Games World

Mini Review: République: Anniversary Edition – A Sneakily Intriguing Yet Flawed Experience

An obtuse angle on stealth.

Don’t you hate it when you’re thrust into a totalitarian world of unrelenting fascist horror? For example, when you go outside? Ho ho! Just a bit of topical humour there. Sorry, we’ll never do it again. Look, the point is, République — the game whose Nintendo Life review you are currently reading — is about escaping from such a dystopia.

Back in the day République was a phone game, the trappings of which made perfect sense for its type of input. You took control of a rogue element of indeterminate nature who essentially closes the gap between player and controller; a little like the excellent In Other Waters; here, you’re in control of the various cameras, computers and other systems in the enormous complex where the female lead character finds herself captured. You’re helping this girl escape, not escaping yourself. It made you feel just the right amount of helpless, just the right lack of agency. You had a lot of power, but you were still ultimately just an observer. It, dare we say it, made it easier to care, easier to get invested in this character when she had autonomy outside of your own personal whims.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com