Repunk A Narrative Survival Game Set On The Red Planet
Repunk is a walking simulator where players can go straight to their destination or explore to find items and audio recordings that hint at what went wrong. There is a time limit that may discourage exploration on the first playthrough. It’s also easy to die even without monsters chasing you down. Mars is a hostile planet. If the cold doesn’t get you, the lack of oxygen will.
There’s also a pretty brutal (depending on your outlook) consequence to recklessness. There are no saves in this game. Die just before discovering something new? Well, you’ll have to go back to the beginning as a new envoy. There are multiple endings, but choices are minimal. That can feel a bit lackluster at times. It also takes away some of the pressure. The “objective” is more about thoroughly exploring each abandoned location, rather than checking off a list.
Repunk is made by a solo developer. Despite not leaving Mars, the landscape is gorgeous and it’s easy to get immersed in (mostly) abandoned locations. Just don’t gaze at the breathtaking vistas too long. Or you may find your mask freezing over since the nights are just as dangerous. It can be easy to forget that the envoy is here because all of the drones have stopped working. Until you come across another wreckage or audio file left by a scientist. The voice actor does a phenomenal job of getting across feelings of quiet desperation and something close to hope underneath.
Fans of more realistic sci-fi, though there may be some surreal moments, and narrative focused games should check this out. Repunk is a slow trawl with the extraction deadline being the only constant “danger”. This isn’t going to be everyone’s cup of tea. When your character isn’t exposed to the element the game becomes a driving simulator with an excellent soundtrack. But don’t underestimate Repunk. There are some genuinely chilling revelations that deserve to be experienced.
