Taking place in WWI during the infamous Battle of Verdun, Conscript is a survival horror game like no other. Instead of battling hordes of the undead and bizarre creatures with pyramid-shaped heads, you spend the game fighting German soldiers armed with makeshift weapons likes shovels and bats, as well as various guns with limited ammunition. Despite a lack of the supernatural, Conscript is every bit as horrifying as any other game in the genre, and proof that reality can be just as harrowing as fiction when handled correctly.

Conscript is also proof that you don’t need ultra-realistic visuals to create something that’s oozing with atmosphere.

The top-down perspective and pixel art aesthetic may look like something you would have seen back in the PSOne era, but the environmental design and moody colour scheme creates a gloomy and rather depressing sense of place.

Special mention must also go to the sound design, which further enhances the feeling of dread. The gritty sound effects give the melee combat a real sense of weight, to the point where you’ll derive no pleasure from bludgeoning an enemy soldier to death. 

Compare that to games like Resident Evil, where there’s no better feeling than watching a zombie’s head explode in a shower of blood and gore.

The tension is further enhanced by the more conventional survival horror mechanics such as limited ammo, inventory management and sparse save points.

Whether a stroke of genius or a hugely fortunate slice of luck, the slow, almost clumsy combat further induces a sense of panic, especially when faced with more than one enemy.

You can use cigarettes as currency to make some useful upgrades, but never to the point where you feel overpowered. Indeed, you really need to think long and hard about every move you make.

Elsewhere, Conscript’s environmental puzzles successfully provide some variety, although this is arguably the game’s weakest element, despite making sense in the context of the WWI trenches.

Likewise, the map doesn’t provide too much help, which is unfortunate given the amount of backtracking.

While there’s not enough for Conscript to overtake my particular favourites like the original Resident Evil and Silent Hill 2, the unique setting and peerless atmosphere makes for an interesting experience that’s well worth checking out.

VERDICT: 4/5

Conscript is out now on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC.