sticks and axes rather than precise instruments. In that sense the game is closer to something like Alien (Giger worked on it yes, but the difference in concept is huge) or some works of Clive Barker. Telltale sign of the difference is that Scorn produces disgust far more often than dread. Returnal for example is much closer to Giger works than Scorn.

[@Juuso14_cr]

The game would have been great even without combat but the enemies themselves make up some of that story too. The game it self is really special and I need more these kind of games in my life because its so unique how you have to think about your own theories and stories that how everything happened and why Im here. Its like a amazingly good looking thinking simulator. 9/10 for me because I had to restart chapters 3 and 4 because I got a checkpoint twice with 0 heals and 1hp so I had to reatart and run pass every mob

[@GIGroundNPound]

Damnit Skill Up, seriously man, your content is just so damned high quality. It is really cool to have been one of your first subs and see where you are now man. So happy for your success because even a blind man could see you work your @$$ off to earn it. Hello from across the pond (Texas), and hope you and yours are well! PS - what did you think of the Darktide Beta?!

[@KarlRock]

Great review! Scorn looks right up my alley.

[@alekhyadas2566]

That's one fucked up alley then.

[@janis0zo]

Considering how many phallic objects are in this game it is for sure going up his alley

[@gymleaderfern]

@@janis0zo LMAOOO

[@jonathan9951]

Heyyyy Karl dude aap yaha pe ? 😁

[@smorior709]

I'm so proud that this game came from developers from my country and that people all over the world will enjoy it

[@ChaosPrototypeIX]

Ne zezaj da su nasi. Ladno nisam imao pojma, sramota xD

[@smorior709]

@@ChaosPrototypeIX Da, da brat EBB Software iz Beograda :)

[@samw2670]

Lol 5 hrs on a simple game.

[@ucpham9910]

more like cashgrab scam lol. 10 years for a demo concept not a video game. cool to look at but horrible to play except for the puzzle which is ok

[@itsaUSBline]

@@ucpham9910 go play cod or something

[@tony33oh]

Looking forward to checking this out tonight!

[@stalkingreaptor285]

@Skill Up FoV is hidden within the Camera Settings in the live version Settings --> Controls --> Camera Settings

[@tadeusticeghostal]

Got it downloaded and cannot friggin wait! Thank you Game Pass. Gonna put on headphones, turn off the lights and utterly lose myself in this game.

[@paulreckless]

You've reached a level of confort and trust for me that the first thing i do when one of your videos starts is to click the like button.

[@0mnigeek]

It turns out you can change FOV. It's just hidden under Control then Camera Settings for some silly reason. It makes playing in ultrawide much better.

[@DistantKingdom]

There's such incredible designs in the art book that I was left confused with how basic and uninspired the enemies ended up being

[@JRJH-cw4pz]

Got this all ready downloaded for when I finish work. Can’t wait. So happy to hear it’s good

[@beartackle]

I feel like I had this downloaded for more than a month already. Can't wait to get out of work and trying it out!

[@JRJH-cw4pz]

@@beartackle here to report I did not like it 😂 art aesthetic is great, gameplay is pretty bad

[@TonyTynebridge]

@@JRJH-cw4pz exactly how if felt

[@jeanbouchard5324]

Just a quick word to say I really enjoy your reviews. I always click and watch them even if the game isn’t my cup of tea because of your writing. Keep it up!

[@repeahlfors9951]

I'm happy to see this game got a strong recommendation from SkillUp. It makes me a bit more excited about it. I will surely respect and admire this game and it's makers. I believe I will be frustrated with this as well since I absolutely loath unforgiving checkpoint systems and I tend to get irritated if I'm directionless for too long. I think they made the right decision by making this relatively short. 6 hours of wandering and wondering with some frustration I'll endure but 10 hours would spoil the experience.

[@AtrociousNightmare]

I'm so happy and so impressed that they stuck to their vision and they delivered a unique experience. I was so afraid for this one and almost certain it was just gonna land badly. Hype.

[@em4703]

Man, what a game. I honestly didn't expect it to deliver the atmosphere and sound so perfectly.

[@kostasbousbouras2654]

Skill up's review is the most positive review I have seen yet for the game. Others are way less happy with the game.

[@TheRealityWatcher]

That's because people nowadays hate any game that comes out.

[@TonyTynebridge]

He was invited to do a preview of the game that's why

[@Agentcoolguy1]

Nice review as always, looking forward to giving this one a shot. By the way, does anyone know what Skill Up's outro song is called? Thing is a vibe and a half.

[@GameVaultGuides]

I found myself often just pausing to take in the sheer amount of detail in each location in this game. It also does some things so uniquely, like how your inventory is held if you look down at your character and how that also plays into the horror of the game, or the unique design behind the flesh and bone weapons you use. The art design is disgusting, and probably the best I've personally seen in a game to date. Never quite played something like this before and doubt I will again.

[@mdog86]

I'm definitely excited to check it out, but I wonder if it might be best to wait to see if they add in more checkpoints. That seems to be one the biggest/most annoying issues with it.

[@alenezi989a3]

There are check points, atleast up to were I've reached, if you complete a puzzle or get a key item the game autosaves I never had to do a puzzle twice, I've reached act 3 so I don't know what happens next.

[@ewjiml]

I feel like I just came out of the womb watching this….

[@8butsideways295]

I came 😏

[@greyfivenine7005]

​@@8butsideways295 I'm come 🤓

[@negative6442]

@@greyfivenine7005 I'm stuff

[@biancosmon]

I think playing a unique game like this is more enjoyable for journalists because they are required to review too many samey AAA products. I see an interesting game but one that definetily won't feel so special to someone that isn't force-fed 5 ubisoft games per year.

[@TheSealOfDeath]

This game reminded me a lot of machinarium. It had a wonderfully unique style and was fairly short but it was just so fun to explore and just take in everything. I bought scorn because I feel like I have an obligation to experience this world whether the gameplay is mind blowing or not.

[@henryglennon3864]

Machinarium has a soundtrack so beautiful, that at one point I founc myself pausing just to savor it.

[@ProtossEver]

Just tried it. I hated it. No contexte, no jump (in 2022 ?!?!) We cannot interact with almost anything. Thank god it is on game pass. Definitely not my type of game. I guess for the hard core player that love have 0 clues , I will be good but man, the mechanics of this game are VERY outdated.

[@adeoluy2k]

This game in VR would be wild

[@bobbyr]

I agree with this take on Scorn. I REALLY loved the world building and the most of the puzzles. The feeling of being on an alien world has never been this rich and believable. It is so alien and beautiful in how the organic machinery removes all sense of morality or empathy that we come to expect. The world is like one big organism and you are a part of it. Just like how we consume to survive so does this organism and it might look brutal to our eyes, but life is brutal. Procreation is a visceral and violent thing, but in our context it is mostly seen as a natural part of life. To me the best part of the game play is that there is only showing and no telling. The game only gives you visual clues as to how and what you can do. There could have been more work put into certain sections and the puzzle with the yellow lights was probably cool but the murky visuals really made it hard to understand and to react to. All and all I got a lot out of it and I wish there where more games like this. Rich with atmosphere and creativity.

[@voidmind]

I like that you now mention if games run on the Steam Deck

[@masker9885]

i played for about half an hour and i literally almost fell asleep, i found it to be incredibly boring but maybe ill give it another try. Not anytime soon but possibly in the future

[@SeymourClevage]

There's a thousand Scorn reviews but this is the only one I'm watching. skillup is where it's at.

[@benmccarroll117]

Can't get the discount code to work on that wallet, I've noticed you say the Matte Black, but the website says Royal Black, but the code doesn't seem to work for either

[@custardgannet4836]

That very first egg sack puzzle near had me tearing my hair out. I don't think I'll be getting through this game without a guide.

[@creamboyfuengshwei]

Hey Skill Up! Just a Tip: FOV is hidden in: Settings --> Controls --> Camera Settings

[@mr.b89]

This adds to the eldritch horror... What kind of inhuman being would put camera settings under controls??!! Lol

[@Aussie_Tom]

Glad to hear this is getting praise. As a fan of Giger I was excited for this game from day one, but I was also very worried this was going to go the way of Agony, and focus entirely on 'edgy' visuals while failing to provide anything of worth.

[@rcole134]

Ok, so I'm only 7 minutes into the review but I thought I would inform you that the game has the ability to change the FOV under camera setting. It doesn't however have DLSS on the release version? It does have AMD's FSR though so maybe you got confused?

[@itsaUSBline]

So one thing to note. In your review here, I notice you can only get off one poke with your poker weapon before needing to let it reload, but I just played through the game today, and I was definitely able to poke with it twice before it was out of juice and had to recharge. So perhaps that's a fix they added. Also I only died two or three times in the game, fairly early on, and all the times, I was set back only about 30 seconds by the checkpoints, so maybe I just got lucky there. In any case, I absolutely loved the game. My only criticism was that I sort of wish it were longer. I love the exploration and the art and presentation is *so* good. Not to mention all the fascinating thematic material in there. It was able to tell a story subtly through metaphor and visual motifs that's had me thinking about it all day after finishing it, coming up with different interpretations and just considering the whole of the experience. It is very much a singular kind of game that definitely won't be for everyone, and the combat wasn't great, but after you get more than just the poker, I feel like it's servicable, and really combat isn't the main focus of the experience so I can forgive it. The combat in Death Stranding wasn't great, either, but it really wasn't what the game was about. It seems like a lot of people went into Scorn expecting a shooter, and from that perspective, I can see why someone would feel like it was bad, but the presence of that kind of expectation is odd to me, because if you look at all the trailers, they were very careful not to say it was a shooter. The game was basically exactly what I was expecting from everything I saw about it. I'd really love to see more games like this, just exploration based puzzle adventure games that are like walking through an interactive art piece.

[@EonHSD]

FUCK YES SCORN DOESN'T SUCK!! I’ve had this on my radar and was afraid they’d miss the mark but man am I happy they nailed it.

[@shubhamwagh5171]

I would recommend you to keep your hype in check

[@astrea4020]

@@shubhamwagh5171 I mean the reviews are all over the place. 4’s to 7’s. It’s definitely up to personal preference. No one should be expecting anything beyond an atmospheric puzzle centric game

[@thetrashcanman7537]

@@shubhamwagh5171 I would recommend he be as hyped as he wants

[@creamboyfuengshwei]

@@astrea4020 same as death stranding

[@shubhamwagh5171]

@@thetrashcanman7537 No issues with that. Just ppl who are hyped expect too much from games & then get disappointed if the games do not live to that expectations

[@badacid7388]

Once again you have delivered a master class review. I know ShillUp is a bit of an inside joke, but you sir are no shill. 👏👏👏

[@shanilsam]

Great review! I enjoyed my first dive in. It's incredibly atmospheric and does very little to hold your hand. I really hope they fix the checkpointing system! Note: I don't think this game has DLSS though. It says FSR (presumably 2.x).

[@cody9058]

Really looking forward to this one. Perfect time of season for this release. Always love your reviews dude.

[@BucklingSwashes]

Definitely going to give it a try thanks to Game Pass. I don't know if it'll ultimately be "for me", but I can certainly appreciate the artistry that has gone into it.

[@BobaVett]

You have got to be one of the most concise, elaborate, and consistent reviewers I watch. Continue doing what you do man. I think I speak for most who tune into your channel when I say, you f’n rock.

[@powerbelly211]

Will this run well on the series s? I have one and a ps5. But my ps5 just gathers dust. If this doesn’t run well on series s I’m using it as an excuse to get a series x.

[@DoctorHades]

Scorn has DLSS support? My version on PC via GamePass doesn't have DLSS unless it has just been patched in?

[@zarakitube]

An art direction masterpiece

[@michaelscott6880]

It’s clear that skill up is committed to constant improvement and cares greatly for his reviews. Great work, it’s awesome to watch you evolve as a reviewer and content creator.

[@mickeymouse7726]

Are you going to review Midnight Suns when it comes out

[@sammyflinders]

Anyone get that Ridge link to work? I can't. And when manually tried to apply the code to the Matte Black Titanium it didn't accept it

[@lostinmarbles]

I can't emphasize enough how much I appreciate your reviews Ralph. Our opinions on many games seem to line up so often, even on controversial titles. Above all else, I hope you continue including segments in your reviews about the Steam Deck. The fraction of a percentage point of us interested in handheld PC gaming on Linux doesn't get much coverage in specific game reviews, likely because of how few of us there are, but bringing attention on platforms as big as yours makes a huge difference. Thanks for another great review!

[@TheChillDeadpool]

6 hours of gameplay isn't worth it unless it's $15

[@bjeremy5583]

The game looks like someone saw the cover of a Tool album, then deciding "We can make a horror game out of this." and the sound design has kept me on my toes for the 3 hours I've played but goddamn do guns and the quantity of enemies with cheap projectiles drag this game down greatly from me. It's become less about the environement and more about running in circles around enemy X because this stupid piston gun takes forever to charge and I'm out of ammo.

[@bendovahkiin8405]

🤣

[@ryanbentley8475]

You can count the amount of times I died on one hand.I'm guessing that the people dying alot are people who didn't want to do hit & run tactics with the Zeno gun(Wait around corner hit & run)because there isn't alot of ammo for the guns.

[@Inhale_Burrito]

So far the combat has been the worst in a video game I've played in years. If you can get over that and enjoy mostly running around the whole time in giant tunnel networks with no map than this might be for you.

[@Mayorofsexytown1303]

So happy for the devs that this seems like it turned out great. What a journey and vision!

[@TheMusic4Soul]

It got bad reviews.

[@custardgannet4836]

@@TheMusic4Soul in some places,high praise in others. So it's mixed all round.

[@Cenot4ph]

its a shit game, when you forget gameplay then everything else falls by the wayside.

[@Mayorofsexytown1303]

@@TheMusic4Soul Not by all and not by me. I played it and I think it is something the devs should be more than proud of. One of the most atmospheric games i have ever played. It will not be for everyone, that's for sure but it completely sucked me into its world.

[@TheKindredblades]

I just finished it and loved it. What I liked the most is that it really felt like I was lost in something trully from another world. And there were a couple times I thought I knew what was going to happen and they surprised me. I'm really glad I played it.

[@TrillCozby]

After seeing a million ads for Ridge, I finally decided to try and click the link and purchase one for the 30% off flash sale... and their site doesn't load. Used the link in description as well as manually searching and trying to go to the site lol. Guess It just wasn't meant to be.

[@hiawa23]

Really enjoying the visuals, atmosphere, sound of the game. It is just what I expected so far. Amazingly disturbing visuals at times and so far I like it.

[@ClipOnMullet]

This game in VR would be amazing

[@StefanConstantinDumitrache]

HELL YEAH!!!

[@tonepilot]

I’m taking my time and examing all the different bits and pieces of this game. It’s fascinating to find a piece of decayed and broken components on the floor only to look up and see where they fell from.

[@efcon8646]

I honestly found myself a few times getting pretty bored with the gameplay loop, and the ending I didn't enjoy all too much. However, the graphics and level of detail in scorn was pretty insane. There also was great sound quality, great animations for reloads, injuries, and using your items for puzzles. It was very polished, and I loved the artworks detail, but it was just a bit too slow, and kind of a bit repetitive at times.

[@robdagob0973]

Can we just appreciate this guy he write so Amy videos a week and they always are well written and amazing

[@YuriG03042]

Jesus christ, for a second you made me think that the writers of Scorn also wrote Amy (a terrible PS3 game that i despise)

[@robdagob0973]

Lol I meant many

[@Steely_Fran]

Who's Amy?

[@abhijeetpoudel5919]

I'm really glad that this is great its so refreshing to see this weird gorthy gunky originality being recognized

[@neighborofthedevil]

Very interesting of you to liken this game to Sable as I finally got round to playing it before it leaves gamepass, just s Scorn releases on gamepass on day 1. I'm really glad the devs seem to have been able to deliver on their vision and that lots of people will get to experience this game where a lot of potential players likely wouldn't pick it up at full price given the fact that it is fully aware it's not going to be for everyone. I likely won't play the whole thing, but I will certainly give it a go, you never know - it might even hook me in!

[@Blu_Moon_Owl]

The first 30 seconds perfectly summed up what a person’s first reaction to Scorn is