Modern media has a responsibility to depict war in all its facets. Mistakes of the past forgotten are those repeated, and wars are the biggest learning lessons of all. Yet so often, war as depicted in media is sanitised through various lenses: we hear about camaraderie and brotherhood, and in the world of video games, war is a power fantasy. Players take up their arms, and fight each other in virtual trenches devoid of consequences. Conscript feels like a push against this trend – it’s a dense survival horror game that represents war as a monster.
Resident Evil and Silent Hill have been cited as inspirations for this game, and their links are both clear and astute. In Conscript, you are a lone French soldier battling through the trenches of WW1, searching through an ever-expanding maze for your lost brother. Uncovering various clues, you find a gut-wrenching narrative: your brother was drawn in by a narrative of victory, and a desire to keep you company. But on the frontlines, war is not the picture of propaganda.
As you travel through trenches, you’re confronted by a bombardment of terrors well-represented in the game’s murky pixel art style. Your pathway is often shrouded in darkness, and a moody soundtrack is frequently punctuated by distant bomb blasts and panicked shouting. You can’t always see ahead, and that adds to the sense of uncertainty that dogs your every step.
And in certain parts of the maze, you’ll suddenly find yourself facing down towering, faceless enemies not unlike those seen in a Resident Evil or Silent Hill. Conscript represents enemy soldiers as haunting, towering beasts, faces covered with gas masks. Some carry spiked clubs. Others are so covered with armour, you can only defeat them by running backwards and wildly shooting in panic. If you meet their axes, it’s all over – and your death certificate is signed, quite literally.
In its approach to enemies, Conscript well-adapts classic survival horror techniques, and draws parallels between the fantasy fears of Resident Evil, and the pure trauma facing down soldiers in real-world wars. Adhering to familiar systems, the game bridges a gap in understanding, and brings the emotion of war to the forefront.
It understands and teaches there is no main character in war, and no glory in a rising body count. You survive Conscript not by charging forward and making yourself known – but often by cowering in corners, running from your enemies, and swinging wildly with shovels or clubs. In depicting enemies like horror villains, the game imbues every battle with a sense of dread and hopelessness.
And when enemies crumple to the floor in a bloody pile, joining dozens of other bodies littering dark trenches, they look small and insignificant. In dialogue, a quiet comment reveals a rumination on these bodies: “an American volunteer…” Sometimes, searching a body will reveal a photo of a mother, a sister, a brother, or a family pet. Then, you’re left to look at these bodies, and realise exactly what you’ve done – and that each body represents a life, and loved ones.
That infusion of dread and guilt doesn’t let up as the path grows longer in Conscript. In fact, the game’s scope only adds to it. Your primary mission – find your brother, get help – seems to be a simple one, at first. You gather clues and items to solve environmental puzzles, defeat enemies, and make your way slowly through a maze of trenches. Enemy bombardment is constant, but driven by hope, you’ll roam on.
In each corner of the map, fresh hope is presented. You meet the occasional lieutenant who’s heard something or seen something of your brother, and your investigation continues. But then, you’ll meet brick walls: rats appear in trenches to slow your progress and bite at your ankles. Enemy soldiers knock you out and take you prisoner, dumping your body against a wall of corpses. After a lengthy battle on the frontlines, you collapse in a puddle of water, and you’re barely revived in time.
Each step has another beyond it – and soon, hours stretch. You solve one interlocking puzzle, and yet more puzzles await. In the space where your brother has been reported is another soldier, shaking their head. Conscript grinds you down as you travel – but a constant sense of emerging hope, not to mention layered puzzles and moreish exploration, keeps you trundling along ever-more-dangerous pathways.
And in this design, Conscript is an incredibly impactful tale of war. It forces you to trail after whispered hope, gathering strength not for glory, but out of sheer survival instinct. I didn’t feel happy after surviving major boss battles. I felt spent. Conscript tests your will and your mettle at every turn, and in doing so, it paints a grim and unforgettable picture of war, as it should be depicted.
It is not, as it’s so often represented, about glory and honour, or the strength of companionships. You are alone, and hopeless, and weak in war. At every turn, monsters await – but the game ensures that after combat is over, the mask is pulled off. You’re not facing monsters, but other soldiers. People with their own hopes and dreams, and families, forced into the war machine.
In sprawling trenches, you’ll face a growing dread, and experience viscerally the true horrors of war. There is no honour here. Just the cold, harsh truth of reality. In that regard, Conscript is a must-play experience. We must not look away from the face of war.
Five stars: ★★★★★
Conscript
Platform(s): PC
Developer: Catchweight Studio
Publisher: Team17
Release Date: 23 July 2024
A PC code for Conscript was provided and played on an Asus ROG Ally for the purposes of this review. GamesHub reviews are rated on a five-point scale.
