The Upcoming 'Scorn' Looks Like a Nightmare World From the Mind of H.R. Giger

If you caught the latest showcase of third-party Xbox Series X games Microsoft recently put on in a special episode of Inside Xbox, you likely caught a glimpse of one of the creepiest, most skin-crawling games we've seen in some time: Scorn. It's the most grotesque of the upcoming crop of games for the new system by far, and the stuff of nightmares. And while we don't know a ton about it just yet, we already know it'll be high on horror gamers' lists for awesome new titles to check out soon. 

The game is heavily inspired by the works of artist H.R. Giger, best known for his work on the classic sci-fi movie series Alien, as well as Zdzisław Beksiński, whose disturbing works are just as unique. It was the most stomach-churning part of the Xbox presentation, and will no doubt be the cause of nightmares for many a gamer who decides to check out the game. But what is it, exactly? We've got the answers you're looking for if Scorn's caught your eye. 

Scorn is a first-person horror adventure game from Ebb Software, and it's been in development for over five years, beginning in 2014. It's designed around the idea of being thrown into a "dream-like world" with non-linear progression. Each location is designed with its own story, puzzles, and characters in mind, with the environment being a character itself. The story was inspired by writers like Franz Kafka and Jorge Luis, in addition to films from directors David Lynch and David Cronenberg. 

You'll play a strange, humanoid creature lost in a nightmare world teeming with strange-looking landscapes with some equally odd weapons to guide you. There's a pistol and a shotgun, and both are completely organic. Much of what you'll see in Scorn is organic, and that's kind of what makes it such a strange contender. You don't know what the world around you is made of, if it's alive, or what to expect from it. That alone is unsettling unto itself.

This is all done on purpose to give the player a sense that they're playing in an environment that's taken on a life all its own. And as you can see from the brief glimpses we've had so far, Scorn has already accomplished that. Unfortunately, despite revealing a promising trailer, there's no set release date for this odd iniquity just yet. It's coming to Xbox Series X (but not Xbox One), and even then the Xbox Series X isn't due out until later in 2020. There's still a long time before it's out. 

So if you're picking up what Scorn is putting down and can't wait to explore its creepy world in first-person and solve all kinds of weird puzzles along the way, you might be in for a considerable wait. That's okay, though – you've always got these screenshots to pore over.