The Art of... Scorn
As well as being one of the most divisive games of the year, Scorn is undoubtedly also among the most disturbing.
, operations
director at Ebb Software, opens up a fresh can of nightmare fuel
“
H.R.Giger and the Polish painter Beksiński were the reference points from the start of the project”
HOW DID THE IDEA FOR SCORN’S VISUAL DESIGN COME ABOUT? Scorn is a philosophical idea that found its expression in the medium of video games. It was very early on bound to the artistic style that could drive its essence in the proper way. The two - idea and visual design - couldn’t be discerned from one another from the very beginning. A nightmarish biomechanical world designed with strong attention to detail is the playground for the existentialist thought behind Scorn.
WHAT WERE YOUR VISUAL INFLUENCES AND REFERENCE POINTS?
H.R.Giger and the Polish painter Beksiński were the reference points from the start of the project. Their work addresses the topics that Scorn was targeting in the most peculiar way. Giger’s work focuses on the subject of alienation of human beings, their relationship with technology, and our mind and bodily processes that are accompanied by fear, loneliness, and despair.
WHAT OTHER PROJECTS HAVE YOU WORKED ON THAT INFORMED SCORN? Scorn is the first work in which I have explored these ideas.
WHO WERE THE ARTISTS ON THE PROJECT AND WHAT DID THEY BRING TO THE GAME? The biggest leap in the development of Scorn happened when I started working with Filip Acovi , a concept artist.
54 | MCV/DEVELOP December 2022
The level of understanding between us was the basis from which we managed to create the whole world with its inhabitants. Filip found his own style within months and brought the flesh and blood to the project’s visual expression.
WHAT WERE THE ART TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES USED DURING DEVELOPMENT? The game is developed in the Unreal Engine 4 with all the software that goes into a development process. The 3D modelling team used hand sculpting for almost everything you can see in the game. It is a time- consuming process but as a result, you have a world that is so easy to immerse yourself in despite its natural repulsiveness.
WERE THERE ANY UNEXPECTED DIFFICULTIES IN IMPLEMENTING THE LOOK AND FEEL OF THE GAME? Basically, the gameplay was the biggest challenge since we needed to move away from the piece of art and give the diegetic agency to the players. It was super hard to do that and not ruin the atmosphere and the feeling of being lost in a nightmare.
HOW DIFFERENT DOES THE RELEASED GAME LOOK FROM HOW IT WAS ENVISIONED? It differs a lot from the whole story that was created quite some time ago. Implementation of those ideas
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