Analysis of Conscripts – Defection Prohibited

Life in the trenches was never easy, but in Conscript it goes even further and turns into a nightmare.

Verdun was an iconic war site that marked a turning point in World War I. We’ve seen dozens of games that capture the atmosphere of its streets to give us a unique epic. But there’s another side to the coin. This face where heroism gives way to survival. Where the flourishes of victory give way to corridors filled with death. Where clear goals give way to doubt and despair. Conscription speaks to the darkest part of war, where everyone brings out their inner demons. Will we be able to come out of it alive?

Even if you’re covered in mud

Jordan Mochi, Catweight Studio and Team 17 They are responsible for relaying these experiences to a pixel horror game full of personality. With a top-down view, we will have to Move between the bunkers and trenches until we can find our missing brother. while we face soldiers and beasts that invade our line of passage. Nothing will be easy, because while we look for our brother, we will have to solve other problems, look for alternative paths and resolve the dangerous situations that we will experience.

Every ball counts

It could be classified as a survival horror in many ways, but Conscript isn’t exactly that. It’s true that the puzzle solving, pixelated tone, and slow shooting system remind us of the first Resident Evil. And it would be like that in its entirety if it weren’t for the fact that We will rarely run out of bullets, and thanks to a ground-based dodge system that brings us closer to a similar to souls than anything else. Be careful, the tension in the atmosphere is palpable, and if we do not manage the inventory well we will face the enemy army. But nothing that makes us feel completely helpless.

He also has benefits for the player. Or as they say now, quality of life. We can save the game on specific Conscript sites, although we can enable autosave if we don’t want to complicate our lives. The aiming system has also been renewed. Forget the “tank mode” we suffered 20 years ago. Now We will fix the weapon in one direction, and the longer we fix that direction, the more accurate the aim will be. of our weapon. Now it is up to us to evaluate whether it is worth the risk and shoot almost without aiming, or whether we prefer to pull the trigger in a slower but more precise way.

Pockets are missing from the uniform

All of this fits very well into the game, although there are elements that, for me, hold back the overall experience a bit. For starters, The puzzles aren’t as good as they could be. Some are solved with keys or with objects found near the scene. The typical thing about using dynamite to unlock a path and its derivatives. There are many closed doors that we will have to open with the keys that we’re going to get from the trenches, and it’s a pain trying different keys in the locks. Especially with such a small inventory. And if, We can improve the size of our stocks, but until we do, we will have to suffer.

The Art of War

The scenery shines at a good level. Or rather, quite the opposite, since we will be in poorly lit corridors or dark bunkers where the only light will be that provided by our flashlight… and the reflection of the rats’ eyes. It’s cool to see the different structures that make up the trenches of Verdun, with its different locations for soldiers according to their specialty. Everything is also surrounded by death, informative notes, photographs and war posters that take us to these fateful destinations.

It’s not perfect and from my perspective I see many similarities between the fields, which even becomes confusing. Add to that the fact that enemy soldiers can cross the border and sneak into our base if the barbed wire is not secured, and wandering around the entire complex is not very advisable.

Conscript’s conclusion

Those who like classic tension games should try this game developed by Jordan Mochi, Catweight Studio and Team 17. In a top-down view, we will control a French soldier who will find himself involved in a real nightmare between the trenches, where the dead are hiding in every corner. Fortunately, we will have several firearms and melee weapons, which work with a very effective aiming system.

Too bad the puzzles and exploration between the buildings that make up Conscript are a bit heavier. Our brief inventory will make us return to our chest to redo the locations, and exploring to find the right door will not be highly recommended, due to the incessant arrival of enemy soldiers. If we manage to overcome these setbacks, we will live a story with graphics from the past but that work very well in the present day.