Ryan Payton Says Republique Kickstarter Game Aims to Rival Metal Gear Solid

Republique met its Kickstarter funding with just hours to go, after much controversy.

$500,000 was viewed as expensive for a Kickstarter project, but Republique met the goal. Just about

The Republique Kickstarter project received controversy because of its high funding goal – $500,000 – compared to projects such as the Double Fine Adventure, which had a funding goal of $300,000. Ryan Payton, the lead on the project, said in an interview with Edge Magazine the title is aimed to rival other steal games such as Metal Gear Solid. That’s pretty ambitious, especially on a mobile platform such as iOS.

Payton said to Edge that the funding goal was met by cutting as much as possible, so it sounds like the game could have easily worked on console. It also meant full creative control and ownership of the IP was maintained. Payton added the team is trying to rival a game for Metal Gear Solid, with a much smaller team and budget.

Payton was also told setting a smaller funding goal could lead to a higher final total, as users would donate more. Obviously, the risk paid off.

A close shave

The game’s goal was met with just hours remaining on Friday, May 11. Funding stagnated midway through the project, receiving a late spike when PC and Mac versions and additional voice actors were announced: David Hayter, the voice of Solid Snake, and Jennifer Hale, the voice of the female Shepard in the Mass Effect series. Not everyone will love the latter decision; I thought she was a bit dull, personally.

Players direct a girl, Hope, through a world where she has been imprisoned for her whole life. Being a stealth game, the aim is to remain undiscovered. Players can interact with computers to open gates, and switch lights off, creating darkness.

Payton left 343 Industries as Creative Director for Halo 4 during 2011, citing differences in the direction he wanted to take the game. Republique has a 4-5 hour campaign, full voice acting, a branching narrative and Metroidvania exploration.

He said players see the game as a big game and therefore display confidence in it, so the studio is doing something right. The studio now has an obligation to provide the experience promised, so no pressure.