If you are on the gaming side of YouTube, Twitch or just about any social media platform, you have most likely heard about a new horror game called REPO. REPO took the internet by storm seemingly overnight. Though it has its funny moments and clips it is a horror game. Found on the gaming platform Stream, it costs $9.99 and is full of both laughter and terror.
REPO is a co-op (two player) horror game. It is a roguelike, meaning you carry on the run until all players die or fail to meet the quota. You can play this game with up to six players, though there is a catch: you can only play with your friends on the platform, so you can’t play with strangers. If you don’t have friends, you can play alone.
The overall goal of the game is to deliver valuable objects to an extraction point while avoiding monsters. Communication within your team is very important and will greatly benefit your play. With poor communication you can easily break valuables, which could lead to you not meeting the money quota. However, this does lead to some good laughs. In order to leave the floor, the quota is necessary, and as you progress it will get higher.
One of the greatest parts of this game is proximity chat. Just like in real life, when we get farther away from someone it becomes harder for us to hear each other. This is exactly what proximity chat is. This leads to some great ingame communication or dead silence when alone. In a horror game, being alone can be quite scary.
On the topic of communication, when a player dies you can no longer talk to them. They are put into a separate call where they can only talk with other dead players. This can lead to some difficult game play if your whole team is dead and you are left to finish the job. However, even if players are dead, they can spectate and hear what alive players are saying. This leads to some funny eavesdropping moments.
The extraction point is where you put collected objects to transfer into money. As the game progresses, the number of extraction points will increase. This makes the map bigger and harder to navigate. To help with this there is a map available to all players, which guides you to whatever point is activated. When you meet the quota of the point, you have to find the next one within the maze-like floor. If you go over the quota you can take the extra money and put it into another extraction point.
You might be wondering, how do you move the objects you find? Well, there is a cart that you can put items in. One player can control it and others can sit inside if they don’t feel like walking. The cart does fill up fast and not all objects will fit in it, or they could be too heavy to pick up. If they are too heavy, more than one player can pick up the same valuable and carry it together. You have to be careful though, as bumping into walls or smashing it on the ground causes the object to lose value or even break.
To add to the difficulty of navigating the floor, monsters are always lurking. Currently there are 19 monsters in REPO, each having a different attack and quirk. For example, the Huntsman is a monster who is blind and relies on sound. This means he is able to hear you talk, walk around or move/break objects. Another monster is the Clown, who relies only on line of sight, so if they see you, run.
A helpful mechanism to hide from monsters is the ability to become small. You are able to shrink down and hide under tables and chairs or in cabinets. However, you can’t move, so you should definitely be in a safe spot. Another option is staying crouched. In this form you are still pretty small and are able to move around but at a slower pace. This form also allows your steps to be quiet, so if you are avoiding the Huntsman this will definitely make it easier. You could run away instead of hiding, but you only have so much endurance, so you can’t run for long.
Or, you could fight back. If you are feeling brave and have at least one or two players with you, you can pick up monsters. You can coordinate an attack by picking up monsters and slamming them on the ground until they die. This is not an easy task and could lead to you losing health, but it is possible. Each monster has a different weight and some may require more manpower than others. The smallest monsters in the game are the Gnome and Banger. These monsters can be picked up by one person and thrown around. One of the heaviest monsters is the Trudge. If you plan on picking him up it will prove to be difficult, to the point where hiding might be your best option.
The final aspect of this game is the shop. The shop is accessible in between every floor of the game. Here you can use the money you collect to get upgrades, weapons and gadgets to help you progress. The upgrades are definitely a good item to purchase as it could increase strength, stamina, speed, and more. This can make picking up large objects a one man job.
If you are looking for a new game for you and your friends to play, this is definitely the one. Even though it is a horror game, having your friends around makes it less scary and more enjoyable. So next time you’re hanging out with friends and don’t know what to do, try REPO. You won’t regret it.
