Conscript
- December 31, 2023
- Jordan Mochi
- 12h median play time
A grim reminder of the senselessness of war and the best old-school survival horror game in ages.
Get on Steam"CONSCRIPT is a single-player Horror Action game set during the Battle of Verdun in 1916, where you play as a French soldier searching for your missing brother. Experience classic survival horror gameplay with punishing mechanics, dense atmosphere, and various difficulty settings in a unique historical setting. With a fascinating plot, beautiful graphics, good soundtrack, and replayability through multiple endings, unlockable costumes, and bonus weapons, CONSCRIPT offers a challenging and immersive experience."
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Steam Deck
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Epic Games
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Conscript is a unique survival horror game set in WWI, effectively capturing the horrors of war without supernatural elements.
- The game features excellent atmosphere, sound design, and pixel art, creating a haunting and immersive experience.
- Gameplay includes strategic resource management, engaging puzzles, and a satisfying combat system that pays homage to classic survival horror titles.
- Excessive backtracking and tedious navigation can detract from the overall experience, especially in later chapters.
- Combat can feel clunky and inconsistent, with issues related to hit detection and enemy AI.
- The rat mechanic can be frustrating, as they are fast, deal significant damage, and require constant management to avoid penalties.
- gameplay307 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Conscript" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its classic survival horror mechanics reminiscent of the Resident Evil series, including resource management, puzzle-solving, and tense combat. However, players have noted issues such as linearity, frustrating hitboxes, tedious backtracking, and a lack of enemy variety, which detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game's atmosphere and narrative integration have been highlighted as strong points, making it a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre.
“I enjoyed this game very much; I thought the story was gripping and the gameplay kept me on my feet.”
“The gameplay and story for Conscript are absolutely incredible, and I'm blown away by how well it plays.”
“The gameplay loop feels unique, and it's fun to explore and get deeper into the horror of war.”
“Indeed, there is much about the gameplay to dislike: linear, frustrating hit boxes, monotonous backtracking and map looping, lack of weapon and enemy variety, low replayability, and so on.”
“The gameplay, however, leaves a lot to be desired; the aiming style is fine, but the enemy variety is severely lacking, with the armored enemies being nothing more than bullet sponges.”
“This kind of hurts me to leave a negative review because the game is genuinely really cool and I love this type of game, but the gameplay/combat has so many flaws that trying to play it on the harder difficulty is more annoying than hard.”
- story212 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story, while simple and sparse, effectively conveys the horrors of war through the protagonist's quest to save his brother amidst the chaos of World War I. Many players appreciate the emotional weight and historical authenticity, though some find the narrative lacking depth and complexity. Overall, the storytelling is described as engaging, with a mix of environmental storytelling and poignant moments, despite criticisms of repetitiveness and a straightforward plot.
“The developer has superseded mere gaming to create a masterful anti-war story.”
“The story is quite simple, yet meaningful and touching.”
“One of the most immersive and engaging single-player stories I have ever played, love the constant tension and uneasiness I constantly felt while playing, just genuinely enjoyed every minute I played.”
“The story is incredibly lacking.”
“The story is extremely disappointing and generic; do yourself a favor, as I've said at the start of this review - don't buy this game, go watch Saving Private Ryan/Hacksaw Ridge and you'll experience some of the greatest atmospheric World War films ever made.”
“You've seen these story beats before; a WW1 story where a young soldier descends into gradually more chaotic environments while searching for his brother and delivering messages through his trench.”
- atmosphere202 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 1 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, effectively capturing the grim realities of World War I without relying on supernatural elements. Reviewers highlight the combination of exceptional art direction, sound design, and music that contribute to a tense and oppressive experience, making it a standout in the survival horror genre. Overall, the game's atmosphere is described as both captivating and deeply unsettling, enhancing the emotional weight of its narrative.
“The atmosphere is incredible.”
“The world building and atmosphere are immaculate, the music is haunting, the sound effects and voice acting are amazing and add a lot to the combat and ambiance of the world, and the art is gritty and dark.”
“The atmosphere in this game is perfect and the creator of conscript has done a really good job of making it a claustrophobic and tense experience for the player.”
“Wonderful sense of atmosphere and desperation with slow, clunky combat, haunting music, desolate environments, and the brutal reality of trench warfare.”
“But I think the main thing that sets Conscripts apart is the crushing, suffocating atmosphere borne of its relentless dedication to depicting how desperately bad the conditions of WW1 were.”
“The atmosphere is unmatched, filthy, damp, dark, and dread-inducing.”
- graphics115 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful pixel art style and retro aesthetic, effectively capturing the grim atmosphere of World War I. Reviewers appreciate the haunting visuals and sound design, which enhance the emotional impact and thematic depth of the narrative. While some find the graphics compelling and immersive, others note that the gameplay can feel repetitive, overshadowing the visual strengths.
“A really interesting concept with a beautiful art style that has been a delight to experience.”
“The game's atmosphere, art style, sound design, and concept are all amazing across the board.”
“The visuals have a very polished but retro style, reminiscent of the original Fallout games.”
“What I see that could lead people away from this game is, if they aren't fans of the action survival horror genre, or the graphics.”
“I'm gonna try to keep playing but all it's got going for it is the graphics and atmosphere because the gameplay is just awful so far.”
“I'm pretty disappointed because everything else not mentioned (combat mechanics, art style, writing) all hit really well but they are littered with the annoyances listed above.”
- music77 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the sense of desperation and tension throughout the experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack's ability to evoke emotions ranging from mournful to suspenseful, perfectly complementing the grim visuals and themes of trench warfare. While some note that music is sparse at times, its strategic use during key moments significantly amplifies the overall impact of the game.
“The present is brown, bloody, and the music sets the tone with themes that range from mournful requiems for a wounded nation to suspenseful horror and descending shepherd tones to make it feel like your humanity and sanity are circling the drain.”
“The world building and atmosphere are immaculate, the music is haunting, the sound effects and voice acting are amazing and add a lot to the combat and ambiance of the world.”
“Great soundtrack too, matches the grim atmosphere perfectly.”
“The present is brown, bloody, and the music sets the tone with themes that range from mournful requiems for a wounded nation to suspenseful horror and descending shepherd tones to make it feel like your humanity and sanity are circling the drain, as you're forced to backtrack through familiar areas that become not only increasingly ravaged by artillery and fire, but filled with the corpses of allies and enemies alike.”
“There is little in the way of music; most of the time you will hear the sounds of distant warfare, but the sparse use of music makes it much more effective in key points in the game.”
“Music and story struggle a bit, but aren't much of a hindrance.”
- grinding42 mentions
- 2 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
Players frequently criticize the grinding aspect of the game, highlighting excessive and tedious backtracking due to limited inventory space and poor map design. While recent patches have improved some areas, many still find the need to retrace steps frustrating and time-consuming, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay. The lack of shortcuts and slow movement further exacerbate the grind, making it a significant point of contention among reviewers.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Would really like to replay the game and actually take notes of the contents of Pierre's journal to get the true ending, but given how tedious the game can get due to the ungodly time necessary for backtracking, I do not believe I would be replaying this any time soon.”
“A good game made tedious by excessive backtracking.”
“Overly tedious, uncomfortable map design, extremely slow gameplay.”
- replayability31 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The game exhibits a mixed reception regarding replayability; while some players appreciate its multiple endings, new game plus mode, and various challenges that enhance replay value, others criticize aspects like linearity and lack of variety that detract from the experience. Overall, many reviewers find it to have solid replayability, particularly for fans of survival horror, with opportunities for different playthroughs and unlocks.
“It's overall a solid indie title that takes inspiration from classic survival horror games, adds an underutilized backdrop (WW1), and gives a balanced play experience which possesses excellent replay value.”
“Overall, there are 4 endings (excluding the A/B variation) and a new game plus mode, making this game highly replayable.”
“Despite my small annoyances, this is one of the best survival horrors I've played with a good amount of replayability and a great atmosphere.”
“Indeed, there is much about the gameplay to dislike: linear, frustrating hit boxes, monotonous backtracking and map looping, lack of weapon and enemy variety, low replayability, and so on.”
“Creating longevity and replayability in the game with additional difficulty modes with extra challenge, with ranking at the end of the playthrough, where each subsequent playthrough would have less and less appreciation for the tender moments the game has to offer and is instead a problem to solve as fast and efficiently as possible.”
“The story of course is very emotional, and the several different endings (with somewhat cryptic conditions) provide much replayability.”
- emotional20 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotionally gripping narrative, effectively conveying the horrors and futility of WWI through its simple yet meaningful story and artistic presentation. While some players felt a lack of emotional connection to the protagonist due to limited backstory, others found the emotional hooks and themes resonant and impactful, comparing its depth to larger titles like "The Last of Us" and "Red Dead Redemption 2." Overall, the game offers a touching experience that keeps players engaged and evokes strong feelings throughout its campaign.
“On the narrative side, this is without a doubt one of the most emotionally gripping games I've played.”
“With its pixel graphics, lack of animated cutscenes, and a relatively lean ~10 hour gameplay-driven campaign, the developers have somehow managed to make this game every bit as emotionally hard-hitting as even massive projects like The Last of Us or Red Dead Redemption 2.”
“I am very interested in WWI history and felt that this game delivered a thorough, tasteful, and emotionally meaningful representation of the era: the horror, the futility, the small struggles that played out all throughout the battlefield and are long since lost to time.”
- stability10 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
The game exhibits several stability issues, including minor glitches such as characters getting stuck and visual anomalies with fire effects. While some players report frustrating collision detection problems and enemy behavior, many still find the game enjoyable and hope for future patches to address these concerns. Overall, the game runs well on various platforms, but stability remains a notable area for improvement.
“Also runs great on the Deck.”
“I encountered some glitches, like the flamethrower guys getting stuck in corners, the fire glitching visually when the flashlight is on and I aim at the fire.”
“They're faster than you, they're functionally invincible because the game is buggy with collision detection, and every time they hit you, you have to use a full medkit because of poison.”
“Although a few minor glitches (walking past a group of guards here and there) and only one annoyance with the huge rat group in the sewers under town, I have zero complaints.”
- humor10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mix of intentional comedic moments, such as witty dialogue and absurd gameplay mechanics, like a dodge roll in a serious horror setting. While some players find these elements amusing, others feel they detract from the overall tone, making the game feel overly "game-y." Notably, only one of the four endings is praised for effectively blending humor with the narrative.
“Yes, a supposedly serious horror game about World War I has a dodge roll, and it has a hilariously generous i-frame window.”
“So if you aggro them in an area with German soldiers, they hilariously work as a team.”
“I also must add that only one of the four endings is great and feels accurate and even funny in a way.”
- optimization8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally strong, with excellent performance reported, particularly on the Steam Deck, though some users experienced occasional stuttering and frame drops in later scenes. There are notable issues, such as a hard crash when repairing items with a full inventory and a minor glitch with the game window not filling the screen initially, which can be resolved by loading a save or entering a new room. Players are encouraged to manage their resources wisely, as gun upgrades are essential for enhancing performance.
“Guns can be upgraded for better performance, incentivizing players to ration rare gun parts for the boosts they really need.”
“Performance was largely excellent, aside from a hard crash when repairing an item when your inventory was full and some frame drops in the last few scenes. There was also a random issue where the game window didn't quite fill the screen properly when first loaded, which was resolved when going to a new room or loading a save.”
“Performance: very good (played on Steam Deck; some stuttering here and there).”
