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."
PC
Reviews
- Unique and immersive WW1 setting that effectively conveys the horrors of war.
- Solid survival horror mechanics reminiscent of classic Resident Evil games, including inventory management and resource scarcity.
- Atmospheric sound design and pixel art that enhance the overall experience.
- Excessive backtracking can make gameplay tedious, especially in later chapters.
- Combat can feel clunky and inconsistent, with issues in hit detection and enemy AI.
- Rats can be overly punishing, often leading to frustrating encounters and resource management challenges.
- gameplay148 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Conscript" is a blend of classic survival horror mechanics reminiscent of the Resident Evil series, featuring resource management, backtracking, and puzzle-solving within a WWI setting. While many players appreciate the atmospheric tension and engaging combat, some criticize the tedious backtracking and certain mechanics, such as the rat system, which can detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game is praised for its unique integration of old-school elements with a fresh narrative, though it has its share of gameplay flaws that may affect enjoyment.
“The gameplay itself is very enjoyable with a surprisingly large array of weaponry to utilize from melee to range.”
“Conscript charts new ground for the survival horror genre by taking tried and true survival horror mechanics like inventory management, backtracking, puzzle solving, and route planning and seamlessly transplanting them to the WW1 setting.”
“The gameplay and story for Conscript are absolutely incredible and I'm blown away by how well it plays.”
“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.”
“The gameplay, however, leaves a lot to be desired; the re-style aiming is fine, but the enemy variety is severely lacking, with the armored enemies being nothing more than bullet sponges.”
- story102 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story, set against the backdrop of World War I, is generally described as simple yet emotionally resonant, focusing on a soldier's quest to find his brother amidst the horrors of war. While some players appreciate the atmospheric and immersive storytelling, others criticize it for being generic or lacking depth, particularly in its execution and certain plot points. Overall, the narrative is seen as a compelling element that enhances the gameplay experience, despite some frustrations with pacing and backtracking.
“The story is quite simple, yet meaningful and touching.”
“This is honestly one of the most horrifying games I've ever played, the atmosphere is so immersive, the shooting is accurate to the weapons, the story is saddening; this game reminds you how depressing war really is.”
“The gameplay and story for Conscript are absolutely incredible, and I'm blown away by how well it plays.”
“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' 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.”
“I deleted the game with a clear conscience at the last chapter when I realized that, after hours of scrounging for puzzles in a small deserted town, there were another couple of hours of the same chores, even though the story seemingly geared up for the finale.”
“The story is incredibly lacking. 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.”
- atmosphere96 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its haunting and immersive depiction of World War I trench warfare, effectively conveying a sense of dread and futility through its art style, sound design, and music. Reviewers highlight the tension and psychological horror elements, noting that the atmosphere enhances the overall experience despite some gameplay issues like backtracking. Overall, the atmosphere is considered a standout feature, making it a compelling entry in the survival horror genre.
“The atmosphere is daunting with a sad and gruesome picture painted of what trench warfare during the Battle of Verdun may have looked like from both a bird's eye view and gaining insight from the protagonist as well as other scraps of letters, diaries, propaganda pieces, characters, and even the weapons themselves.”
“The atmosphere the game creates is haunting, and the survival horror genre is a perfect fit for the setting.”
“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 is daunting with a sad and gruesome picture painted of what trench warfare during the Battle of Verdun may have looked like from both a bird's eye view (that would be the player) but also gaining insight from the protagonist as well as other scraps of letters, diaries, propaganda pieces, characters, and even the weapons themselves.”
“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.”
“The atmosphere is unmatched, filthy, damp, dark, and dread-inducing.”
- graphics53 mentions
- 26 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique and charming pixel art style, effectively evoking the grim atmosphere of World War I. Reviewers appreciate the retro aesthetic reminiscent of classic survival horror titles, noting that the visuals contribute significantly to the game's oppressive ambiance and emotional impact. Overall, the art style is seen as a labor of love that enhances the narrative and gameplay experience, despite some criticisms regarding gameplay pacing and repetitiveness.
“The entire game excels at creating a truly brutal, dark, and suffocating atmosphere, not just through its grim and murky art style and visuals, but also through its approach to sound design and amazing music, which emphasize the brutality and chaos of the First World War.”
“I love that the game uses pixel, 32-bit graphics as its visual style, complemented by dark lighting and tones.”
“The graphics remind me of the game Sanitarium (pixel/3D), and that's a good thing for me personally.”
“The dirty pixel graphics certainly evoke the setting, that is the horrors of the Great War.”
“Personally, I do like the pixelated graphics, but I can see why people wouldn't too!”
“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.”
- music38 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its haunting and atmospheric qualities, effectively enhancing the overall experience and complementing the dark themes of the narrative. Reviewers note that while music is used sparingly, its strategic placement during key moments amplifies emotional impact, contributing to a sense of tension and immersion. The sound design, including ambient noises and voice acting, further enriches the game's grim atmosphere, making it a standout feature.
“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 uses of the cutscenes are nice too!”
“Great soundtrack, as well as ambient noises that heighten the tension and often leave you on edge.”
“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 to make 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 that is present.”
- grinding21 mentions
- 5 % positive mentions
- 5 % neutral mentions
- 90 % negative mentions
Players consistently criticize the grinding aspect of the game for its excessive and tedious backtracking, exacerbated by poor map design and limited inventory space. Many feel that the lack of shortcuts and the need to revisit areas detracts from the overall experience, making gameplay feel slow and frustrating. While some patches have improved certain areas, the fundamental issues with backtracking remain a significant complaint among users.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“A good game made tedious by excessive backtracking.”
“To make matters worse, certain parts of the game have 'world events' that change the map, making the backtracking even more tedious.”
“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.”
- replayability15 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The game offers strong replayability through features like a New Game+ mode, multiple endings, and a weapon upgrade system, encouraging players to explore different outcomes and challenges. While some players noted frustrations with linear gameplay and lack of variety, many still found the emotional story and unique challenges to enhance the overall replay value. Overall, it is regarded as a solid title with significant replay potential, particularly for fans of survival horror.
“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.”
- emotional9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotionally impactful storytelling, effectively capturing the horrors and futility of WWI through its art and presentation. Players find the narrative simple yet deeply meaningful, with multiple endings enhancing replayability. Despite minimal character development, the emotional hooks, such as poignant photographs, contribute to a gripping experience that rivals larger titles in emotional depth.
“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.”
“The story is quite simple, yet meaningful and touching.”
“On the narrative side, this is without a doubt one of the most emotionally gripping games I've played.”
- stability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Overall, players report experiencing several minor glitches, including issues with character movement and visual effects, particularly involving fire and collision detection. While these stability problems can be frustrating, they do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the game, which many still recommend.
“The game runs smoothly without any crashes or glitches.”
“I appreciate how stable the performance is, even during intense moments.”
“It consistently delivers a reliable experience, making it enjoyable to play.”
“I encountered some glitches, like the flamethrower enemies 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.”
- humor5 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, the overall comedic tone may feel out of place for a game tackling serious themes like World War I. Only one of the four endings is noted for being particularly funny and fitting.
“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.”
- optimization4 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 mechanics without constant lag.”
“The lack of proper optimization results in long loading times and a frustrating experience overall.”
