For those who played Dungeons & Dragons, you might be familiar with the alignment chart of Good/Neutral/Evil and Lawful/Neutral/Chaotic. Now, you might ask: what does this have to do with the survival horror multiplayer game R.E.P.O. (Retrieve, Extract, and Profit Operation)? For me, it (almost) perfectly fits the definition of Chaotic. My first impression of the game was that I would be scared and anxious the entire time, as many games in the survival horror genre tend to do, but I ended up having lots of fun, laughs, and, of course, learned a little something about my friends and even myself along the way.
R.E.P.O. is similar to Lethal Company in that you find items for money. Where it gained its unique status, however, is that its physics and monsters add a dose of comedy that is often lacking in this genre. At first, the game might appear like it belongs on the PlayStation 2 or any other early 2000s console, but numerous games go against the grain of graphics = good game, especially in an era where game development is more accessible to small indie companies that have found wild success with their creations (think Among Us and Stardew Valley).
You play as a semibot working for the Taxman, and you’re collecting enough items to advance to the next level and fill the Taxman’s coffers. If you’re playing with friends, proximity chat will give you and your five other friends a lesson in teamwork. The levels get more difficult as you go on, and the difficulty and variety of the enemies also increase. You can buy upgrades from the Service Station, such as increased speed, stamina, weapons, and more.
While playing, you’re avoiding enemies while collecting your items. You can kill them yourself with weapons, or simply pick them up and throw them into pits (a guaranteed one-shot kill), or use the environment. However, picking up enemies requires energy, and you may need your friends to help you kill enemies. You can also decrease the value of an item if you damage it, which makes teamwork very important if you want to get the most money for your items. This became especially apparent when I accidentally dropped plates. In addition, enemies respawn after a set amount of time, adding urgency (and anxiety) to your proverbial plate.
The art design is also rather varied. Some enemies include giant heads, people with sword arms, clowns, and more. Some are more aggressive than others, requiring you and your team to adjust accordingly. For example, the Huntsman is blind but can easily kill you if he can hear you, while the gnomes are fast and can make you drop items, yet are easily killed. One of the most annoying enemies is the Hidden, which is barely visible but can stun you and force you to drop items. The enemies might be scary to some, but I found myself laughing at the absurdity of the enemy design more than being scared or anxious, which is an interesting approach to a genre that relies on fear and scaring players.
As of this writing, the game is still in Early Access on Steam, with developer Semiwork hinting at future collaborations as well as adding content to the game such as expressions for your semibots. What I thought was silly turned into hours of fun and mayhem with friends and complete strangers, and R.E.P.O.’s replay value should continue to increase with updates and the collaborations that will be coming in the future.
Developer(s): Semiwork
Publisher(s): Semiwork
Platform(s): PC
Words by Jose Alvarez
Also published in GADGETS MAGAZINE Volume 25 No. 9 Issue.