République is an episodic action-adventure stealth video game developed by Camouflaj and Logan Games and published by GungHo Online Entertainment. The game was originally released for iOS devices but has since expanded to Android, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, and multiple virtual reality platforms.
Overview
République is a single-player stealth game set in a fictional totalitarian state inspired by George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. The player assists the protagonist, Hope, in escaping from a facility called Metamorphosis by hacking into the nation's surveillance network and controlling various electronic devices.
Gameplay
Players communicate with the main character, Hope, through a phone interface. The player controls surveillance cameras to monitor Hope's actions and hacks into electronic devices using the "OMNI View" software. This system allows the player to lock and unlock doors, distract patrolling enemies (called Prizrak), and obtain information. The game focuses entirely on stealth; there is no combat, and Hope can only use non-lethal defensive items such as pepper spray, tasers, and sleep mines. The player must upgrade the OMNI software to access areas with higher security clearance.
Plot
The game takes place in an unnamed totalitarian state led by the "Overseer" Kenichiro Treglazov (voiced by Dwight Schultz). Within a facility called Metamorphosis, adolescent subjects known as "Pre-Cals" (short for Pre-Calibration) undergo mysterious experiments. Hope (voiced by Rena Strober), a Pre-Cal teenager, contacts the player through a phone and requests help escaping. She receives assistance from Cooper, an American Prizrak guard, and guidance from Daniel Markus Zager (voiced by David Hayter), a deceased journalist and revolutionary whose audio logs are discovered throughout the facility. Other characters include Mireille Prideaux (voiced by Jennifer Hale), the Pre-Cals' caretaker, and Quinn Derringer (voiced by Khary Payton), head of the Prizrak.
Episodes
The game consists of five episodes:
- Exordium (December 19, 2013 – iOS)
- Metamorphosis (May 2, 2014 – iOS)
- Ones and Zeroes (October 20, 2014 – iOS)
- God's Acre (December 17, 2015)
- Terminus (March 22, 2016)
Development
Ryan Payton, founder of Camouflaj, initiated the project with the goal of creating a substantial game for mobile platforms. On April 11, 2012, Camouflaj launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign seeking $500,000, which was successfully funded on May 11, 2012, raising a total of $555,662. The game was developed using the Unity engine. Payton cited Nineteen Eighty-Four, Metal Gear Solid, the first Resident Evil, and Demon's Souls as influences. The central themes are "voyeurism, paranoia, censorship, and control."
Release
République was originally released episodically on iOS beginning in December 2013. The PC and Mac versions (titled République: Remastered) were released on February 26, 2015. A PlayStation 4 version containing all five episodes was released on March 22, 2016. A VR version debuted on Oculus Go and later on Oculus Quest (July 2019), Steam (June 15, 2020), and other VR platforms. A Stadia version was released on September 15, 2020. The République: Anniversary Edition for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation VR was released on March 10, 2022.
Reception
According to review aggregator Metacritic, the early episodes (1–3) received "generally favorable" reviews, with scores ranging from 75 to 79 out of 100 on iOS. Later episodes (4–5) received "mixed or average" reviews, with scores of 63 and 69 out of 100 on PC respectively. The PlayStation 4 version of the full game holds a score of 72 out of 100. Critics praised the game's stealth mechanics, environmental storytelling, voice acting, and mystery, while noting issues with tension due to the inability to fail permanently, long load times, and some immersion-breaking elements.
Voice Cast
- Rena Strober as Hope
- Jennifer Hale as Mireille Azalie Prideaux
- David Hayter as Daniel Markus Zager
- Dwight Schultz as Kenichiro Treglazov
- Khary Payton as Quinn Derringer
- Matthew Mercer as Prizrak
- James Holloway as Cooper
