Can you escape the trenches?
Welcome to the Trenches, 1917. A World War 1 first person horror survival game where you, caught behind enemy lines – have to survive and escape the harsh war-torn environment and experience World War l like never before from the eyes of James R. in this surreal nightmare, as you fight for your life and for your sanity. Explore the real chilling story as you navigate the horrors equipped with only your senses, hearing and trench whistle. Find clues to better understand and escape the enemy trenches without being caught to return to your family.
Trenches literally puts you in the trenches of World War 1 and you are not only dealing with the war going on around you, but also you are being followed by horrific enemies that you need to hide as well as holding your breath and crouching to avoid making too much noise. You can play the game with jump scares disabled but it doesn’t get rid of them entirely so don’t expect too much of an easy ride if you decide to chicken out this way.
The game has you navigating through the maze-like trenches gathering items that help you progress to the next area or to fend off foes, while you constantly feel like you are being watched and thanks to the foggy nature of the environment and the flashlights that can sometimes get right in your face, you can’t help expecting something to leap out at you constantly. I felt paranoid a lot of the time and rightly so in some cases, I haven’t felt that sense of dread since the likes of Alien Isolation.
That’s not to say it’s quite in the same league though. The game is on the short side and you can whizz through it in about an hour or so, maybe less if you follow a guide which put the Platinum down to roughly 15-20 minutes. The game is limited by its setting but the tension is still impressive and it’s relatively cheap at £8 for both the PS5 and PS4 versions respectively.
The visuals are a bit of a mixed bag with a few rough textures here and there, but the lighting effects and the atmosphere it creates is impressive overall. The framerate was mostly consistent and I didn’t come across any really noticeable glitches.
The Verdict
Trenches is a short but sweet, yet terrifying horror game that is definitely memorable for it’s paranoia-inducing environment. It may not win any awards for originality but it’s definitely worth a tour of the trenches for a brief spell.