In terms of achieving the fairly lofty goals that it sets for itself with ease, Trepang2 is a masterpiece. A game taking its influence from properties such as F.E.A.R, Max Payne and The Matrix was never going to be lauded for its originality. However, in terms of being able to take the greatest moments from those other titles and combine them to create something greater than the sum of its parts; it emphatically succeeds.
Trepang2 releases on June 21st and will be available on PC via Steam.
Another area where Trepang2 likely isn’t going to win any awards is in its plot. Players take control of a super-soldier with the vague title of 106. After being broken out of the laboratory where enemy scientists were experimenting on him, 106 joins forces with a military agency in order to take down the enemy PMC and end their pursuit to perfect the super-soldier serum.
The thing is though, Trepang2 doesn’t need to tell an entirely original story to be a kickass title worthy of your time. The moment-to-moment gameplay in this game is utterly glorious and more than makes up for any other perceived shortcomings. This key element, along with clever level design, an intuitive weapons management and upgrade system, and interesting art direction amalgamates to create something truly special.
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No matter how many times the same kind of setup reoccurs, bursting into a room as a virtually unstoppable killing machine with all guns blazing, simply does not get old. Add to that the incredibly cool slow motion power that the game imbues the player with and all of a sudden, a violent cacophony of mayhem begins to unfold during every encounter, complete with the generous amount blood and gore that accompanies it.
Trepang2 slows things down in order to speed them up.
Just as the player is getting to grips with the slow motion function, the realization that you can also slide and jump in this mode kicks in, essentially turning Trepang2 into the first person Max Payne game that you didn’t know you needed. Combing these inputs can make for some truly creative killing, clearing rooms suddenly became more satisfying from that point on.
In addition to the slow-mo trigger, players are also given the ability to briefly equip an invisibility cloak, essentially turning them into Predator. One of my favourite things about this power was that it allows the player to sneak up behind a guard and grab him. This sounds like pretty standard FPS fare, only here the player has the ability to pull the pin out of said enemy’s grenade belt and throw him into a group of his unsuspecting colleagues to allow for magnificent multi-kill opportunities.
The arsenal of weapons offered to the player is pretty standard; my usual loadout consisted of a shotgun and an SMG. That said, I did find the upgrade system pretty intuitive, which allows players to equip silencers, lasers and other attachments to their weapon of choice. Thankfully, just as the weapon options are starting to feel stale, dual-wielding is introduced, allowing for double the mayhem and double the fun.
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The weapons also felt as if they all had a nice heft to them. The crunch of firing a shotgun directly into an enemy’s face at close range felt as brutal as it should. The same can be said for the melee. At one point during the early game, I ran out of pistol ammo and was forced to bash in an enemy skull using the butt of my gun. Both the violent motions of the enemy’s head and the squelching sound effects brought to mind the similarly gruesome scene from Pan’s Labyrinth.
Not only does the game’s slow motion sequences feel like something from a John Woo movie, but some of the environments are also very cinematic. The first few levels take place in laboratories and military complexes, reminiscent of Resident Evil’s Umbrella Corporation buildings. However, there is a level a little later on that takes place in a British stately home and really put me in mind of the finale sequence in 28 Days Later.
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Overall, Trepang2 is a must play for anyone who grew up playing games or watching action movies in the 2000s, and for everyone else as well. Clever enemy AI, epic boss fights, and a handful of surprisingly creepy moments, along with the aforementioned run and gun badassery, come together to make for something truly special. Games like Trepang2 do not come along every day and for the asking price, this is an experience that is definitely worth checking out.
Trepang2 – 10/10
Trepang2 was reviewed on PC with a code supplied to FandomWire by Press Engine.
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