Highlights
- Scorn, formerly an Xbox console exclusive, has now been released on the PlayStation 5, just days before its one-year anniversary.
- Despite underwhelming reviews, Scorn has redeeming qualities, including an intriguing setting, clever puzzles, and impressive art direction inspired by H.R. Giger.
- The PS5 port of Scorn is priced similarly to the Xbox and PC versions, but it's unclear if it takes advantage of the console's 3D audio technology. It also faces competition from other horror games releasing around Halloween.
Former Xbox console exclusive Scorn is now available on the PlayStation 5. Its debut on Sony's latest console is just a few days shy of the first anniversary of Scorn's global release.
As far as Xbox console exclusives are concerned, Ebb Software's inaugural title didn't exactly set the world alight. That's not just due to the inherently niche appeal of grotesque body horror games, but also because Scorn debuted to underwhelming reviews. Many critics found faults in everything from its clunky combat and technical issues to the detached premise that didn't really allow players to empathize with the protagonist, who was decisively not human.
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After putting out several Scorn patches that fixed some of its bigger problems like progression-blocking bugs, Ebb Software finally ported its first-ever title to the PS5. The digital version of Scorn retails at $39.99 on the PlayStation Store, with that figure matching the game's pricing on the current-generation Xbox consoles and PC. The PS5 port was also treated to a physical release as part of a $49.99 Deluxe Edition. Aside from a copy of the game itself, this bundle also comes with a steelbook case, 192-page digital artbook, and a digital soundtrack.
While the price of a AA game may not seem like a tempting proposition given the title's mixed reviews, that's not to say that Scorn is without redeeming qualities. Even many of its fiercest critics praised the game's intriguing otherworldly setting, as well as some of its clever puzzles that managed to be challenging without ever crossing the line into frustration. Horror genre aficionados also applauded the game's art direction, which was largely inspired by the unsettling biomechanical designs of famous Swiss artist Hans Ruedi Giger.
Scorn's sorrowful soundtrack received similar compliments, although it doesn't appear that its PS5 port is optimized to take advantage of the console's Tempest 3D AudioTech in order to highlight that quality even further. Namely, titles that support this proprietary solution are usually advertised as such, but the PlayStation Store listing for Scorn makes no mention of 3D audio.
As was the case with the PC and Xbox Series X/S version of the game, its PS5 port arrived during the spookiest month of the year. And while that timing was likely not accidental, it also pits Scorn against some stiff horror competition in the run-up to the 2023 Halloween. Alan Wake 2 and World of Horror are both set to release before the end of the month, as is a massive Halloween update for Amnesia: The Bunker.
Scorn is available now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
