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When it comes to game experiences that deliver a strong story I’ve been fascinated to see the diversity in the offerings the Switch has had to offer. Coming in strong with a story where you’re involved in a plot to subvert a totalitarian state, Republique certainly does deliver something pretty fresh and unique in terms of the story you’ll be occupying. With a pretty heavy reliance on stealth and careful hacking throughout that also naturally builds in a pretty consistent tension that helps to keep things interesting, even if ultimately a bit on the repetitive side over the course of this episodic story. Where things fall down a bit more is in terms of the gameplay and some of the mechanics. What starts out as pretty fresh and different as you’re able to sort of move around through cameras to better see where your character should go and when, as well as find equipment you’re able to hack or utilize in some way, unfortunately becomes a bit more tired the more you use it or when you find yourself in situations where it can feel outright cumbersome. Having an omniscient sort of view can be convenient as a means to make the game unique but I also found that it increased my detachment from the narrative in a way, working things remotely sort of lowered my perceived skin in the game. All in all the strength in Republique is that it’s quite unique, and despite some shortcomings I’d say that if story is one of your strongest drivers in what games you’re interested in this is very much worth your consideration.
Justin Nation, Score:Good [7.7]