You don't need monsters, ghosts, or demons to make a horror game. While Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Dead Space lean into the supernatural and the otherworldly, Conscript, a terrifying new shooter directly inspired by the village battle in RE4, relies strictly on the brutality of war. I'm reminded of the opening level of Battlefield 1 - the absolute chaos, the Boschian frenzy of it all. Boasting a distinctive pixel aesthetic, a heartbreaking narrative, and a distinctive authorial voice, after years of waiting, Conscript is finally here.
It's 1916. You're a young French soldier serving on the front lines during the Battle of Verdun. Amid the bedlam, your brother has gone missing. Conscript's initial level is a petrifying scramble for survival, which solo developer Jordan Mochi models on the introductory ambush in Resident Evil 4's Pueblo. After that, it becomes a slower-paced, more traditional survival horror game, as you leave the trenches and scour the obliterated landscape in search of your sibling.
Inventory management, safeguarding of resources, and environmental puzzles round out Conscript's gameplay. Combat is hard won and ammunition is scarce. At the same time, between towns, villages, and neighboring dugouts, there's a big area to explore, and you need to be on guard at all times.
More than its mechanics, however, Conscript stands out for its style and conviction. This is an uncompromising vision of the nightmare of WW1, where historical fidelity suitably amplifies the dread and the doom.
After years in development, Conscript is finally on Steam today, Tuesday July 23. There's a free demo so you can try it before you buy it, but it's otherwise available now for $19.99 / £19.99. Distinctive and striking, if you want to try Conscript, you can get it right here.
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