Here’s the first look at footage from the upcoming mobile game Republique, the debut project from Seattle-based developer Camouflaj. A Kickstarter page has also gone live, so click here to contribute.
Republique aims to make players an organic part of the story through the unique way that they’ll interact with the main character, a helpless young woman named Hope who’s been trapped in a dark and mysterious facility her entire life. You don’t actually play as Hope, and instead use your phone to hack into the facility’s computer system in order to help her escape. There are plenty of guards, traps, and other obstacles that will make it difficult for her to survive, and the game aims to blend the survival horror and tactical stealth genres. Think of it as a combination of Splinter Cell, Portal, and the original Resident Evil outings.
Unlike most mobile titles, Republique is developed from the ground up for iOS and other mobile platforms. That means the gameplay and controls are designed with touchscreens in mind, and not just ported over from consoles or the PC. It’s also one of the only original mobile titles aimed at hardcore players, and Camouflaj’s pedigree helps back that up. The studio was founded by Ryan Payton, the assistant producer of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
Camouflaj isn’t holding anything back with their debut project, giving it the same treatment that one would give a AAA console title. Extensive motion capture sessions were held with actors, and players will get real dialogue from characters instead of text bubbles. The environments are being created with help from Logan, the LA production company that’s worked on stylish commercials for Apple and Skyrim, and also created the cool live-action videos that opened MGS4. Ryan Payton hopes that going all out like this on a mobile game will set a top-quality precedent for the genre, which other studios will follow instead of just churning out the usual crap.
Republique will be available on iOS and other mobile gadgets later this year. If you’re interested in helping out with the game’s development, head over to its Kickstarter page.
