Scorn Review (The Local Man)
I've Been waiting for this game for 5 years. It's VERY disappointing even though I tempered my expectations. Slight spoilers below. I really wanted to like this game, the last thing I wanted is for it to be what we got...
I expected this game to be like SOMA in the sense that it tackles themes of what technology does to us, trans humanism and existential horror. I had this expectation because of what things the lead developer said over the years. SOMA perfectly sets up scenarios and existential horror and delivers on it in a way that sticks with you, this game DOESN'T. The problem is that there's nothing of actual substance story wise here at all. It's like a lot of what was planned has been removed, leaving the game as an unsatisfying mess.
The good things: great world design, Art direction, attention to detail, sound design, good optimisation and animation quality.
Bad things....
The combat is the low point of this game (and tbf it was never the focus to begin with) and the atmosphere the early trailers had is gone. The game never was going to be a shooter and I didn't expect it to be. The problem is the fact that the story is way to vague and the game play isn't fun. So what's left? Go back and watch the 2017 gameplay and compare the music and atmosphere to what we got. I was willing to forgive these things, however the problems I list next ruined it for me.
I see many people coping saying this game is "up to interpretation" well, let me tell you what's NOT up for interpretation:
>The description says that this game has an open world of interconnected levels, it also claims that you will acquire skills along the way. NEITHER of these claims are true, there is no skill system in this game to speak of and the game is very linear. you go to an area, solve a puzzle then go to the next area. You can't approach which areas you tackle first. It's a straight line to the finish. I'll get into this more down below, but over HALF OF THE GAME IS MISSING. That is a fact as confirmed by the art book and statements by the developers about the planned content..
The game is WAY to short and the ending is AWFUL. 8 YEARS FOR A 5 HOUR GAME. The devs themselves said t would be 8-10 hours; as I said, half the game is missing and in the end the ideas that seem to be there are not fleshed out at all, leading to the experience just being a giant wtf fest. As far as I can tell, half the game was surgically removed (as evidenced by the art book) and there comes a point where you go from what was the supposed to be beginning of the game STRAIGHT TO THE END. The art book confirms that 2 entire areas were cut and so were some pretty substantial enemies and themes. The areas cut reinforced ideas the game was originally trying to get across, now that they're gone we're left with an incomplete world that only hints at things but doesn't confirm them or flesh them out.
The devs talked previously about endings based on your moral decisions throughout the story; they've dropped all of that (apart from that one guy at the start) and now you get the biggest fuck you ending I've ever seen in a game because you are FORCED to make morally bad decisions in order to progress. I doesn't leave a good taste in your mouth when you finally get the opportunity to find out what this civilisation discovered and then have it kept from you by this fucking parasite that the main character doesn't even try and kill the whole game.
Nothing is explained about this world whatsoever and the "environmental storytelling" is a joke. What we got in the end seems very shallow. They COULD have had set pieces that show you how and why things went wrong, they don't. The game sets up all these questions about how all these people died, the fact there's different types of people meant for different things, and what went wrong in this civilisation, the bio mechanical nature of their tech, What and where did this red weed come from or what it represents and then NEVER answers them. The story ultimately is about trying to get to a promised land and being denied due to your previous actions (seemingly), that's about it. We speculated for so long (shout out to Transhumanist Gamer) about what was going on in this world and what it means, but in the end it meant almost nothing. Saying that "It's supposed to be vague bro" doesn't cut it when what remains after the content removal is NOT enough to create a good understanding of the various themes and lore behind this world. Did I mention the ending SUCKS BALLS?
The reason I bring up SOMA is because that game also has a depressing, pointless story. What's different between that and this is SOMA shows and tells you about the world and what went wrong yet is able to leave you some existential angst after you stop playing. The characters and situations you find yourself in reinforce the games themes. This game decides to not tell you anything (which would be fine if done better), The problem is that what it shows you ISN'T ENOUGH to create a compelling world or story.
Again, The art book makes it way less vague and shows you that the ideas were there but got removed or were just poorly implemented in the end.
VERY fucking disappointing for those of us who followed and listened to the devs who made it out like this was going to be some thought provoking commentary on human existence through environmental storytelling and art. IT ISNT. Go and play SOMA or Observer for games that do delve into complex topics about technology and existentialism instead.
I would go as far to say that they should restart development and complete the missing content. We'll NEVER get another game like this and it's such a shame it's been so heavily neutered. EBB, don't let this project go to waste and bring back what you yourselves said the game was supposed to be!