Horror can take a wide range of forms, from epic ventures into deep space, to something much more humble like a haunted house with ghouls and zombies. While many say horror is often a niche genre and one that doesn’t have much reach in audience. I would say that the genre and its subgenres are among the most fascinating and thrive in immense creativity. But execute the most engaging horror experience is a tricky one, but many in the indie scene have done well in the last decade. A vast number of situations have been explored in horror, and now the very real horrors of WW1 have been realised in today’s review of Trenches.
Can Trenches be among the greats of indie horror? Read on to find out.
What isTrenches? 
Trenches is a WW1 horror-themed game, that puts you in the shoes of a lonesome wondering soldier as he explores the remains of an old system of trenches. What has brought him here? What is he hoping to find? The goal is simple, players must venture through the rain and mud-soaked trenches looking for “clues” or more accurately, baby dolls which emit a horrifying wail. In order to proceed through and escape this terrifying place, you must find and collect a group of these dolls, and avoid the horrors which lurk in the trenches. There are disturbing sights that appear to be reminders of a traumatic event for our lonesome soldier, along with strange beings that wish you great harm.
There are one means of fighting your way out of the trenches, and instead, you have to rely solely on your instincts, quick thinking and nerves of steel to obtain these haunting reminders of some awful event in your life.
One note to add was this was made entirely by one individual, and while this is more commonplace in the indie scene and especially for horror games, it’s an impressive feat for one person to have designed a game which has at times incredible horror vibes and presentation.
The horrors of WW1 presented in near excellence 
As mentioned above, horror has a wide variety of situations and subject matters. Yet often its the focus is either on Sci-Fi or Cosmic horror or simply set within a spooky house filled with flesh-eating crazies. But WW1 can indeed be quite a fascinating setup for a horror game, especially seeing modern-day records and accounts of what it was really like. In short, the trenches were ungodly and quite possibly one of the worse places you could be in.
The setting has been done for some horror films, and psychological dramas such as Johnny Got His Gun but never has it reigned supreme like the setup of space or haunted houses. Interestingly enough, there is another horror game soon to release set again in the trenches of WW1. But I can firmly say, while Trenches is not perfect, it is indeed an excellent case study and why more developers could or should use the thematic elements of the trenches as a basis for a horror game.
Trenches’ atmosphere and intensity are remarkable, with the sense of crippling isolation, claustrophobia and the unnerving sense of dread haunting me in every second of my playthrough. I was never relieved and always feared the worst with each step I took toward my goal. I love horror games, despite being a massive coward, but I can usually handle them well. Trenches got to me simply by its setting, that feeling of the unknown, the labyrinth nature of the game world, and just the sheer intensity.
There are quite a few spooks and scares, with most of them being handled very well. Even knowing something will happen never for the most part made it easier, and I was chilled to the core for a good handful of moments. There are those classic moments of a shadow in the distance moving out of view, to the much louder, “Youtuber” scream feast style of scares which are fine, if not a little goofy and overused overall. But Trenches is not a long game, it's quite a short venture but an incredibly scary one. So the scares are packed in and in all fairness, you can easily miss some of the set pieces, in the maze-like structure of the trenches.
So, yeah you have your goofy, loud screaming jump scares dotted around from time to time, and these can be somewhat irritating after some time. But the grim tone and overwhelming sense of negativity make Trenches phenomenally gripping and actually one of the most terrifying horror settings I’ve played in recent memory. So much so that it made my playthrough longer than expected as I kept hiding and just so hesitant on moving into a new, unknown area which soon enough I found to be haunted and have something to scare the s*** out of me. Plus there are some small touches which really add layers to the tension, including a blink visual, where the screen will go black for a split second, yet that second could reveal something truly monstrous.
The jump scares can be a little jarring, but considering enough of the developer, there is a no jumps care mode. So, you can bask in the rich and morbid atmosphere if that’s more your thing.
An endless trench, filled with fetch quests and loneliness 
While the feel of Trenches is spot on, the presentation is somewhat lacking in comparison. Now I understand that indie games for the most part will never look visually on par with the likes of The Callisto Protocol. And being made by one person, I can’t expect that or any AAA quality in texture work and so forth. But comparing my playthrough with that of the PC version released not too long ago, I felt the console version in terms of visuals was a massive step down.
Some of the things I noticed comparing the two, was that the PC version had a bump in textures, and actually used the fog more effectively, where you can make out the trees and no man’s land above the trench line (or possibly more sinister things, such as beasts and cosmic horrors). In the console version (and playing this on a Series S mind you), the fog is too overbearing and just masks everything above the trench line which is a shame. There is also a sort of spotlight in the distance, a nice little means of navigating the trench and point of reference. It looks great in the PC version, but in the console port, it’s awful. The light is so blinding and makes everything feels like a very low-end Unity project. I’m not sure why the console version is made to look worse, as the PC version of Trenches actually looks really nice considering it is a one-person-made indie game.
I personally felt as well that the gameplay, while having moments that gripped me, could have been much more dynamic and meaningful. The trenches in WW1 have so many elements that would fit a horror game, including the use of mustard gas and the mud pits which swallowed men whole are pure nightmare fuel ingredients. And these could have made for some interesting gameplay dynamics. But Trenches sticks to some neat core mechanics, but never expands upon them or adds in any compelling swifts in gears.
You venture through the trenches, find the clues and make your way out while evading the lurking horrors that are set to consume you. What is here is solid and enjoyable for a short game, and luckily Trenches is a game that doesn’t outstay its welcome. But there could have been a couple more dynamics to make things a little more interesting, especially on repeat playthroughs. But as it is, it’s hard to recommend repeat ventures, unless you want to find everything within the world and earn all those achievements.
I did like the mechanic of using your whistle to summon the cries of the dolls and thus locate them via that sound. With this also alerts enemies to your position. But you can easily miss any hostile presence in a single playthrough, and what we get is a simple fetch quest with great intensity, and some annoying loud jump scares.
Imagine if suddenly there was a mustard gas strike, and you needed to run, or find a gas mask to venture through the bright yellow clouds of death. Or being slowed down by mud or using the mud to slow down an enemy. As it stands, Trenches feels very much like a Unity project, but a high one at that.
Overall?Trenches has a lot of things going for it, and I admire much of its horror elements, its oppressive nature, and the setting is wildly unique and gripping. I found my time within the mud-soaked maze so unpleasant that it got too after a while, making it such an effective horror title for even a veteran gamer like me. While the main objective lacks any long-lasting appeal and the (at times) overuse of loud jump scares overshadows the brilliance of the atmosphere and sense of dread, Trenches shows a lot of potential for the single developer. It’s not a pricy title which will change the face of horror gaming, yet I like the fact someone took the subject of the trenches and made a horror title while not perfect, still highly effective and memorable.
++ Great atmosphere and absolutely terrifying
+ Brilliant setting and some neat mechanics
+ Some awesome scares, and immense tension
- Presentation compared to the PC version is a letdown
- Gameplay mechanics don’t evolve over the playtime
- Some annoying jump scares
An Xbox Series S/X review code of Trenches was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
