Mini Review: Conscript (Switch) -Themed Love Letter To Resident Evil, Minus The Scares

When you think of survival horror, chances are you think of zombies, monsters, ghosts, and other fantastical, supernatural creatures. Conscript tries something a bit different. Set during World War I, you’re faced with something more feasible and realistic than any of the aforementioned beasties: the horror of war. Yes, the enemies here are your fellow man; soldiers enlisted to fight in The Battle of Verdun, one of the most brutal and well-known conflicts of the ‘Great War’.

We must admit to fearing the worst after experiencing Conscript’s opening moments. The prologue throws you right into the heat of battle: gunfire rattles in the distance, explosions cut off passageways, and enemies rush at you in groups of two or three. For what is meant to be a top-down survival horror game, it all felt rather chaotic and antithetical to the slow, methodical gameplay and combat. Thankfully, things cool off a bit once you see the title screen and the main game kicks off.

However, something that might put off a few folks is that, in our opinion at least, Conscript isn’t the least bit scary. Like, at all. It certainly tries: the ambient music is creepy, the environments are dark and dirty, and soldiers can be spotted either writhing in agony or clutching their heads in utter despair. It’s all very atmospheric, but when your enemies are just humans stalking corridors, swinging their clubs about, or slowly aiming down the sights of a rifle, it’s tough to feel any sense of threat having faced untold, eldritch hellspawn for decades. Add to this the fact that you can frequently just sprint by them without their noticing your presence, and you can effectively wipe away the ‘horror’ from ‘survival horror’ with this one.

Despite this, the more we played, the more enamoured we became with everything else. Conscript feels like a love letter to classic Resident Evil in so many ways. You’ve got locked doors, intriguing puzzles, inventory management, cosy save rooms, and even a merchant setting up shop at various locations. Cigarettes act as a form of currency here, and you can also collect gun parts to upgrade your weaponry. There’s a comforting familiarity to it, and it makes us wonder what an actual Resident Evil game would be like were it to be set during the First World War. So while it’s not scary, it’s got everything else that folks who love classic survival horror yearn for.

In terms of presentation, the pixel-art visuals do a fine job of conveying small details and atmosphere; the character design in particular is exquisite, and we love seeing the bespoke reload animations and the subtle breath emanating from your mouth. Unfortunately, the load times are pretty lengthy as a result; it’s not so bad once you’re in the game and transitioning from one area to another, but the initial load from the main menu is a killer. It also stutters occasionally, and severely, when entering a new area. It’s only for a brief moment, but it’s long enough to make you wonder whether the game itself has crashed entirely.

A mixed bag, then, but certainly not unenjoyable.