The Caribou Trail

The Caribou Trail is a game that should be taught in schools. It teaches the facts of a battle that is too often not well known to most of us Canadians, solely because a group of us took part in it before they were Canadian. And it manages to tell this story in a way that is both happy and optimistic as well as fearful and sad.

The Caribou Trail from developers Unreliable Narrators and ManaVoid is an emotional and revealing experience about the horrors of World War I and what soldiers went through. It’s not for the weak of heart, nor is it for those looking for their next first-person shooter fix.

The Caribou Trail is a short but powerful tale of brotherhood in the trenches of World War I that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who plays it.

The Caribou Trail left me caring for an unknown war story. Fisher, Gordon and Lonnie’s human tale of small island men being cast into a global conflict is equal parts sombre and heartwarming. The title’s great voice acting and audio design immersed me into this short story deeply.

The Caribou Trail presents a strong, albeit short, story worth experiencing alongside some boring, tedious, and downright pointless mechanics. While I recommend it for the story, it is one of those games that leave me wishing it were just a movie or an interactive visual novel, rather than what can only be described as a walking simulator.

The Caribou Trail is great as a historical document, but a mediocre game overall.

At its core, The Caribou Trail does a pretty good job telling a less mentioned WW1 history story regarding the Gallipoli campaign and the hardship of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. Unfortunately though, developer Unreliable Narrators seems to have missed the mark with its action-driven marketing, reeling recruits in with images of trench warfare and eventually serving them a walking/soup stirring sim. The Caribou Trail shows flashes of greatness, but you might already have had your fill before you get to watch those unfold.