Scorn invites players to take a look at the grotesque. The horror game's uniquely biomechanical influences offer players a glimpse of a strange world where the line between flesh and machine is all but nonexistent.
Scorn is extremely graphic. Inspired by the work of artists Zdzisław Beksiński and H.R. Giger, the game doesn’t shy away from its disturbing imagery; instead, it leans into it. Players are encouraged to consider their in-game environment. It may be painful to look at, but it will often contain a vital piece of information.
Scorn unfolds over the course of five acts. Each confronts players with a new series of puzzles and challenges, which can be disturbing and oftentimes difficult to solve. This guide is here to help walk players through Act 3.
Review Previous Acts Here:
3-1: Opening the First Door
After completing the second act, players will find themselves in a series of flesh-lined tunnels. There will be three paths that they’ll be able to follow. Moving left, players will find a door that they won’t be able to unlock.
To open it, follow the path on the right, then take a left. This will lead the player to a machine that, once activated, will allow them to unlock the door. After walking back and opening the door, players will see a set of stairs. Go down, but be careful – this is where the act's first combat takes place.
3-2: Hostile Creature Encounters
At the base of the stairs, players will find themselves up against a hostile creature. Approach with caution. If it makes any sudden movements, fall back; this is a sign that it is about to attack. The creature can spit acid, and it’s best not to be within firing distance. Wait for the creature to fire, then get close to it and attack. Retreat before it can fire again, reload, and repeat the process. This might take some patience – the creature takes several headshots to defeat.
Once the creature has been defeated, players can access the control panel behind it. This will turn on a fan that lies ahead. A path will appear at the bottom of the fan. Go through it and activate the next control panel. This will clear a path through the next fan. It will also cause another creature to appear – players should attack it just as they did the last creature.
Stop to heal if necessary, then head back through the fans. Once they’ve reached the point where they encountered the first creature, players will want to head up the stairs. Another creature will block their path. Smaller and faster than the other creatures, it takes far fewer hits to defeat.
After this, players should head upstairs. Take the path to the right, follow it for a bit, and turn to the left. There will be a walkway here -- go to the right.
3-3: The Sphere Lift
Players will find themselves overlooking an array of machinery, including a sphere-shaped lift. There will be a control panel nearby; using it will activate the lift, which will move and open up. Players should climb in, and the lift will start to move again.
Once the lift has stopped, step outside. There will be another control panel – using it will drop the lift and reveal a new path. Follow the path, but be cautious. One of the acid-spitting creatures will emerge. Defeat it and keep moving. There will be another creature on a nearby platform, much bigger than those from before; ignore it.
Moving down, players will find a forking path. Make a note of where this is and take the path on the left. Players will find a path that goes over a sphere-shaped lift. Make another note and keep moving along the right.
3-4: Combat
Continue past the sphere-shaped lift until a clearing is in sight. Be cautious – there are a lot of acid-spitting creatures nearby. Move forward, clear the surrounding tunnels, and keep moving. One room will have a tentacle dangling from the wall. This also spits acid, and it’s best to avoid it as much as possible.
Moving quickly past the tentacle, players should head towards a sloping tunnel. There will be an acid-spitting creature inside. Defeat it and continue. There will be another elevated walkway. Find the nearby control panel and access it – this will bring the sphere-shaped lift up further. It will also cause a few acid-spitting creatures to spawn. Defeat the creatures. If it is necessary, heal.
There will be a tunnel towards the right. Follow it, and be careful to keep an eye out for any hostile creatures. Players will find a new machine at the end. It’s composed of three pillars. The leftmost pillar is usable. Accessing it will cause the sphere-shaped lift to be usable once more. Climb into it.
3-5: A New Weapon
The lift will take players to the other side of the building. It also triggers a cutscene. After checking if they need healing, players should head to the left. There will be a case in this room – open it. There’s a new gun inside. There is also a device on the other side of the room which will be the new gun’s source of ammunition.
Players don’t need to wait to try out their weapon, as leaving the room will cause three acid-spitting creatures to spawn. It’s best not to rush at creatures with this gun. Aiming it can be tricky, and it’s best done from a distance. Defeat the creatures, heal, and continue forward to find a tall, well-lit machine.
3-6: The Node Puzzles
Puzzle One:
Upon accessing the machine, players will find themselves faced with a node puzzle. Players will need to turn the different components of this puzzle so that each part of the machine lights up.
Follow these steps for one solution:
- Turn Node A five times.
- Turn Node C four times.
- Turn Node B three times.
- Turn Node A two times.
Puzzle Two:
Players will find a power charge next to the first completed puzzle. After retrieving this, they’ll be able to use it to power one of the malfunctioning pillars in the machine from earlier. Using it on the right-hand-side pillar will allow players to take an elevator to another floor.
Players will exit the elevator to find several acid-spitting creatures. After defeating them, players can continue along their path until they find another node puzzle. There will also be a healing station nearby, which players may want to use.
The second puzzle works the same way as the first, but it has two additional nodes. Players can follow these steps to solve it:
- Turn Node C five times.
- Turn Node A three times.
- Turn Node B four times.
- Turn Node A four times.
3-7: Gates and Elevators
After exiting the sphere-shaped lift, players will find themselves in another cutscene. It’s gruesome, but it ends fairly quickly. Afterward, go towards the right. Players will find a machine to replenish their spent ammunition. It’s a good idea to reload the gun before continuing.
Backtrack and continue forward until there are two paths. Go right. This path will take players through a tunnel, where they’ll face an acid-spitting creature. Defeat it and continue into a tunnel. Two more acid-spitting creatures will appear. After defeating these, players will find a machine and a gate. The machine opens the gate, and players can access it using the gun they acquired earlier.
Be careful while passing through the gate. There’s a new kind of hostile creature beyond it. An extremely fast and durable creature, it doesn’t spit acid, but it will rush at players who get within range. Using the environment is key to defeating this creature. Although players can face this creature head-on, they’ll likely have an easier time once they’ve led it into a different room.
Heading through the open gate, players will want to move forward until they see another gun-accessible machine. Activating this machine opens a new gate. It also closes another gate, which is placed conveniently next to the open one.
Go through the open gate. Follow the path to the second door on the right and go through it; it will let out into a room with an elevator. The elevator can be easy to overlook, but players can find it on the right side of the room.
Take the elevator up, exit, and walk to the left. Here, players will find another locked door. Walk back, go to the right, and walk until there’s a gun-accessible machine. Activating this machine will open a new path for the player to take. It also releases an acid-spitting creature.
Take the elevator down. Then, follow the new path. It leads players into a room with a strange creature and another gun-accessible machine. There will also be a gate with a power charge behind it. Access the machine, open the gate, and go through it.
Players will find a machine on the other side. Activating it will allow the player to access the locked door from earlier. After finding their way back and opening the door, players will find a healing station and a sphere-shaped lift.
Use the healing station and go to the lift. This will trigger a cutscene. Wait for it to pass, then enter the lift. After getting off, players will walk through a tunnel. Keep an eye out for acid-spitting tentacles and creatures, and avoid fighting them when possible.
Players will find a sphere-shaped lift. Follow the path to the left of it, but be very careful; a non-acid-spitting creature will start to attack the player. Fall back and use the gun to attack it. It’s important to keep some distance from it. When the creature gets too close, fall back and start attacking it again.
Once the creature’s been defeated, go back to where it first appeared. Following this path, players will encounter a sphere-shaped lift. After taking a left, they’ll eventually find an elevator. Take this elevator as far down as it will go, and the act will be completed.
Scorn is out now on PC and Xbox Series X/S; it will be available on PS5 in Fall 2023.