Scorn guide: Weapons available and how to swap between them

Scorn is the latest game to attract public attention. This is partly due to its H.R. Giger-inspired world and sense of isolation, which is enhanced by a lack of handholding as players are left to their own devices from the get-go. The title has no menu pop-ups or dialog prompts to aid players.

There will be many head-scratching moments for players, including which weapons the unnamed protagonist can get their hands on and how to swap between them.

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Scorn features a handful of weapons for rare combat situations

While Scorn is primarily an atmospheric first-person puzzler, players will eventually encounter enemies. To fight them head on, players will acquire unique weapons, each with different properties and functions.

The following four weapons are available for use in Scorn. Note that due to the lack of any official in-game description or naming scheme, all of them will be referred to as their equivalents from other games:

• Melee gun: Basic starter weapon. Launches a melee-range prod with the force of a pump mechanism. Can hit twice before recharge.
• Pistol: Resembles a sawed-off shotgun but can hold up to six rounds at once. This one will be the gun that players will rely on the most.
• Shotgun: A big gun with a revolving barrel. It can hold and fire only three bullets, but they are pretty powerful. Use it scarcely.
• Grenade Launcher: The final weapon obtained a fair bit into the game. It shoots out pods that explode after a short delay. Does area-of-effect damage in a decent radius.

As with any shooter, switching between weapons is key to keeping foes at bay in Scorn. This is crucial, given how slow the protagonist can be compared to the relentless creepy critters. Thankfully, switching between weapons is easy.

Xbox console owners (or those playing with a controller) only need to press the Y button, while keyboard and mouse players can press the "I" (I for Inventory) button. Both of these options bring up the inventory from where players can select the weapon that is needed and equip it.

Players will be able to replenish ammo at dedicated refill stations, but the stock will not replenish. With this being the case, they will have to make each shot count.

The melee weapon, meanwhile, relies on an unseen stamina bar, and the grenade launcher uses special ammo drops from certain powerful enemies.

Only one major section of the game sees hefty action, but it's still good to be prepared for it when the time arrives.

For ease of use, players may assign weapons to either the D-pad on the controller or the number keys on the keyboard. Given that there are only four weapons in the game, each can be assigned to one directional button or number from 1-4. This is great for seamless switching in real time to keep up with the action.

Scorn is currently available on Xbox Series X|S and PC. It is also available on Xbox Game Pass for subscribers to check out.