It has been said that we’ll never see a generational leap like the one we saw in the mid-‘90s, going from two-dimensional 16-bit games on cartridge formats to polygon-based games on CD-based systems. While that may be true, one leap often ignored is when we progressed from the PS3 and Xbox 360 to the PS4 and Xbox One. A whole new range of indie games became available, no longer bound to the demands of pushy publishers. This opened the doors for more mature and personal experiences. Now, games could be about anything. Gaming suddenly grew up.
Set during WWI, The Caribou Trail tells the story of a trio of soldiers. This isn’t an action-orientated military-based shooter, though. In fact, there’s a notable lack of shooting. Instead, it’s about simply surviving, which goes far beyond simply keeping your socks dry to avoid trench foot. To endure the muddy trenches of Gallipoli, Turkey, you’ll need to keep your morale up. This involves long chats by the campfire, creating makeshift musical instruments, writing letters to loved ones, trying to make hard-tack biscuits palatable, and perhaps having a chuckle at someone else’s expense. If you’re lucky, maybe a flask of rum will come into your possession.
There’s a slight educational slant to all of this, not just intended to expose the conditions WWI soldiers had to stomach, but also through personal items that can be collected and examined.
After arriving in the beach-located reserve camp and getting to know your fellow soldiers, along with your commanding officer, The Caribou Trail settles into a groove of carrying out duties before settling for the night with some thoroughly smashed hard-tack and a gripping yarn. These duties vary from a recon mission in No Man’s Land – in which a plane was recently shot down – to gathering ID tags from the dead during a ceasefire, during which there’s a spot of tension. All the while, you’ll get to know the backstories of two other soldiers, Gordo and Lon. The eldest is headstrong, while the youngest has barely entered adulthood, constantly seeking guidance.
Most conversations have multiple choices, and over the course of the story’s three-hour duration, you’ll get to make a few decisions too. The general tone is surprisingly upbeat; the soldiers are a friendly bunch, trying to make the best of a bad situation, some reflective moments aside. The voice acting is decent, with slang and dialect true to the era, and visually it uses a bold, chiselled aesthetic favouring muted colours. Equip your binoculars, and you’ll be able to see for miles off the coast or across No Man’s Land, with a few sights to observe.
As the story is spread over a few months, the trenches become bigger and more maze-like, with some objectives requiring thorough searching to complete. Luckily, you’re equipped with both a map and a compass to assist with navigation. There’s a mail tent to visit, along with a shooting range, plus the opportunity to find notes that’ll open more conversation topics.
For the most part, you’re simply here for the ride, going from one scene to the next. The emotional beats are well-timed and impactful, and there’s a running theme of the whole military campaign being a swizz, awaiting orders that never come. The developers did, however, think of a way to conclude this boots-on-the-ground experience in a meaningful way, with a long build-up to a daring plan hatched by one of your squad members. This must be put in motion through communication and planning, before witnessing how it pans out first-hand. It isn’t the biggest payoff in gaming history – this is no Mass Effect 2-style suicide mission – but it does round things off nicely. And while the three-hour playtime may be brief, the £9.79 price tag accommodates this. Seeing everything will likely call for a second playthrough.
It’s a cliché to say it, but this is very much an experience centred around the friends made along the way, rather than the destination. I’d also say that this wasn’t the experience I expected. Knowing that it was about survival and recklessness, I thought it would lean more into the horrors of war: mustard gas attacks, typhoid outbreaks, flesh-eating rats, throats silently slit during midnight raids, et al. Instead, it’s about friendship and humour; having somebody to lean on and help keep spirits high. While a bit more bite wouldn’t have gone amiss, this more jovial take on WWI makes for a memorable experience that subverts expectations. It’s further proof, if any more is needed, that gaming has evolved far beyond mindless violence.
Unreliable Narrators’ The Caribou Trail is out now on PS5 and PC. Published by Gambit Digital.