Trepang2 review

The big publishers have inundated us with lukewarm first-person shooters. But Trepang, a five-person development team, puts stagnancy directly in its sights.

Trepang2 demonstrates that you don’t need a massive team or enormous budget to build an engrossing first-person shooter. In fact, the recent Steam release proves that even seemingly indispensable elements like a sophisticated storyline or original play mechanics might be optional. Vancouver-based Trepang Studios understands that if the firefights are fun, a fanbase will materialize.

But before Trepang2 settles into its gratifying offensive groove, it puts you on the defensive end of things for a few moments. You play as an imprisoned super-soldier suffering from amnesia. After a strike team frees you from captivity, the prologue imparts the fundamentals for survival. From evading detection by lingering in shadowy areas to crawling through constricted maintenance tunnels, Trepang2’s early minutes might be mistaken for a stealth-action title. Even the game’s stark shadows recall Splinter Cell. Later, you can shoot lights out, Sam Fisher-style, if you’re hoping to narrow enemy numbers before a shootout.

Let’s Take it Slow

But once the game provides access to your two superhuman abilities, Trepang2 channels the intense action of the F.E.A.R. franchise. Like Monolith Productions’ prodigious shooter, bullet time nullifies the disadvantage of a lone soldier facing squads of abundant enemies. A button press slows down enemies, allowing for shootouts that channel the intensity of The Matrix’s famed lobby firefight.

Trepang2’s level architecture and appearance might not be sophisticated, but the title doesn’t skimp on making gunplay sufficiently chaotic. From environmental destruction and exaggerated blood splatter to pyrotechnics caused by powder blasts, Trepang2 recalls the beautiful bedlam of John Woo’s cinematic violence. And yes, you can even slide around like Chow Fun Fan in Hard Boiled, getting the jump on riot shield-carrying opponents.

Or Go Ghost

And while there’s zero obligation to take it stealthy, Trepang2 provides covert-centered tools. Complementing focus time is an adaptive camouflage mechanic. Like Crysis, you can activate cloaking to evade enemies. Of course, it’s not perfect and adjacent adversaries can notice you, but it’s fantastic for setting up ambushes. Trepang Studios understands that the feeling of tactical supremacy is intoxicating, providing eight weapons to mow down groups of disadvantaged foes.

Sure, the weapons might seem a bit too contemporary given the game’s far-future setting. But the focus here isn’t on making the pistol, shotgun, automatic rifle, or even grenade launcher feel distinctive. Yes, you’re able to tweak them a bit mid-stage with a few different mods. But adding a laser sight to a pistol or incendiary rounds for your shotty isn’t a panacea. While you’ll enjoy an improvement in one area, there’s also a sacrifice associated with each option.

Each firearm feels satisfactorily lethal, taking down shielded opponents with just a few rounds or with a well-aimed headshot. Instead, success is reliant on developing an approach that can take down a dozen adversaries quickly- before they converge on your location. Discovering how to survive Trepang2’s set pieces is the focus here.

Low Heath+a Room Full of Enemies= Delight

Pleasingly, Trepang2’s opponents exhibit some solid artificial intelligence. Instead of just staying in one place and becoming fodder for the advantaged protagonist, they’ll move around, convincingly scouring the area. Let one see you (there’s even an awareness indicator), and they’ll communicate with one another and attempt to flank you.

Early on, the game’s basic foot soldiers carry rail-mounted flashlights, announcing their location. But before long, you’ll face tougher foes that inch the game’s tenor toward horror. While you might momentarily think that the developers are going to shoehorn in a character like F.E.A.R.’s Alma Wade, much of the exposition is conveyed by non-compulsory notes left around the environment. As such, the action rarely slackens.

Across the ten-hour or so campaign, it’s evident that the Trepang understands the fundamentals of the genre. Although there are difficulty levels to suit those who aren’t looking for a robust challenge, you’ll probably want to tackle the game’s higher settings. Not only do the boss battles become appropriately intense, but you’ll unlock old-school perks like the ability to dual-wield, infinite ammo, and big-head mode.

Conclusion

Although Trepang2 is a largely linear trek, it’s easy to get disoriented when combing alcoves for extra health packs, shielding, or ammo. There’s no in-game mapping, so the occasional navigational mix-up is inevitable. But it’s never long before you see an area that isn’t pockmarked with environmental damage. And while the game is nearly a masterclass in maintaining pacing, there’s a section or two that can seem repetitious. That said, there’s enough momentum to make the game’s unlockable side missions a worthwhile visit.

For fanatical FPS fans, these transgressions are both common and forgivable. At the end of Trepang2’s 10- to 12-hour trek, you’ll remember the showcase moments, like the time you managed to massacre an entire room full of enemies without receiving a scratch. These kinds of scenes are cool in film, but even more remarkable when you are the star.

Trepang2 was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.