Conscript Review – Sometimes surviving is the real horror

thesixthaxis.com:

Survival Horror is going through a big resurgence at the moment (even if it never really went away) with genre titans Resident Evil and Silent Hill being joined by originators like Alone in the Dark and indie breakouts such as Crow Country. Amongst this assortment of monstrous experiences, Conscript stands out with its setting and visuals. Largely the work of a solo developer, Jordan Mochi, the end result is a traumatic and challenging game that takes the tried and tested tropes of the genre and mixes them with a truly horrific tone and feel.

While not unique in its wartime setting – relatively recently both Ad Infinitum and Amnesia: The Bunker featured a similar backdrop – Conscript really comes into its own by focusing on the real horrors and traumas of The Great War (a name that becomes more ironic as time marches on). Supernatural elements are largely kept to the background here and instead the most horrific aspects are the violence and inhuman acts carried out by soldiers following orders. Your fragility and fears go a long way to replace the usual zombies and monsters that characterise the genre.

Set during the Battle of Verdun, you play as a French soldier who is trying to find his missing brother and make it through the conflict alive. In between chapters you play through short quiet flashbacks that help to familiarise you with your character and their background whilst also serving to offer a dynamic contrast with the dark and claustrophobic nature of the rest of the game. While this highly personal story runs the risk of romanticising or sentimentalising a savage and lethal part of history, the opposite is the case. This story places you within the conflict and gives you the opportunity to empathise with those put in an impossible position.

Conscript’s art direction is very distinctive. Using a top-down camera and employing a PS1 era level of fidelity gives the game a grimy look that is perfectly suited to the trenches and bunkers you’ll be traversing. The