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Trepang 2 Review

FEAR is a series that is almost two decades old and features an action FPS mixed in with psychological horror. It marked an era back in the 2000s that put a shooter game that was frantic and full of action while being extremely scary and kinda disturbing. Trepang 2 is a spiritual successor to FEAR that looks to maintain that particular essence while elevating the gameplay more.
Exploring an area where things took a turn for the wrong, you play as specimen 106 and aim to decimate the company that imprisoned you. The game is terrifying at times, and there are some jumpscares in it, while the action is satisfying as it embraces brutal combat where you need to keep trying until you beat the level. The environments play a huge part in the gameplay and become a combination of fast planning and reflexes when facing foes.

What Makes It Worth Playing?

What makes Trepang 2 worth playing is both its addictive gameplay and the amazing graphics the game boasts. The gunplay is frenetic as you can use enemies as hostages to protect yourself from bullets, throw them with a grenade attached to them, and see their allies be blown up to smithereens. Bosses require smart use of the layout of levels to be victorious and it is a title that will test your skills to the limit.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3324485946
The graphics are beautiful on the epic settings, making the game shine even more in its technical and visual elements. It reinforces the feeling of being there, of immersion not only because of how good it looks but also because each level is filled with details and care, you can tell the developers worked hard to make each zone distinct. A cool detail is that at the backroom level, they added coconut water to the vending machines.

Core Gameplay

The core gameplay of the game is that you go into a location, annihilate all the enemies in your path, and then pray that there is no SCP abomination coming your way at some point in the level. Weapons pack a punch, are well-animated, and can be customized to an extent. The game's enemies are smart and can take you out in seconds even in the easy difficulty if you don't react fast, so the idea is "How fast can I take out all these foes before they take me out?" It is fast-paced, and you have powers such as slow-mo, which is gratifying for kills and useful for aiming, while camouflage makes you invisible to jump on enemies or escape from a dangerous situation.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3324486267
The true show of the game is the bosses and the environment. Monsters like the Mothman are scary when you first encounter them, while The Patriarch is a huge zombified Hulk that is faster than you, and you face it in a complex layout where there are multiple little houses with multiple levels of elevation. The trick to winning in Trepang 2 is to use walls, elevation points, and cover to defeat foes. You cannot brute force the bosses most of the time, so it becomes a scary game of mouse and cat that keeps interchanging the roles.
Likewise, level design is fantastic when it comes to the decoration of it and the tension. I got scared of the bones in Site 83, a level in which one has to go into an abandoned cave underground where otherworldly entities hunt you down based on the noise you make. They are immortal and spooky and as an extra treat, they teleport you in and out of the backrooms intermittently throughout the level. After the first jumpscare, your skin will be that of a chicken as you move around trying to avoid them. It makes the game more immersive, so it's a great benefit to the game, so long as you don't get scared easily. If you don't enjoy horror games, be wary of trepang 2, because the game is not scary all the time but when it is, it goes all the way into it.


My Experience

I had a lot of fun with the dual-wielding ability, as it let me dual-wield two weapons of the same kind which is powerful and fun to do! The only downside to it is that ammo runs out fast! The game was more challenging than expected and I was taken out a couple of times, especially during some of the boss fights and levels that are a bit tight in the corridors. The game reminds me of FEAR and DOOM in that it is both chilling in how afraid I could get, and the challenge it presents to make one try harder to beat it.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3324487259
I got them traumas in Site 83, very spooky level. The voice acting was a hit and a miss for me, as in the majority of levels people sound muffled when speaking, barely being able to hear them but the screams are well done and loud, giving more immersion, especially in Site 83 where the tension is high and nerve-wreaking. The game forces one to change weapons a lot as there is not a big amount of ammo, forcing one to adapt and loot weapons from enemies.

Long Term Appeal

In the long term, department Trepang 2 doesn't shine too much. Beating the game will take between 4=9 hours depending on your skill and how many side missions you do. Once you are done with the game, there are not a lot of reasons to replay it. An enjoyable one-way ride.

Price Point Analysis

For 30 bucks it's a nice game, I feel like 20 bucks would be a better fit but hey, the graphics are amazing so I let it slide Trepang. The title is top-notch in all of its facets and it feels like an almost AAA game. Beautiful levels with highly detailed elements and visuals, great bosses, and fantastic gunplay. You are getting all your money's worth at full price, but do wait for a sale if you are on the fence. If you like gore and games such as FEAR, then is a safe bet anytime.

Conclusion

Trepang 2 revives a genre that has been buried for quite a while, the genre of action fps games that are scary to play through and satisfying to beat. The studio did a good job, and the graphics on the Epic setting are quite impressive! I love the details they added to the game such as the notes that have lore, adding the backrooms, and other cameos of such. If you enjoy shooters and don't get spooked easily, this is a must-play game!
10/10 MASTERPIECE
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