Republique: Remastered
Overview -
Another member of the Kickstarter brigade, 'République: Remastered,' is the love child of companies Camouflaj and Logan. It was funded nearly three years ago with a goal of half a million dollars, which is very ambitious (particularly for what was originally envisioned as a mobile title) and far higher than what game projects typically collect. The first episode was released in 2013 for iOS, and now all three available episodes have been collected and overhauled for the PC.
Video Review
The video of 'République: Remastered' is undoubtedly its most dramatic upgrade from the mobile version. While the Unity engine is not the most powerful on the market, Logan has used it to great effect with their remastering. The lighting in particular is greatly expanded, with deeper and more diverse shadowing. Color is enriched, especially in the OMNI time-freeze mode, and textures like skin, plants, and carpeting all look much better.
Audio Review
The game has a solid roster of voice actors, with the likes of Jennifer Hale (Commander Shepard from 'Mass Effect') and David Hayter (longtime actor for Solid and Naked Snakes). The score is at times operatic and depressing, and other times eerie and inquisitive. My only complaint is that there isn’t more of it.
Final Thoughts
I am generally not a fan of mobile games as they currently exist, fraught as they are with paywalls and repetitive gameplay. 'République' has established itself as not just an exception to that trend but a very strong and thought-provoking game in its own right, and is even better now on the PC with its facelift. It is bookish but not boring, influenced but not derivative. If you like games that make you think, not just with their puzzles but with their script, you probably won’t regret 'République.'
