Much of the modern stealth game genre involves breaking into a secure facility. “République” takes the opposite approach.
The player must guide heroine Hope through Metamorphosis, a facility within a totalitarian state. Hope has violated the rules and is set to be reprogrammed unless she can escape the prisonlike environment.
Hope won’t be running and gunning her way past the Prizrak — the security force within Metamorphosis. Instead, she must stay hidden, minding the guards’ patrol routes and field of view as she makes her way from one end of the facility to another.
But she’s not alone. The player has access to the network of surveillance cameras within Metamorphosis, as well as an insider named Cooper who advises her on the next course of action. The cameras act as both the player’s viewpoint and a tool to scout ahead. With the push of a button, one can hop over to a nearby camera and see what’s coming.
The cameras also act as a means of opening secure doors. Some doors require a higher level of security clearance to unlock, leaving parts of the facility out of the player’s reach until upgraded at enough Daemon Servers.
Hope herself isn’t helpless. She can pick up defense items such as Tasers and pepper spray to disorient guards if cornered.
Originally crowdfunded by the Kickstarter community, “République” has since come out in episodic format for mobile platforms and, later, for PC and Mac. It’s latest remastered release has finally arrived on PlayStation 4 with all five episodes in one package.
That’s good news for impatient console gamers, who can sink at least 10 hours into the Orwellian setting. Dedicated players who wish to explore every bit of Metamorphosis and learn all there is to know about the world of “République” can squeeze hours more out of it.
The iOS roots of “République” mean much of the visuals aren’t up to par for the PS4. Character movements are more robotic and visuals are bland — apropos for the totalitarian setting.
Although the gameplay isn’t revolutionary, “République” leans on strong storytelling and excellent voice acting — including the voice of David Hayter (Solid Snake of “Metal Gear Solid”) as a deceased revolutionary. There’s more at play than just Hope’s plight, and her goals evolve in later episodes.
Gamers looking for a less blood-soaked stealth experience should enjoy what “République” has to offer.
Available now
“République,” published by GungHo Online Entertainment and developed by Camouflaj, is out now for PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Mac OS X. $24.99
