Scorn is a staggeringly beautiful achievement in video game aesthetics and atmosphere hampered only by the expectations thrust on it by its context in the industry. If one views games as a checklist of content, this game is hugely flawed. The combat is really really frustrating and does detract from the experience, and the puzzles do err on the tedious side. But also, like, I don't care? This is a completely idiosyncratic vision being given attention something this weird and small normally isn't, it's one of the most perfectly achieved and coherently executed styles I can think of in recent memory. There's a million games where I can have fun shooting people, there's only one where every item is diegetically connected to the narrative and aesthetics of the world. Every moment playing Scorn is one basking in awe of the magnitude and scale of its creation. Feels even more powerful to play something this intimately pro choice in 2022