Hidden away in World War I’s endless skirmishes and bombardments lies unimaginable terror. Developer Jordan Mochi invites us to witness these horrors firsthand in CONSCRIPT, a haunting survival game set amongst the ravaged battlefields of Verdun.
Released quietly in 2022 by solo Australian developer Catchweight Studios, CONSCRIPT pulls no punches in depicting the psychological and physical devastation inflicted upon soldiers trapped in trench warfare’s meatgrinder.
We step into the mud-caked boots of a weary French infantryman searching the barren no man’s land for his missing brother. The sounds of shells exploding and rifles popping drag us relentlessly back to 1916 as we pick through the tattered remnants of war, seeking clues to one family’s fate. Resourcefulness and stealth become our only companions in this hellish landscape, where death awaits around every scarred corner.
Through its committed setting and mechanics that emphasize survival over firepower, CONSCRIPT delivers a harrowing portrayal of life and combat on the Western Front, unlike any war game before it. In the nightmares of Verdun, new horrors emerge from ordinary men, and the line between allies and enemies brutally blurs.
Into The Maw
The year is 1916, and the Battle of Verdun rages on. As a young French soldier named André, you find yourself thrust into the maelstrom, searching trenches and bombed-out ruins for any sign of your brother Pierre, who went missing in the onslaught.
Verdun was one of the longest and most brutal battles of World War I, witnessed by some who would later describe it as “a match that burns in hell.” For 10 months, an average of 25,000 shells per day pummeled the landscape, reducing it to a bleak, blasted moonscape. Over 700,000 casualties were inflicted by artillery barrages and relentless warfare in the maze of trenches and bunkers.
André, the player, is drawn step by step into this living nightmare. Rather than abstract monsters, the true horrors here are all too human. Shell-shocked enemy soldiers stagger out of the smoke, bullets whip by with an eerie whistle, and the ground quakes from never-ending bombardment. Gas attacks periodically blanket areas, forcing soldiers to don leaking, vision-clouding masks. Lurking beneath the carnage are swarms of diseased rats growing fat on human remains.
Through it all, André pushes forward in a desperate bid to solve the mystery of his brother’s disappearance. Resource management and strategic combat are vital to withstand the claustrophobic agony of Verdun. By confronting the grim realities of war without fantastical elements, CONSCRIPT crafts a uniquely unsettling experience that will linger long after leaving the trenches.
The Horrors of War
There’s a raw tension that permeates every inch of the battlefield trenches in Conscript. As players navigate the treacherous outskirts of Verdun under ghostly gray skies, each step feels haunted. Resource management is a constant struggle, with supplies so scarce that every bullet must count.
Players assume control of a weary French soldier peering down from an ominous top-down view. The isometric perspective offers a perfect vantage point to glimpse the full scale of the horrors above and below. Traversing these trench networks feels like exploring dark alleyways, with danger lurking around every murky corner. Breaches must be patched and reinforced to stave off the waves of enemies spawned by neglect.
Combat is no thoughtless exchange of gunfire. Weapons hold only a handful of bullets, forcing stealthy choices between fight and flight. Melee weapons like shovels grow blunt with use, while reload animations unfold with gritty realism. Each shot demands precision focus on a narrowing crosshair. As bullets fade, players must scramble for cunning strategies with whatever objects come to hand.
Resourcefulness is rewarded by a merchant trading precious goods for cigarettes scavenged from the dead. However, inventory space is tight, and stockpiles vanish as quickly as they’re gained. Even upgrades feel bittersweet, extending life by seconds in an ordeal measured in heartbeats. The well-placed cover offers fleeting moments to catch breath in the claustrophobic tunnels.
Puzzles break the tension with logic challenges amid the chaos. Yet solutions always tie back to the horrors of war. Codes cracked may unlock escape or yield gruesome finds that deepen the tragedy. Throughout, an air of inescapable menace pervades, like toxic gas seeping into the trenches unnoticed until too late. In Conscript, survival means facing brutality with brains, as vulnerability and tension trump acts of valor.
Conscript’s Visuals and Soundscapes Immerse You in Horror
The pixel art visuals of Conscript give it an eerie atmosphere that draws you deep into the horror of war. Developed by a single creator, Catchweight Studio managed to craft haunting graphics that feel gritty and unsettling despite technological limitations. Every decrepit trench and ruined building oozes realism, bringing the grim realities of Verdun chillingly to life.
Within this unnerving pixelated world, pre-rendered cutscenes showcase the emotional impact of war through beautifully directed vignettes. Whether joyous moments shared between brothers or the devastating aftermath of bombardment, these full-motion sequences resonate long after viewing. Art direction ensures they flow seamlessly into the gameplay, immersing you further in the protagonist’s harrowing journey.
But it’s not just sights that surround you—it’s sounds too. Authentic ambient noise draws you into the muffled terrors above and below ground. Gunshots and explosions pierce an unsettling silence, their echoes lingering in cold tunnels as a foreboding reminder. Elsewhere, melancholy pianos and strings drift hauntingly on the wind, enhancing tension before and after encounters. Together, Conscript’s sound design and score plunge you into the hell of Verdun, where no refuge from psychological terror can be found.
Through its masterful use of a retro style and stirring audio components, Conscript demonstrates how innovation within limitations can facilitate truly unnerving gameplay experiences that effectively convey the personal horrors of real wartime violence.
Surviving the Trenches of Horror
The grim trenches of World War I provide the setting for many harrowing hours in Conscript. As a French soldier searching for his missing brother, you’ll venture through the claustrophobic battlefields of Verdun while battling not only enemy troops but also limited supplies and mental exhaustion.
Conscript offers multiple ways to experience this bleak journey. Beyond the main story, which already provides over half a dozen hours of survival terror, higher difficulty modes ramp up the threat. On the hardest difficulties, a single well-placed bullet or errant blast can mean the end of the line. Resource management becomes even more critical as ammunition, medical supplies, and repair parts grow scarcer.
For those seeking even greater challenges, New Game+ allows carrying over upgraded weapons and skills to a new playthrough. Now familiar locales like sparse bunkers and maze-like trenches harbor new secrets and surprises, with tougher variations of familiar foes blocking the way. Finding every nook and cranny to scrounge more supplies becomes essential to enduring later areas.
Replaying also enables discovering story content missed on the first pass. Hidden dialogues and notes flesh out the harrowing personal stories of other soldiers fighting and dying in the trenches. Opting for different choices reveals alternative endings, shedding new light on the ultimate fate of your character and his quest to locate his brother amongst the carnage.
Whether preferring a casual first dive or testing survival mastery on harder modes, Conscript ensures battlefield terrors will continue enthralling players through multiple tours of duty in the trenches. Its grim but compelling design guarantees fans will enlist again and again.
Life in the Trenches
Traversing the battle-torn trenches requires facing foes both seen and unseen. While German soldiers spring from decaying bunkers, more insidious challenges lurk underground. Rats gnaw the fallen, infecting any careless crusader with plague.
Gas creeps through crumbling corridors, sapping soldiers’ strength before they can scramble for salvation. Ammunition dwindles in these desperate depths, every bullet bargaining survival a few moments more.
Still, one flame flickers, guiding our fortunes—reuniting with a missing brother. His fate is unknown; clues hint at answers amid anarchy, if only we could cope with capricious coats. Maps provide perspective, yet passageways prove perplexing without precise pointers. Puzzles pause our pursuit, yet paying patients’ yields prizes. Merchants market much-needed medical materials and modernized munitions, though their monetary motivations maintain a necessary nuisance.
Despite demanding duress, development delivered distinction through diligent direction. Atmospheric audio immersed us instantaneously in soldiers’ suffering. Artful animation brought affliction to life, from festering fields to fearsome foes. Flaws proved few—faculties could be further fine-tuned, yet features felt fitting for fighting.
Our formidable foe could be bested, but his beguiling tale will linger long, a grimly gripping glimpse into humankind’s hell on earth. For those yearning for yesteryear’s horrors, Conscript’s craft carries us courageously into history’s nightmares.
WWI Trenches Deliver a Chilling New Survival Horror Experience
Conscript offers gamers something truly unique: a survival horror set against the grim backdrop of World War 1. While most games in the genre focus on supernatural creatures or futuristic science experiments gone wrong, Conscript understands that the true horrors of war need no such embellishments. By placing us in the trenches of the Battle of Verdun, it delivers a constant sense of dread unlike any other.
Managing sparse resources and evading cold-blooded enemies, we slowly piece together what happened to our missing brother. But make no mistake, survival is a struggle every step of the way. With limited weapons, ammo, and healing items, death is just one wrong turn away. Environmental puzzles break up the action and expand the detailed map, but there’s no safe haven—not even the supply cache is guaranteed to hold what we need.
Through it all, Conscript also works hard to convey the profound psychological impacts of trench warfare. Isolation, grim perseverance in the face of unending mortality—these truths of the war are felt in every handcrafted scene. Its pixel graphics may be retro, but the emotion shines through with a depth few other games achieve.
For those seeking a new kind of scare or hungry for a gripping historical tale, Conscript delivers. Its makers clearly poured their hearts into honoring the fallen through this impactful experience. Fans of classic survival horror or those curious about WW1 need only brave the trenches to find one of this year’s most memorable indies.
The Review
CONSCRIPT
Though not without its flaws, Conscript offers a harrowingly original take on survival horror with its setting in the trenches of WWI. Developer Jordan Mochi is clearly passionate about honoring the fallen and has crafted an unflinchingly grim tale that succeeds in chilling the player to their core. Its nostalgic trappings may not scare in a traditional sense, but conjuring the constant terror of warfare is scary enough. While the intricate map and inventory management can grow tiring, Conscript never loses sight of its goal to convey history's horrors. For its daring ambition and moving accomplishment of theme over mechanics, this indie title has more than earned cheering from fans old and new.
PROS
- Unique and compelling horror setting of WWI trenches
- It evokes the psychological horror and tragedy of war.
- Thoughtfully designed maps and environments
- Solid homage and implementation of survival horror mechanics
- Gripping narrative that keeps the player engaged
CONS
- It is not traditionally scary and lacks supernatural elements.
- Significant backtracking can become tedious.
- Minimal HUD can make objectives confusing.
- Enemy behaviors remain fairly simplistic.
- Inventory management is limited.
