The Caribou Trail PS5 Review

The Caribou Trail on PS5 is a slow, intimate WWI walking sim that thrives on character and atmosphere, even as its mechanics struggle to keep pace. It’s a short, emotionally charged experience built around the Newfoundland Regiment’s role in the Gallipoli campaign, a rarely explored corner of the First World War and it delivers a grounded, human story that’s far more about endurance, friendship, and fear than battlefield heroics.

The game’s strongest asset is its narrative focus. You play as Fisher, a young Newfoundlander recounting his experiences with fellow soldiers Lonnie and Gordon. Their camaraderie of teasing, storytelling, quiet moments around the fire, gives the game its emotional weight. The writing and voice acting bring these men to life with warmth, humour, and vulnerability, making their struggles feel personal rather than abstract.

The Gallipoli setting is handled with care: muddy trenches, makeshift camps, and bleak routines paint a picture of WWI that’s more about survival and monotony than action. The cultural specificity including accents, dialect, food, and folklore, adds authenticity and helps the game stand apart from typical war narratives.

This is firmly a walking simulator, and the gameplay is extremely light. Expect slow traversal, simple interactions, and routine tasks like digging trenches, retrieving dog tags, or preparing food. These actions support the story but rarely feel engaging on their own. Movement is notably sluggish, sometimes frustratingly so and the game’s pacing can feel glacial.

There’s no combat system, even during dangerous moments. Instead, the game uses basic prompts and environmental interactions to keep you grounded in trench life. It’s immersive, but it won’t satisfy players looking for mechanical depth.

The pseudo–cel-shaded art style is simple but actually ends up being pretty effective, favouring muted colours and a chiselled aesthetic that suits the bleak setting. It’s not always visually striking, and some critics note that the artistic direction doesn’t fully capture the grim reality of the conflict, but it does create a cohesive mood.

Despite the heavy subject matter, the tone often leans warm and human with soldiers joking, sharing stories, and trying to stay sane. This balance between horror and humour is where the game hits hardest.

You’re looking at 3–5 hours depending on how thoroughly you explore and whether you chase trophies. It’s short, but intentionally so and more like a compact historical novella than a traditional game.

Pros

• Authentic, human WWI storytelling with a rare focus on the Newfoundland Regiment.

• Strong character work — Fisher, Lonnie, and Gordon feel lived‑in, warm, and believable.

• Atmospheric art direction that supports the bleak, grounded tone.

• Evocative sound and voice acting that sells the camaraderie and emotional beats.

• Compact, focused runtime that feels like a historical novella rather than a bloated war game.

• Cultural specificity (dialect, folklore, humour) gives it a unique identity in the genre.

Cons

• Extremely slow movement and pacing — even by walking‑sim standards.

• Minimal gameplay variety; tasks often feel repetitive or perfunctory.

• Some visual elements lack punch, making certain scenes feel flatter than intended.

• No real mechanical escalation, even during tense or dangerous moments.

• Short length may feel slight for players expecting a more traditional campaign.

The Caribou Trail is a heartfelt, culturally rich WWI story that succeeds as a character drama but falters as a game.   If you enjoy narrative-led experiences like Valiant Hearts or 11-11 Memories Retold, you’ll likely appreciate its emotional depth and historical focus. If you need mechanical complexity or brisk pacing, this will feel too slow and too slight.

XPN Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (SILVER)

The Caribou Trail is available now!