But will David Hayter be replaced by Kiefer?

Republique was a nice little indie stealth romp, created by several of the folks who worked on the Metal Gear Solid franchise. It had its share of highs and lows (an especially low point was its insane wait between epis?odes), but if you can get the complete edition on the cheap, it's worth a spin over a rainy weekend.

Its journey isn't over yet, either, as the Kickstarter page (created in 2013) is still trucking, and as of this week, asked fans if they would want a potential Switch port. According to folks who have seen the backer-only post, it isn't a promise of any kind, but more of a way to gauge interest. If? anything was added to it, I'd probably check it out -- but as it stands, the more third-party games on the Switch, the merrier.

December 2016 Update [Kickstarter via Reddit]

The post Switch port being considered for Republique appeared first on Destructoid.

Wow, what a wait!

How's this for episodic content?

Republique first launched in December of 2013 on iOS, and it's still not fully complete yet. Episode 2 launched five months later, with the third part coming five months after that, and Episode 4 coming over a year after that.

Now, we know that Episode 5 will inherently be arriving this March, when the "complete" PS4 version is out on March 22. The PS4 port will feature "full control" of Hope (rather than an indirect method as in the past), with a new cover system, new costumes, and touchpad hacking. I actually enjoyed ??the first few episodes of this well enough, but the wait killed any momentum it had. Now we can all enjoy the full story together.

The post After over two years since launch, Republiqu?e will finally be complete this March appeared first on Destructoid.

Physical disc rounds out best package

Republique, a stealth game proud of its Metal Gear Solid 4 lineage, was Kickstarted in 2012. It hit iOS in 2013, and then proceeded at a pace of one port per year (2014, Android; 2015, PC) en route to three of five episodes having been release. Well, episodes four and five are coming soon, including to the latest port in the storm (2016, PS4), where Republique can launch as a full, complete game that?? peo?ple didn't lose interest in a year or two ago.

And while the PC/Mac remaster in Unity 5 from earlier this year does look better than the original mobile incarnations, the upcoming PlayStation 4 version is the most updated yet. Originally designed for phones, Republique?'s stealth was previous??ly tap-and-click as you navigate Hope through her Orwellian surroundings as you jump from camera to camera to offer recon (you're a life-and-death version of Siri, basically).

With the PS4 version, however, developer Camouflaj has mapped Hope to an analog stick and added a new cover system, which provides a stronger sense of immediacy versus the touch/click auto-stealth. It also makes it feel like a throwback to the PS1's use of weird, fixed angles and camera transitions (like Resident Evil) which is mildly disorienting at first but could actually be easier to wrap your h??ead around with a controllable Hope acting as the anchor point in the environments.

Camouflaj's Paul A??lexander notes that the team decided on the visual upgrade and Unity 5 bump on the computer version because, "[they've] been a visual pioneer on mobile" and didn't want to look like a mobile game on PC. With the PS4 release, however, it was the first time there was real talk of fully controlling Hope, where the PC version was happy to adapt the poin??t-and-click model.

As for why the ports -- rather than a finished game, perhaps -- there were enough, "opportunities that presented themselves," like this recent GungHo publishing of the last two episodes ("God's Acre" and "Terminus.") And it seems to have worked out for the team, even if t??he game has taken a long time to come to fruition. It even m??anaged to sell well on Android, which is, "not a great place for paid content," hence iOS versions of games usually being prioritized.

Republique on PS4 will launch with all five episodes as a physical and digital release, "early 2016," possibly leaving it the best platform for living out Enemy of the State 2.

The post Republique finally gets analog controls on PS4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Five episodes

If you're interested in espionage narratives and stealth-based gameplay, Republique may be your huckleberry when it releases next year on PS4, with all five episodes bundled toge?ther.

I enjoyed what I've played of the initial few since it launched in 2013, ?but like I've said in the past, I completely lost interest af??ter there was no communication as to when the story would be finished after months of waiting.

I guess it's goo?d to know that the whole shebang will b?e arriving in "early 2016."

The post Republique gets a PS4 trailer, still isn’t done nearly two years after launch appeared first on Destructoid.

Episodes 4 and 5 still aren't out

Republique is such a weird project. It was released on iOS in December of 2013, as an episodic series spanning five chapters. Episode 4 and 5 still? have not been released to this day, but the franch?ise made the jump to PC, and PS4. It got to the point where I completely lost interest in the story somewhere in 2014, and now, Atlus and NIS America are partnering with GungHo to produce physical PS4 versions for North America and Europe in early 2016.

I'm still waiting on the final two chapters. At this point I don't know if I even want to replay the first three again just to refresh my memory, let alone rest?art a brand new file on consoles.

The post Republique is coming to the PS4 in physical form appeared first on Destructoid.

Two chapters to go since 2013 release

Republique has ??an interesting timeline. Originally it was released for iOS in 2013, until it ?was slowly developed for Android in 2014 and PC in February of 2015. As an episodic game it's only released three of five chapters, and it's coming up on the second anniversary.

Now, it's being slated for a PS4 release in early 2016, when "all five episodes will be available." There's still no mention o??f? when the last two episodes may drop, but now it seems like there's a deadline involved for "early 2016."

I can't imagine waiting two and a half years for this. I kind of gave up after episode two, opting to wait for the final version. There's something to be said about waiting almost a year?? between episodes -- I don't feel connect?ed to the overall plot and I often forget little details.

The post Republique coming to PS4 with al??l five chapters as?? a bundle appeared first on Destructoid.

The developer made good on its promise

Once upon a time it felt like Republique would never make it to PC afte?r its successful Kickstarter campaign. Thankfully though developer Camoflaj has been open about?? the process, guiding us through the series of delays until this moment -- launch.

You can now find Republique Remastered on sale at Steam, GOG.com, and the Humble Store, which includes the first three episodes on the Unity 5 engine?. It's priced at $24.99 ($19.99 for the first week), and includes episodes four and five. You can also buy a deluxe edition of the game for $34.99 (also discounted down to $27.99 for one week), which comes with extras like the original soundtrack, a documentary, and a few prototypes.

The post At long last, ??Republique is out on PC via Steam, GOG.com, and the Humble Store appeared first on Destructoid.

October 23rd

Camouflaj has announced that the third episode of Republique will be arriving soon on iOS on October 23rd. It's the third part of five planned episodes, which likely isn't going to wrap up until 2015. The developer notes that Ones & Zeroes is the longest episode yet, and features a new cr?owd-control mine weapon.

In other news the series is coming to Android on the same date, where all three episodes so far will unlock. According to Camouflaj, ??the game is still on track for PC this year.

The post iOS stealth thriller Republique’s third episode coming this month appeared first on Destructoid.

We're only on episode two of five

In a new Kickstarter update this week, the Republique team addressed the PC version of the game -- or, lack thereof. While the series is curr??ently on episode two of five on iOS devices, it's nowhere to be found on the PC, and updates were scarce on the latter.

According to the developer, the "entire team" is hard at work on a Steam version, and ??beta keys will be sent out to backers in August. The PC version will take a little longer after that to be completely finished.

Republique [Kickstarter]

The post Republique team talks PC ??version in a new Kickstar?ter update appeared first on Destructoid.

Episode one of the five episode series

Developer Camoflaj has dropped the first two episodes of Republique so far, and you'll be able to? nab the first one starting today for free. From June 5th to the 12th, you can download the first episode as part of Apple's "Free App of the Week" promotion -- so go do it??!

If you're so inclined you can also pick the next episode up for $4.99, or just pony up for the Season Pass for $14.99. Since the second episode is a lot stronger than the first, this is a good time to give the game a try and see how it plays. Keep? in mind though that the last episode isn't scheduled until later this year.

Republique [Apple.com]

The post The first episode of Republique is free from?? June 5 through June 12 appeared first on Destructoid.

You won't get the whole game until later this year

The second episode of the successful Kickstarter game Republique is hitting iOS this week. Billed as a season-oriented game, you can either pick up each episode piecemeal or by way of a Season Pass. This episode is called Metamorphosis, and I'm current??ly working my way through it for a full review in the?? near future.

While I generally don't have an issue with episodic games, it will be a long, long time before all five episodes are launched -- the last of which isn't even scheduled until later this winter. I enjoyed many aspects of Republique in general, but I'm not sure if ?it's worth that much of a wait.

The post Republique’s second episode is out this week appeared first on Destructoid.

Running on a touch of Hope

Republique was quite the ambitious Kickstarter project. With big names like Jennifer Hale and David Hayter attached, not to mention the million dollar budget, to say this stealth adventure promised quite a bit is an understateme??nt.

Having played the first of five episodes, I can safely say that most of the lofty goals have been met, but there is a ??bit more that's yet to be seen.

Republique: Exordium (iOS [reviewed on an iPhone 5], Mac, PC)
Developer: Camouflaj, Logan
Publisher: Camouflaj
Release Date: December 19, 2013 (iOS) / PC (TBA)
MSRP: $4.99 (Each Episode)

Republique is a stealth game at heart, with a bit of adventure style exploration involved. It follows the Telltale scheme of distribution, so you can buy the roughly two? hour first episode now, and the four othe??r episodes will arrive at a later undisclosed date. Right off the bat it's pretty easy to understand the concept, as the theme is your standard dystopian tale of freedom versus control.

You play the role of Big Brother. Literally. Using an entire network of cell phones and cameras (just like the ending of The Dark Knight??), your job is to save Hope -- a young woman who is in danger of being "re-calibrated" because she read some literature she wasn't supposed to. The tale is told by way of t?op voice talents, and as a general rule, is on par with some of the biggest AAA games out there. An Otacon-like partner named "Cooper" (who talks only in text-to-speech) helps add some welcome comedy to the proceedings.

Having said that, Camouflaj hasn't really sold me on the world or the lore yet. Barring a cliffhanger ending and some hints of an interesting story, Republique hasn't offered anything unique in its first episode that really has me hooked. It's mostly just straight stealth, with constant (underwhelming) hints at what's to come. It's a good thing then that the series has ple?nty of promise.

As I said before, the entirety of Republique is seen and played through a security system, and it's done so well that it doesn't feel like a gimmick. Lest you think that a stealth game cannot work on a mobile device -- think again. Republique basically blew me away with how responsive its icons are, and the way Camouflaj handled the design is brilliant. Pressing the camera button in the top right corner "pauses" the game, and views every selectable object in the field instantly. No matter where an object or individual is on the screen, the??re's an icon attached to it, floating off to the side -- just tap on that icon, and it instantly s??elects it.

There's no pixel hunting, or "precise pinky touching" here -- you just tap the giant picture a??nd go. It helps, because there are no clunky virtual joysticks or controls -- you touch an area to make Hope move, you touch a camera to "jump" to it, and so on. Everything is done by pointing at it like you would a mouse, and I was pleasantly surprised at how I had little trouble getting to where I needed to go.

The only problem is that traveling long distances is incredibly slow going. Even if you double-tap to get Hope to (slowly) "run" to the area you wish, only some of the time will the camera automatically switch to her new area. So basically, you have to command her to go to an area, press the camera button, pause the game, find a camera, jump there, then ??un-pause. In short bursts it's extremely fun to quickly switch and change up tactics on the fly, but it gets really old if you'??re just running around looking for items.

Republique&nb??sp;initially stated it had elements of a Metroidvania in its Kickstarter, but I don't really see much of that here. Given the fact that you don't really want to explor??e too often because of the camera, it doesn't help that a lot of the first episode consists of heavy backtracking and one room, linear areas with nothing of interest. Maybe that'll change with subsequent episodes, but for now, the idea isn't fully realized yet.

Republique makes some compromises though, because although Hope is mostly defenseless from guards, she does have a few tricks up her sleeve like pepper spray and tasers. By equipping either one of these items, Hope can either attack a guard or use it as a defensive ability -- similar to the daggers in the Resident Evil remake. It works as these items are sparing ?in nature, which helps keep Republique as a stealth game without getting too action heavy.

It's incredibly addicting to steal from every guard too, similar to the dogtags from Metal Gear Solid. You can also sell data to the "Data Broker" at select terminals to earn upgrades like eavesdropping on phones (for more data, basically), and distraction hacks to keep guards busy. It's not too overpowering a feature, and it adds some RPG and progression?? elements to the proceedings, which is pretty unique for an episodic adventure. 

There's another hang-up here, though. Hope can't die, as she is "ordered" to undergo a certain punishment by the higher-ups -- so if the guards catch you, they'll always bring you to a containment cell that you can quickly hack out of. At first, it's pretty unique, as you can thwart guards leading you to the cell by locking doors behind you (thus shutting them out), but you'll get sick of it very quickly after going through it every time. Eventually you can press a "fast forward" button to skip the escort part, but most of the time, it's more painful and pace-killing than a checkpo??int or game over screen.

Unexpectedly, Republique brings with it a cool like meta-world element to it, similar to Kojima's oddball videogame, literature, and film references. Beyond the obvious Orwellian jibes, it may very well be the first videogame to heavily reference other Kickstarter projects, and pick-pocketing guards will sometimes yield old gaming cartridge collectibles with some commentary from Cooper. These little jokes range from "I spent too much on this Kickstarter for this poster," "before Infinity Blade, I thought mobile games were for babies," and so on. Scanning guards will even sometimes yield the mugs of heavy backers. It's not ove?rly funny, but it's a cute way to tie-in the g?ame's roots.

Like any episodic series, Republique's quality will be based on its offering as a whole, and not necessari?ly a single episode. Having said that, the game has the solid framework of a serviceable stealth title, but the story and cast haven't sold me yet that this will be a tale worth telling. I'll be waiting with bated breath to see if episode two is an improvement.

The post Review: Republique: Exordium appeared first on Destructoid.

Kickstarter darling finally coming to market

[Update: Date corrected.]

Hey guys, remember République? It was part of one of the earlier waves of game crowdfunding, and developer Camoflaj aimed to make their stealth-action game a "Triple-A iOS experience". And now the long road to release is coming to an end, as their latest backer update reveals a release date for the iOS version: December 17th, 2013. December 19th, 2013. That's...today Thursday! They've also released a launch trailer over at IGN.

The same backer update revealed the game's pricing, which emulates the Telltale model: République will be priced at $4.99 for each of five planned chapters, r??eleased in 2-3 month intervals. Players will be able to pick up the whole thing for $20, and backers who pledged at the $10 level and up will get all the chapters, plus other goodies as a thank-you for supporting Camoflaj early on.

Additionally with the iOS version about to rel??ease, Camoflaj "ready to shift focus" to prepping the game's PC and Mac ver??sions, and will be taking feedback as to how best to adapt the game for mouse-and-keyboard.

I have to say, it's nice to see this wave of crowdfunded games reaching market-ready state. To avoid disappointment, I usually just just write off any money I give to this sort of thing, so it's alway????s a pleasant surprise to remember that "Oh, this thing is coming out, and my lunch money helped it happen."

The post Republique dated on iOS, reveals pricing model appeared first on Destructoid.

From Metal Gear producer, featuring David Hayter and Jennifer Hale

Republique hit its half-million-dollar Kickstarter goal almost a year and a half ago now. While it's looking at its projected June 2013 release date in the rear view, a RedBull (I know, right?) chat with former Metal Gear Solid producer and Republique head Ryan Payton revealed that the game is "probably going?? to be coming out in December."  

Initially announced as an iOS exclusive, Republique is also getting, "a unique version of République ??specifically designed for PC and Mac with new features, gameplay and s??tory elements that speak to the strengths of the platform."

It's always nice to see a Kickstarter deliver. Despite platform reservations -- how good it could be on iOS, how it might translate in the PC version -- Republique looks pretty neat. I'm excited to stealth my way through its repu-bleak, 1984-styled world. ?Any proud backers before us today? You helped make this.

Where in the world is Republique? [RedBull]

The post Stealth-action game Republique coming December appeared first on Destructoid.

Republique, the promising stealth g??ame that has been seeking funds on Kickstarter, finally hit its $500,000 funding goal with less than seven hours to spare. Talk about an impressive photo finish.&??nbsp;

The game was only past the halfway mark this week, and while many remained hopeful, it seemed quite likely that the project would see an unceremonious end at the starting gate. However, a?? last minute push for coverage and donations saw an astounding burst toward the goal, and with just hours left on the clock, Camoflaj has what it asked for. 

I'm pretty d??amn thrilled about the news, personally. Go??od stuff!

The post Republique hits $500,000 Kickstarter goal appeared first on Destructoid.

At the time of writing, ambitious stealth-survival game Republique has a little over thirty hours to go before its Kickstarter drive terminates. Despite excited coverage and some very ardent supporters, Camoflaj is still short of its goal, with $361,553 of its required $500,000. 

There's still everything to play for, with pledges trickling in even at this late stage. If Republique pulls this off, it'll be quite an astounding story. If it doesn't, then it'll be a most bitt??er disappointment. 

Republique is a Kickstarter effort with more than just a name and vague details, as well as a team of dependable industry veterans working on the project. It would be very sad if this concept falters, because of all the pledge drives I've seen following Double Fine's, this is the one that looks the most like a serious new property f?rom people who know what they're doing.

In any case, it's going to be a tense thirty hours for those who want to see ??this game happen.

The post Judgment Day arrives for Republique appeared first on Destructoid.

Ryan Payton's iOS (and PC/Mac!) stealth-survival game Republique is due to ge?t some big-name vocal talent with the beloved mouths of actors Jennifer Hale and David Hayter.

Hale has acted in ten billion games, but is best known for playing "Female Shepard" in Mass Effect. As for Hayter, the famous gravelly tones behind Solid Snake likely needs no introduction. Hale will play The Mentor, a mysterious figure with an intimate knowledge of protagonist Hope, while Hayter portrays the head revolutio?nary of ... th??e revolution. 

Republique keeps getting more exciting news, but I fear it may be far too little, far too late. The funds are over $200,000 but there's only seven days to go and a $500,000 goal to reach. There is sadness in my heart when I think this might not get ?made.

David Hayter and Jennifer Hale Join The Cast of Répu?blique! [Kickstarter]

The post Jennifer Hale and David Hayter to v??oice Republique appeared first on Destructoid.

Last week, we talked about Republique, a very promising iOS survival/stealth game from Metal Gear Solid 4's Ryan Payton. Several of you -- and many others -- refused to support the studio's Kickstarter efforts because you spit on the notion o??f mobile games. Well ... there's no excuse now. 

Republique has been confirmed for both PC and Mac, provided of course the studio reaches its $500,000 goal. It only has 14 days left and $97,000 in the piggy bank, so it's going to need a boatload of last-minute support. If it g?ets its Christmas miracle, the PC/Mac version will have unique features "that speak to the strengths of the platform."

Hopefully, those who refused to contribute without the promise of a? "real" version of the game chip in. I truly want to see this game get made. 

République Coming To PC And Mac [Game Informer]

The post Confirmed: Republique will also come to PC ?and Mac appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm a bit tired of all these Kickstarter things (seriously, we get swamped with them!), but I feel like a dick for not taking notice of Republique -- mostly because I know the guy who's making it, and he's a stand-up guy! He's also known to most of you as the chap who helped make Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots. 

Ryan Payton's new project isn't quite as huge as that particular game, but it's interesting nonetheless. ??Sadly, it'll get looked down on by many gamers due to t?he fact that it's an iOS title. However, don't let that put you off! 

Blending stealth and survival, Republique is a gorgeous looking game featuring a "believable, non-sexualized female lead" and a "Metroidvania" sense of exploration. Despite its status as a mobile game, the game puts a strong emphasis on narrative and aims to provide a "AAA" iOS experience. Developers who have worked on F.E.A.R, Halo, and Metal Gear Solid are all involved. 

The game has 21 days ??to get?? $500,000. It has but $77,795 at the moment. 

At the very least, please check out the trailer on ?Kic?kstarter page. I think it's worth a little bit of your money. 

Republique [Kickstarter]

The post Ryan Payton’s Republique needs your help appeared first on Destructoid.