Conscript Review: A Gruelling Dive into WW1 Survival Horror

Developer: Jordan Mochi, Catchweight Studio
Publisher: Team17
Release: July 23rd, 2024
On: Windows
From: Steam/GOG/Epic Games Store

Take me back to the soft blue light, Conscript. It’s safe there, in the save room. No body-armoured heavies with trench raiding clubs. No tunnels choked with sickly, mushy-pea green gas. No rats feasting on my ankles, occasionally inflicting a disease that halves my health bar. “Christ, they’re sending runners now?” the rifleman asks as I hoof south from Fort Souville after a gruelling trench defense whittles down my resources to a busted fightin’ spade and a handful of pistol bullets.

A Grim and Effective Setting

Set in 1916 during the Battle of Verdun, Conscript plunges you into the hellish trenches of WW1. The game’s grimy, disturbing setting and gruelling combat are both effective and poignant. The personal and occasionally playful touches to the survival horror genre add a unique flavor, while the sturdy and well-crafted gameplay keeps things compelling.

Survival Horror Mechanics

While Conscript borrows elements from classic survival horror, it introduces its own grim twists. Puzzles are straightforward, and persistent despair replaces overt scares, which enhances the pacing and atmosphere. The Spencer Mansion-esque interlocking environments are dense and expansive, making each excursion feel like navigating a rot and rat-shit speckled labyrinth.

Maps help, marking locked doors and puzzle locations, but disorientation and danger persist due to claustrophobic interiors and repopulating enemies. Combat encounters are unavoidable, and you’ll often find yourself grateful for any spare bullets you’ve kept. The combat mechanics, while not perfect, add to the tension. Melee and ranged attacks feel authentic and nerve-wracking, especially when you’re down to a fighting spade and a few bullets.

Combat and Resource Management

Fighting off patrols with a controller, you’ll find pistols weak but useful, and rifles powerful but slow. Melee combat requires precise timing, and inconsistencies in stagger mechanics can be frustrating. However, the dodge roll is a lifesaver if you’ve got the stamina.

The resource management loop, reminiscent of Resident Evil 4, adds a gratifying element to the game. Finding treasures (mostly cigarettes, but occasionally precious gems) and trading them for resources and weapon upgrades breaks up the bleakness and encourages exploration.

A Unique Take on WW1 Horror

Conscript’s setting offers unique hazards, from gas masks to dynamite, making unlocking new areas feel like the desperate actions of a resourceful soldier. The game’s turret sections and rat infestations add to the sense of relentless danger.

The underpinning map design, lock-and-key progression, and exploration flow keep the game engaging despite its bleak setting. The visual implementation, with jaundiced light and grim colors, is arresting and creative, even with a limited palette of blood, rot, and shell casings.

Emotional Depth and Atmosphere

Conscript manages to evoke emotion through terse, gallows-humor conversations and opportunities to help comrades. The search for your wounded brother is poignant, and flashbacks to moments away from the trenches offer a sense of relief. One chapter even takes you on a combat-less journey through devastated countryside, showing confidence in the game’s atmosphere to sustain itself without constant action.

Final Thoughts

Balancing a genre that relies on making you feel hopeless and threatened is tricky, but Conscript nails it. Resources initially seem plentiful, but the game quickly turns challenging, demanding careful management. If this sounds daunting, there are four difficulty settings, plus options for checkpoints and unlimited saves in safe rooms.

Conscript is a well-crafted survival horror experience, offering a gruelling yet compelling dive into WW1. Fill your boots, but check for rats first.