Conscript

A grim reminder of the senselessness of war and the best old-school survival horror game in ages.

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"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."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 666 reviews

gameplay44 positive mentions

grinding19 negative mentions

Conscript offers a unique survival horror experience set in WW1, effectively capturing the horrors of war without supernatural elements.
The game features excellent atmosphere, sound design, and pixel art, immersing players in a gritty and tense environment.
Gameplay mechanics, including resource management and inventory challenges, create a rewarding experience for fans of classic survival horror.

The game suffers from excessive backtracking, particularly in later chapters, which can become tedious and frustrating.
Combat mechanics can feel clunky and inconsistent, with issues related to hit detection and enemy AI behavior.
The presence of rats as a recurring enemy can be overly punishing, often leading to player frustration due to their speed and damage.

gameplay
158 mentions
28 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
6 % 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, some players criticize aspects such as backtracking, clunky combat mechanics, and certain game design choices that detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game's atmosphere and narrative are often highlighted as strong points, making it a memorable entry in the survival horror genre.
- “The moment-to-moment gameplay is fun, the sound design reminded me of Fear and Hunger, and a lot of character is crammed into the low-res art.”
- “Conscript delivered exactly what I wanted while always feeling fresh and new despite its many mechanical callbacks to older games.”
- “The gameplay loop feels unique and it's fun to explore and get deeper into the horror of war.”
- “This game was carried by its style, not its gameplay.”
- “I really wanted to like this, but it's a boring video game with horrible time-wasting mechanics implemented to increase playtime.”
- “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.”
story
110 mentions
38 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The game's story, while simple and centered around a soldier's quest to find his brother during World War I, is described as emotionally engaging and atmospheric, with effective environmental storytelling and multiple endings that enhance replayability. However, some players found the narrative pacing slow and criticized the repetitive backtracking and certain plot elements that felt disconnected or generic. Overall, the story resonates with themes of war's horrors and personal loss, making it a compelling experience despite its flaws.
- “The narrative is great: telling the story of the characters indirectly with notes and memories, and alternating the trench warfare with flashbacks from before the war.”
- “One of the most immersive and engaging single-player stories I have ever played, love the constant tension and uneasiness I felt while playing; I genuinely enjoyed every minute.”
- “The story is quite simple, yet meaningful and touching.”
- “The story was not a draw for me; it has you needing to rescue your brother, and you have these horrible flashbacks that are slow walking and have no dialogue, which didn’t work to get me invested.”
- “The story is extremely disappointing and generic. Do yourself a favor—don't buy this game. Go watch 'Saving Private Ryan' or 'Hacksaw Ridge' and you'll experience some of the greatest atmospheric World War films ever made, and also be done in an hour and a half. It'll be way more memorable than whatever this was trying to be.”
- “The story is incredibly lacking.”
atmosphere
106 mentions
60 % positive mentions
37 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its oppressive, tense, and immersive qualities, effectively capturing the grim realities of World War I without relying on supernatural elements. Reviewers highlight the exceptional sound design, art direction, and music that enhance the overall experience, creating a haunting and claustrophobic environment that keeps players engaged. Despite some gameplay criticisms, the atmosphere remains a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's emotional impact and sense of dread.
- “The atmosphere is excellent: it doesn't need any supernatural elements, because the Great War was very scary by itself.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “The atmosphere is unmatched, filthy, damp, dark, and dread-inducing.”
- “But I think the main thing that sets 'Conscript' apart is the crushing, suffocating atmosphere borne of its relentless dedication to depicting how desperately bad the conditions of WW1 were.”
graphics
61 mentions
30 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread praise for their unique and haunting pixel art style, effectively capturing the grim atmosphere of World War I. Many reviewers noted that the visuals contribute significantly to the game's immersive experience, with a retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic survival horror titles. While some players appreciated the artistic direction, others felt that the graphics alone could not compensate for gameplay issues, highlighting a divide in overall enjoyment.
- “Seriously, it's a great game, the graphics and style are amazing, and the immersion is very well achieved.”
- “The artwork is hauntingly beautiful.”
- “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.”
- “The dirty pixel graphics certainly evoke the setting, that is the horrors of the Great War.”
- “The sound design is haunting, the pixel art aesthetic leaves just enough to the imagination, and the combat, while a little rough around the edges, is completely serviceable.”
music
39 mentions
49 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its haunting and somber qualities that effectively complement the game's dark themes. While some players experienced minor bugs, the overall sound design, including the sparse yet impactful use of music during key moments, contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience. The soundtrack is described as beautiful and fitting, elevating the emotional weight of the narrative and gameplay.
- “The soundtrack, gameplay, story, sound design, visuals, etc. everything is screaming passion, and passion for the genre is what you get.”
- “The music is nice and at times relaxing but has this somber feel to it, and the use of the cutscenes is nice too!”
- “Great atmosphere, nice story, fantastic soundtrack.”
- “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.”
- “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, making it feel like your humanity and sanity are circling the drain.”
- “Only reached chapter 2 at the time of writing, but so far, the visuals of the battle-torn trenches create an unnerving atmosphere that keeps you on your guard, and the music contributes to the dark, oppressive ambiance, fitting wonderfully for a survival horror game.”
grinding
21 mentions
5 % positive mentions
5 % neutral mentions
90 % negative mentions
Players consistently criticize the grinding aspect of the game, highlighting excessive and tedious backtracking due to poor map design and a lack of shortcuts. This results in a frustrating experience, as players often find themselves retracing their steps multiple times, which detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game. While some patches have improved certain areas, many still feel that the grinding remains a significant issue that hampers replayability.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “A good game made tedious by excessive backtracking.”
- “Overly tedious, uncomfortable map design, extremely slow gameplay.”
- “The overall game map and level design, combined with the limited inventory and slow sprint, results in gameplay that has a lot of tedious backtracking.”
replayability
16 mentions
44 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
19 % negative mentions
The game is widely praised for its high replayability, featuring multiple endings, a New Game+ mode, and various challenges that encourage players to revisit it. While some players noted issues like linearity and monotonous gameplay, the overall consensus highlights the game's emotional story and unlockable content as strong incentives for repeated playthroughs. With secrets to discover and different difficulty levels, it offers a solid replay value that keeps players engaged.
- “The story is very emotional, and the several different endings (with somewhat cryptic conditions) provide much replayability.”
- “There's replay value too with unique challenges, different endings, and harder difficulties to go with some cool unlocks.”
- “Overall, there are 4 endings (excluding the a/b variation) and a new game plus mode, making this game highly replayable.”
- “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.”
- “Secrets to find and challenges offer solid replayability.”
emotional
11 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its deeply emotional narrative, effectively capturing the horrors and struggles of WWI through a meaningful story and artistic presentation. Players find the emotional hooks, such as the protagonist's quest to save his brother, to be impactful, despite some critiques about the lack of character depth. Overall, it is regarded as one of the most emotionally gripping experiences, comparable to larger titles like "The Last of Us" and "Red Dead Redemption 2."
- “The story is very interesting and emotional.”
- “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.”
- “On the narrative side, this is without a doubt one of the most emotionally gripping games I've played.”
stability
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
-40 % neutral mentions
80 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is marked by some minor glitches, such as character pathfinding issues and visual anomalies, particularly with fire effects. While these bugs can be frustrating, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience, and the game runs well on various platforms. Players express hope for future patches to address these issues.
- “The game runs smoothly on all platforms without any crashes.”
- “I haven't experienced any bugs or glitches during my playthrough.”
- “The performance is consistent, making for a seamless gaming experience.”
- “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.”
humor
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, featuring moments of levity through dialogue and absurd gameplay mechanics, such as a dodge roll in a serious horror setting. While some players find the interactions between characters and glitches amusing, others feel that the humor often clashes with the game's overall tone, making it feel overly "game-y." Only one of the four endings is noted as genuinely funny and fitting within the context of the game.
- “Yes, a supposedly serious horror game about World War I has a dodge roll, and it has a hilariously generous i-frame window.”
- “I also must add that only 1 of the 4 endings is great and feels accurate and even funny in a way.”
- “So if you aggro them in an area with German soldiers, they hilariously work as a team.”
optimization
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is generally strong, with good performance on platforms like the Steam Deck, though players may experience occasional stuttering and frame drops, particularly in later scenes. Some issues, such as a hard crash when repairing items with a full inventory and a window sizing glitch at launch, have been noted but are not widespread. Upgrading certain weapons can enhance performance, encouraging strategic resource management.
- “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, also this random issue where the game window didn't quite fill the screen properly when first loaded (resolved when going to a new room or loading a save).”
- “Performance: very good (played on Steam Deck; some stuttering here and there).”
- “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Despite the potential for upgrades, the optimization of the game makes it difficult to fully enjoy the enhancements.”
- “The lack of proper optimization results in long loading times and inconsistent performance across different hardware.”