Conscript: A Solo Developer Tribute to Survival Horror with a Unique Twist

Conscript Review

It's impressive what a single person can achieve in the gaming industry, an arena that typically requires a full team of developers with various specializations to create distinctive experiences. However, the rise of independent developers and the accessibility of development tools have given us many games crafted by just one developer—some of these have been truly remarkable, while others, though beautiful, were more limited. Today, we’re exploring one such experience: Conscript, a survival horror game created by Jordan Mochi, the sole developer behind Catchweight Studio. The game is set on the French front during World War I, where you play as André, a French soldier searching for his twin brother, who was injured and went missing after a raid that decimated his squad. The narrative is simple, focusing primarily on the bleak and terrifying atmosphere of war, particularly since you navigate most of the game alone. This atmosphere is expertly crafted, with the majority of the game taking place in narrow, dark trenches. What’s surprising, however, is that despite the game being classified as survival horror, it doesn’t heavily lean into traditional horror tropes, relying instead on its grim setting. Visually, the game features excellently rendered 3D pixel graphics, and the audio design complements the mood with a generally silent ambiance, where only the sounds of your footsteps, opening boxes, and combat can be heard. Overall, the game is cohesive in all aspects, delivering the intended experience effectively.

When it comes to gameplay, the influence of the original Resident Evil games is evident. Your inventory space is quite limited, requiring you to carefully balance carrying healing items and ammunition with leaving room for the tools you’ll need to collect or search for in order to progress. Ammunition is scarce, compelling you to plan and think strategically about which type of ammo or weapon to use against different enemies, and when it might be better to avoid combat altogether to conserve resources for critical moments.

Your character can run, but the stamina meter is limited, so you can't simply outrun every enemy you encounter. Additionally, you can roll to dodge attacks, but this also consumes stamina, so you need to manage it carefully during battles. When aiming at a target or preparing to strike with melee weapons, your character must stop moving. Aiming firearms accurately or gathering enough strength to deliver a powerful melee blow takes time, which heightens the tension and the need for careful planning, especially when facing multiple opponents.

The variety of enemies is well-designed, with different threats posed by each type and the weapons they use. One particularly annoying enemy type is the rats, which are attracted to the corpses of enemies a short time after they’ve been killed. These rats often appear in groups, are fast-moving, and repeated bites from them can cause illness, which depletes your health. Curing these illnesses requires more expensive treatment resources, so caution is necessary when dealing with them.

The game is divided into several chapters, each featuring a branching map where you’ll need to solve puzzles, search for clues, and read files to uncover secret codes or patterns needed to unlock certain doors. You’ll also need to backtrack to previous rooms that were inaccessible earlier to gather tools that help clear obstacles. This process is engaging, blending the need for critical thinking, exploration, planning, and combat. The game also presents some tough decisions related to resource management that have long-term benefits. For instance, you might choose to buy barbed wire to install in a room you’ll revisit later to keep enemy soldiers out, or throw grenades into a rat hole to prevent them from infesting an area.

In addition to offering a diverse experience, the game strongly encourages exploration and generously rewards players for their curiosity. Exploring can lead to discovering more powerful weapons, finding rooms stocked with a variety of valuable resources, or locating upgrade pieces that allow you to enhance your weapons with the help of a companion found in the save rooms. In these rooms, you can also save your progress and store any excess resources in a secure box.

However, the game does have a couple of notable drawbacks. The first issue is the inaccuracy of the aiming system, particularly when targeting distant enemies. Given the scarcity of resources, missing shots due to this inaccuracy can be frustrating and potentially fatal when facing tougher opponents. The second issue involves the rats, which can appear in groups of five to seven in a single room. Trying to eliminate all of them without getting sick is nearly impossible, and while there is a method to prevent the rats from appearing, it requires resources that are not plentiful enough to use this method consistently.

It took us around 12 hours to complete the game, as we made sure to explore thoroughly, gather resources, and search for secrets. For those who focus solely on the main objectives, the game can be completed in about 8 hours. The game also features multiple endings, which are determined by key decisions made during pivotal moments. This encourages players to replay the game multiple times to uncover all possible endings. Additionally, there is a New Game+ mode available for those who want to replay the experience without having to rediscover all the secrets.

Conscript is an excellent game created by a single developer, who managed to deliver an experience that pays homage to classic survival horror games while also introducing unique elements. Fans of these genres will likely appreciate the effort and creativity put into this game.

Gameplay