War. War never changes. Neither does horror, for the most part. Instinctively, humans are born with two phobias – a fear of falling and of loud noises – and quickly pick up fear of the dark as well. Psychologists state that fear of the dark develops from our evolutionary need to protect ourselves, with darkness representing to a child the unknown. Monsters and demons and boogeymen could potentially exist in darkness, and it frightens us.

But war… war never changes.

Conscript Review: The Horror of War

Title:  Conscript
Developer: Catchweight Studios
Publisher: Team 17
Players: 1
Genre: Survival Horror
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One [Reviewed], Nintendo Switch
Release Date: July 23, 2024

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Conscript, the debut game for Catchweight Studios, takes the tried-and-true tropes of survival horror, and pairs it with a setting unusual for both horror games and gaming in general, that of World War I. It’s unique, unsettling, and at times downright uncomfortable, making for a well-crafted gem that is simultaneously ingenious yet difficult to recommend.

Thrust Into Horror

Players control a French soldier named Andre, tasked with finding his brother Pierre, who disappears during the Battle of Verdun. To start, Catchweight Studios took extensive efforts to ensure historical accuracy during development. The Battle of Verdun, for those not up on their World War I history, was a fierce battle that took place near the town of Verdun-sur-Meuse in the northeastern portion of France for the majority of 1916 between French and German troops. Verdun was one of the bloodiest examples of trench warfare, a style of combat where troops essentially “dig in” to their position, forcing either a stalemate, or forcing one side to give up any advantage at the cost of advancing. The Battle of Verdun was long, demanding, and bloody, costing a total of approximately 750,000 lives between the two sides. Trenches were long, winding, and narrow; if an enemy managed to make their way inside, they would promptly become lost, designed to be disorienting to those who don’t know their way around, and exposing them to any occupying soldiers.

This is the environment Andre will find himself in: top-down, winding narrow trenches that people like Pierre may understand, having more time on the front line, but Andre does not. Players prone to getting lost or who rely on quest markers will quickly find themselves confused, as much of the landscape looks like every other, both in exterior and interior settings. Until a more complete one is found, the map is hand-scrawled, with minimal information, showing locked doors, the occasional landmark, and crude notes. It is not helpful.

In true survival horror fashion, Andre’s satchel has minimal capacity. Ten slots for everything from weapons, bullets, melee weapons, keys, first aid, everything. Make it work; there is no other option. Likewise, weapon conditions are an issue, especially with the stronger melee options. Item boxes are scattered throughout the trenches, but “convenient” is not a word I would utilize. That label would also not apply to either the journals in which players can save or the merchant that offers a pittance of items to trade for cigarettes, which as anyone who has been in an environment where currency is not available or pliable, quickly becomes a valued commodity.

And the game quickly teaches players that weapons are not always the best answer. Melee weapons are strong but slow as sin. Guns are faster but require constant reloading (it is World War I after all) and ammo is scarce, as trench warfare requires much more resources to defend a position than regular combat. Everything from medical supplies to gun parts has been utilized in the actual battle; hence, less readily available to players. And the combat system isn’t necessarily conducive to hip-firing, as most weapons require one button to aim and one to attack (LB and RB on Xbox systems). It’s time consuming and clunky, and when German soldiers are chasing after you, it’s unwieldy.

More Than Just a Jump Scare

After a chunk of playtime, I came up with a fairly ugly list: repetitive settings, confusing layouts, clunky combat. There have been plenty of games that have done survival horror right. Granted, minimal resources and not relying on guns is a fairly-common trope. But games like Resident Evil 7 have made repetitive, oppressive corridors navigable, featuring more notable landmarks and ways to orient yourself. Though some hallways wrap, given your druthers, you can make your way from the backyard to the living room to the garage to the dining room, etc. Why couldn’t Conscript do the same thing on an indie scale? And that’s when something critical struck me. Things that franchises like Resident Evil and The Evil Within do more smoothly are things that players of Conscript will struggle with……because that’s how it’s intended.

Humans do not instinctively know how to use weapons correctly or even well. Humans will get lost in confusing trenches. Humans will not instinctively know what to do because war is hell, and humans are the monsters. Conscript sets out to replicate the feeling of an average person thrust into war. And the fact of the matter is, no matter how warmongering or “macho” someone claims they are, no one can ever truly be prepared for bullets being fired at them or the experience of shelling on a battlefield.

The Weight of War

When the lens of the player is shifted from that of a game to that of an experience, Conscript soars. I will state here that I am not a veteran, and any serving person gets my utmost and eternal respect. Our troops are people that, separate from any politics or ideology, protect our nation, and as such gains my heartfelt thanks. With that being said, I do not know what it feels like to be shot at, to dodge shelling, or anything even nominally related to war. The closest I’ve probably ever been to war is the card game. And yet, Conscript, an indie game with SNES-esque graphics, did something to me that games like franchises like Battlefield and Call of Duty could only manage in their wettest of wet dreams – humanize war. And by focusing on the human condition, Conscript manages to do horror without a single shambling corpse, bloodsucking night creature, or fungal abomination, for as cliche as it has become, Conscript understands the horror is human against human, and the real monster is man.

Even with all that understood, and Conscript framed in context, it’s tough to recommend. The game deals with heavy subjects. The game wants you to be frazzled and struggling and frustrated. It’s essential to the experience – and Conscript is an experience. And as an experience, it’s exceptionally crafted. But it’s not appealing – and purposefully so. History buffs will love Conscript. Those who understand that video games as a medium for storytelling will love Conscript. Those who are looking for a traditional survivor horror game will not find it here, although they will find all the ingredients that would go into a terrifying Resident Evil, Silent Hill, or Evil Within salad. And those who are looking for a romanticized version of war should frankly look elsewhere.

Conscript Review: Last Word on Gaming Viewpoint

I like what Catchweight Studios and Team17 has created. But I wasn’t prepared for all the feels, because as an ordinary citizen, I don’t often think of the human impact of war.

Maybe I should have, because war… war never changes.

Conscript Review Verdict:

PROS: