Trepang 2 Review

[Michael {United Critics}]

🎮Gameplay	9.5	Adrenaline-pumping combat with a seamless blend of brutal gunplay, superhuman abilities, and strategic depth.
📷Graphics	8.5	Gritty and atmospheric, with visually striking action sequences, though the environments can feel drab at times.
🎧Narration/Audio	7.5	Solid audio design with intense sound effects, but the story lacks depth and coherence.
😮Variety	8.5	Diverse enemy types and customisable weapons keep the action fresh, though the gameplay loop remains consistent.
🎰Re-playability	8.5	Multiple modes, unlockable cheats, and varying difficulties provide substantial replay value.
💲Price	9	Reasonable pricing for the content offered.

Trepang2 is like stepping into an action-packed blockbuster, where you’re the unstoppable force tearing through waves of enemies.

📝Story/Plot without spoilers:

In Trepang2, you take on the role of Subject 106, an amnesiac super-soldier with a lethal set of abilities. After escaping from a secretive underground facility in Alaska, you’re thrust into a violent conflict against the Horizon Corporation and its sinister experiments. The plot, filled with familiar action movie tropes, takes a backseat to the intense combat, but it does offer some atmospheric moments, including unsettling jumpscares and creepy encounters. However, the story’s horror elements feel underdeveloped, leaving the main focus on the over-the-top action and carnage.

🎮Gameplay:

First Impressions-
From the moment Trepang2 boots up, the game thrusts you into its chaotic world, and it doesn’t let go. The combat is a thrilling blend of high-speed gunplay and supernatural abilities like going invisible/cloak, making every encounter a spectacle of destruction. As Subject 106, you’re equipped with an arsenal of weapons that feel punchy and satisfying to use. But what truly sets Trepang2 apart is the integration of your superhuman powers, which make you feel like a one-man army with cool reload animations.

Combat Mechanics and Flow-
The heart of Trepang2 lies in its combat, which channels the spirit of classic shooters like F.E.A.R. and Max Payne 3 with modern refinements. The game encourages aggressive, fast-paced play with a focus on fluid movement and precise shooting. Sliding down the enemies and making them fall just to kick their guts out and disrespectfully shoot them in the head while they tumble on the ground. Your slow-motion Focus ability is the key to mastering combat, allowing you to dodge bullets, line up perfect headshots, and unleash devastating combos. The melee system, which includes brutal punches and a Spartan Kick, adds another layer of visceral satisfaction to the gameplay. Even being a fast-paced shooter, the game still rewards you for being stealthy. You can sneak up on enemies, grab them to use them as cover, kill them with the finishing blow, throw them or grenade them to death.

Combat in Trepang2 is relentless, with enemies that are not just cannon fodder—they’re smart, aggressive, and varied. They’ll flank you, coordinate attacks, and force you to constantly adapt your tactics. Some enemies are heavily armoured, requiring well-placed headshots, while others will attempt to overwhelm you with sheer numbers. Keeping an eye out for the laser traps, my stamina or the enemy grenades kept me on my toes, and I loved the challenge of figuring out the best approach for each encounter.

Abilities and Customization-
Your abilities in Trepang2 aren’t just flashy; they’re crucial to your survival. The Cloak ability allows you to turn invisible, giving you the upper hand in stealth situations or letting you escape when outnumbered. However, the real star is the Focus ability, which slows down time and lets you execute cinematic kills with style. These abilities, combined with a robust weapon customisation system, offer plenty of ways to tailor your approach to each mission.
Weapon customisation is handled through crates found throughout the levels, allowing you to tweak your arsenal on the fly. Whether you’re dual-wielding shotguns for maximum close-range carnage or equipping a silencer for a more stealthy approach, the game gives you the tools to wreak havoc your way. The dual-wielding mechanic, unlocked midway through the campaign, is a particular highlight, adding an extra dimension to the gunplay that’s both powerful and ridiculously fun. Plus you can add skins to your weapons or your attire. The only downside I felt was that you don't see the preview of the attire you are wearing during customisation. Which feels dumb, maybe they missed adding it, or I missed it during my gameplay.

Level Design and Enemy Encounters-
Trepang2’s level design is a mix of tight, claustrophobic corridors and open arenas that encourage creative playstyles. The game’s environments, while sometimes visually repetitive, are packed with interactive elements that can be used to your advantage or disadvantage, such as shooting out lights to create shadows for stealth, using environmental hazards to take out groups of enemies, or getting spotted because of your visible flashlight. The levels are also filled with hidden intel and weapon parts, rewarding exploration amidst the chaos.

The game’s bosses, though sometimes reliant on gimmicks, offer memorable encounters that break up the standard combat flow. Whether you’re facing off some heavily equipped enemies, going against bosses that are acid-spitting Mothman, dodging explosives in a maze-like structure, or encountering tough Patriarch, the boss fights add a layer of spectacle to the already intense action.

Difficulty and Replayability-
Trepang2 offers a satisfying level of challenge, especially on higher difficulties. The enemies hit hard, and you’ll need to make full use of your abilities to survive. The game rewards skill and quick reflexes, and the difficulty spikes during boss encounters are intense without feeling unfair. For those who enjoy pushing their limits, the game’s side missions and replayable combat simulations provide ample opportunities to test your skills. You can go for Easy, Normal, Hard, Very Hard, Extreme and Rage Mode. The final difficulty levels are for sickos who play like crazy. Because the enemies have God-like accuracies and battle is nearly impossible. Thankfully there are autosaves!

📷Graphics:

Trepang2 isn’t the most visually groundbreaking game, but it knows how to use its aesthetic to maximum effect. The environments are dark and gritty, perfectly complementing the game’s tone. While some areas can feel a bit too drab, the visual effects during combat—especially when using your abilities—are a sight to behold. Blood and sparks fly in all directions as you tear through enemies, and the slow-motion sequences add a cinematic flair that enhances the overall experience. Plus I love the minimal UI that doesn’t distract you from the ongoing action. When I used the machine gun, Oh Lord, the atmosphere went crazy with all the bullets and interactive elements of the map.

📝Main Pros and Cons:

Pros-

• Exhilarating, fast-paced combat with deep strategic elements.
  
• Superhuman abilities that feel both powerful and essential.
  
• Smart enemy AI that keeps encounters challenging and engaging.
  
• Satisfying weapon customisation and dual-wielding mechanics.
  
• Atmospheric environments that enhance the game’s tension.

Cons-

• Story is functional but lacks depth and coherence.
  
• The horror elements feel underutilised and inconsistent.
  
• Some levels and enemy designs can become repetitive.

🏷️Tips to new players:

Try to make a rhythm where you approach a battle fully prepared. For me it was sliding down the door, enabling my cloak, sliding against the group of enemies and gifting them a grenade on the spot after which I used to take cover and use Focus ability to finish them off. Find your playstyle too, and it will become easier. Or just go berserk and sprint + jump, then right-click for a dropkick or a surprise with a shotgun.

✉️Miscellaneous Information:

Survival Mode DLC-
Dive into Endless Mode to test your skills against waves of increasingly difficult enemies. It’s a fantastic way to extend your playtime and hone your combat strategies. Keep feeding your character, and you even get a loyal, friendly cultist who follows you and protects you.

Cheats-
The game also has a list of cheats available for you, such as infinite ammo, super helmets on NPCs, no checkpoints, and spooky mode, but you can only obtain them by completing certain missions associated with it. Like completing a mission on hard difficulty.

😇Honest Rating:

Trepang2 is a high-octane shooter that successfully blends old-school FPS action with modern gameplay mechanics. It’s not without its flaws, particularly in the story department, but the sheer thrill of its combat more than makes up for it. If you’re a fan of intense, skill-based shooters, this game is a must-play.

Rating: 8.5/10

Reviewer: Guri
Blockbuster one-man-army.