Contempt is awful, but it also has its downsides [RECENZJA]

There have been many looking forward to this day, and I am no exception. Scorn lays bare its true biomechanical face and does so in line with the guidelines contained in the works of Hans Rudolf Giger and Zdzisław Beksiński. The atmosphere of the hunt is so strongly emphasized that … well, that’s it.

The publishers tested the Scorn game on a ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 laptop with a Ryzen ™ 9 6900H processor and a GeForce RTX ™ 3080 Ti graphics card as part of a promotional collaboration with the ASUS Republic of Gamers brand.

Referring to the popular model known to meme connoisseurs, I would like to write it down first “there are two wolves in me“One of them was happy to hear that he was getting up a title that draws heavily from the work of Giger and Beksiński. No wonder, because only this “wilk” is a fan of this style. the latter wonderedor after crossing Contempt it will not come by chance flashback z Agony. After completing the game, I can say my relationship with the author’s work Reflow software assumes the state: “it’s complicated”.

First, a few words about what Contempt rather it is not. As we look at the pre-release materials, we may get a distorted picture of what this game aspires to. We will not experience dynamic action here; the pace of the game is lazy. The first dozen or so minutes can bring the player to the ground – a series of logical puzzles that we must justifiably overcome suggests that “you have to take it easy”. We will be these environmental puzzles accompany you to the end, so it is good to get used to them and be patient.

I admit it in my case patience was strained several times. The players are different and not everyone has the desire and the predisposition to play these blocks, so the creators should – as a compromise – deal with any hint system. They didn’t deal with it. It’s nice that the game makes us think (seriously!), But there is a fine line beyond which it appears pure frustration. Seeking to further unravel the mystery of species affiliation, Contempt it is undoubtedly a horror movie, only that it is survival-horror mouth full?

To answer the fundamental question posed above, I have to break down the structure of this world into prime factors. Creators don’t hide who they are inspired by. Hans Rudolf Giger he managed to develop his own unique style; his works testify to the fusion of organic matter with machines, embellished by sexuality. The very creation of a xenomorph, for which he is responsible Giger, has a strong erotic tinge and intensifies intimate fears. This unconventional artist has also collaborated with the music industry; all you have to do is take a look at the album cover “The Mega Therion” legendary team Celtic Frost (from Switzerland, of course), to find out who did it.

If we add to it the work of Beksiński, that is, surrealism and monumental constructions, built according to the best rules of increasing alienation and human integrity, then … we already know a lot about the world presented in Contempt. Creating levels, attention to detail, consistency, a coherent artistic vision – causes chills in the back and deserves recognition. The artists did an amazing job. Firecracker, 10 out of 10. Same goes for the question ascetic sound. And an important note: if you are a sensitive gamer, you need to be extremely careful when dealing with Contempt.

I appreciate art, and now I complain and maybe I behave inconsistently. Visual setting Contempt begins to tire over time. Alone. We are constantly bombarded with this style, there are not many occasions to rest here. Imagine watching a potential Alien movie, a the action takes place almost exclusively in the hivewhich, as you know, is made up of a specific and characteristic building material. You can get tired.

You can get tired, but you can also get lost. Levels inside Contempt they are not great, even if they appear to be. We owe it all specific structure of the cards, where the corridors fall within the radius of the circle defined by the main room. And so we go around, we go around, we get lost and “we turn in a circle”and the minutes pass. On the one hand, it’s a nice procedure why intensifies the feeling of being lost and confused. On the other hand – the original charm resulting from exploration turns into the aforementioned (once again) frustration.

In order for this frustration not to win, we need to take a close look at the environment, remember a few things and activate the gray cells responsible for orientation on the pitch. And again – beautiful the game makes you think about it, but there is no right balance here. As a moderately spiteful man, I should ask the creators if tens of minutes of mindless circulation is a sublime treatment aimed at increasing immersion and strengthening the player in the philosophical ecstasy of helplessness? If so, okay, there was no argument.

The aforementioned level exploration will be made more enjoyable by cute monsters. We establish diplomatic relations with these creatures through various weapons. Guns have a kick, but they also suffer from a certain ailment known from survival horror games: shortage of ammo. It is dosed and sometimes it is worth choosing a different solution to the conflict. We can fight in hand to hand and we can also escape, but the narrow corridors, which are many here, do not allow skilled maneuvers of the opponent. Ba, Contempt it also has mass of invisible wallswhat’s in the way. First of all: it interferes with the fight, because we can’t hide where there is a lot of space and, let’s say, gain a few seconds to reload your weapon.

Second, these invisible barriers they interfere with gameplay at all. On the one hand, creators require the player to rely on memory, spatial orientation, and on the other hand, they don’t let you get close to the edge to be able to judge where I am. I won’t even mention admiring some of the views. But let’s get back to the fight for a moment. Besides shooting and running, are there any other ways to get around your opponents? Contemptlike any survival horror, it has many mechanics such as distracting opponents or hiding. But seriously, my mischief comes up again, because these elements just aren’t here.

Coming to the end of this short game review, I would like to say so Contempt it is more interactive, surreal a story about … what about? There is no racial plot here, no dialogue, and more Contempt symbolizes (or tries to) a difficult path, a transformation or a struggle with oneself. This is how I perceive it. I think that this game will greatly divide the player community. Some of them will discover in it the characteristics of a philosophical journey and will judge it through such a prism. Others will focus on purely gaming issues. Perhaps this is the charm of this production: everyone will interpret it in their own way. Convenient for creators.

I also have the impression that the developers have “filled in” the entire message in a hasty way and not skilled in the ending. Contempt it can fascinate and, although it’s a horror movie, it does It didn’t scare me once, why this form of horror affects other notes (often hidden in our subconscious). However, this game managed to put me in a hypnotic trance, from which I was sometimes distracted by frustration and monotony. Reflow software however he chose the works of Giger and Beksiński as fuel it’s a little too little. I miss it here, let my imagination run wild and all kinds of “little things” that would make this title better.