There has been an onslaught of Boomer Shooters over the last decade, and now finally the floodgates have opened to allow other older generations of gaming to enter. I myself was more heavily involved with the boom of shooters from the early to mid-2000s, featuring some of the best ever made. From Half-Life 2, World at War, DOOM 3, and one of the greatest First Person Shooters ever made F.E.A.R. There was something truly immense and magical for F.E.A.R and every element of it alone was great, but combined made one of the most breathless, ruthless, and spectacular games ever made. Now a young studio has decided Boomer Shooters have had their glory, and now it’s time for the return of immense, spectacle-driven shooters.
I introduce you to Trepang2.
What is Trepang2? 
Trepang2 is the latest in the ultra-violent, and ultra-intense retro shooter resurgence, but this time the resurgence is from the start of the 7th generation. With the likes of Bioshock, Prey, and the main influence for this throwback title, F.E.A.R. Players on the role of a nameless super more solid only regarded as Subject 106, who has some pretty insane abilities allowing him to be the ultimate killing machine. We first see Subject 106 as a prisoner in a top-secret underground complex, watching intense subliminal films featuring imagery that would be much for your worst nightmares. However, a masked stranger manages to free Subject 106 and disappear, allowing him to escape. Upon his exit from the prison, he is greeted by a team of highly trained soldiers and offered a chance to stop an evil corporation that was reasonable for his detainment, and some pretty horrible experiments that could see the end of the world.
What follows next is a violent globetrotting adventure, filled with blood, carnage, shadowy and sinister forces and plenty of mutant abominations which wouldn’t go amiss in something like DOOM. Venturing from corporate offices to European castles, Subject 106 will be doing what he does best and that is blasting everything in his path to bloody chunks!
It’s a really simple setup, and just the perfect jumping point for what is some stellar rooting, and tooting shooting, since DOOM Eternal.
The type of shooting to make John Wick blush 
I played the demo of Trepang2 around 3 years ago, and like many others, was extremely impressed at what was on offer. It was a perfect vertical slice, presenting incredible action, that felt like something from a bygone era of gaming. Where slow-mo was still cool, the shooting came first and foremost, with a heavy emphasis on style, particle effects and utter carnage that looked beautiful. F.E.A.R is a masterful game, and one of the best FPS titles ever made, which captured many elements from its John Woo-style gunplay and carnage to it’s immense, creepy South Korean-inspired horror.
And Trepang2 says, hold my beer and leave all the colourful looter/Fornite shooters in the dust as it truly does offer something immensely satisfying both visually and practically.
The shooting in Trepang2 is immense, and quite honestly some of the best next to that of DOOM Eternal. Definitely in the top 5 of most engaging, fluent and enjoyable combat, much like its clear inspiration. And like F.E.A.R., Trepang2 combinates a ton of different elements to make it thoroughly engrossing, and just a pure blast from start to finish.
Right from the get-go, the shooting feels punchy with plenty of weight and includes great sound design and pushback you would expect from firing a massive Spaz12 shotgun. The reactionary nature of the gunplay really does pack a punch on enemies and the environment, as the explosive gore and immense sense of destruction in the world before you is something unseen in modern gaming. Combine this with the fast-paced movement, the awesome slow-mo mechanic, light parkour elements, and an immense enemy presence to create what is an intense, ruthless and demanding shooter.
The action is insane at times and looks ridiculously good, as a plentiful amount of particle effects will burst onto the screen, from shattered glass, broken wood and mashed-up concrete. You feel the destruction you're causing with every shoot from your weapons, and a game like this makes it even better with slow-mo (which when used right is very visually pleasing). However there is a small, but noticeable amount of the environment which is not reactive to gunfire, and this just outright annoys me. Various items such as computer screens and glass bottles on shelves don’t break, which is madness compared to the sheer destructive reckoning you can do on the other 90% of the environment.
Again it’s small things, but they do add up and look odd why a game in 2023 can’t fully replicate what F.E.A.R. did in 2005. Still, the environmental carnage is beautiful, and the game itself looks fantastic overall. The dynamic lighting, variety of environments and the weirder enemies all look absolutely excellent, and it’s really wonderful to see such amazing results from a small indie team.
But back to the shooting…
The raw gunplay is excellent, being highly responsive, enjoyable and varied with its wide range of weapons. The devastating carnage you unleash is so much fun, and the developers have made sure there are plenty of enemies to take on. There is a fair bit of tactical gunplay here too, as enemies can easily swarm you and overpower you very easily. So making the most of the Slow-Mo to deal massive damage to enemy weak points, and using the cloaking power to give you some breathing space will become second nature soon enough. It’s definitely more high-octane than that of F.E.A.R., feeling a little more like 2020’s DOOM Eternal.
It’s incredibly fast, where constant movement is a must, and at times, firefights can be out in massive arenas, meaning you have plenty of space to fight and die in. Using the slow-mo the shoot a barrage of bullets into an enemy is great, but slow-mo sliding behind one and using them as a human shield is even better. And Trepang2 does demand quite a bit from you at most times but gives you plenty of tools to tackle the enemy head-on.
While the enemy is quite clever and deadly, it’s just the raw power you have and the abilities which make you feel like an utter badass. There are plenty of small touches in combat to make each encounter feel varied and fleshed out, with enemy chatter being quite fun to listen to, especially the death screams and cursing when you’re ripping and tearing. And seeing the impact grenades have when they make contact with some poor sap on the receiving end never ceases to amaze me. The booms, blasts and aftermaths of an epic gunfight always make me feel like I really have spent my time well.
And some as simple as dual wielding, which is seen less and less in games now, feels so satisfying to do. Having the chance to dual-wield grenade launchers is just a thing of beauty.
Simply put, the gunplay here in Trepnag2 is the god-tier level of great! Oh yeah, there’s a cheat mode too, which you can unlock by completing various tasks and side missions, adding an immense amount of replayability!
Where Trepang2 falls behind compared to 2005 FPS games 
While I can’t help but gush over the gunplay, carnage and brutality of the combat in Trepang2, there were a couple of small things which hold it back overall.
Generally, the roaster of weapons is solid, if not a little stale, with some classic staples such as pistols, shotguns and grenade launchers all here and present. And yes they’re all fun to use, and do the job extremely well, with having one of the best handling and explosive shotguns in recent gaming. I found it just a little too generic and a game with secret ops, underground labs and literal monsters, I do wish there were more crazy-style weapons. F.E.A.R had the likes of the Penetrator and Particle Beam, which were just heaps of fun, especially in multiplayer.
But I never came across anything that made me go “holt s***”, even during the moments of the campaign which made me go “holy shit”! I also was not a fan of only being able to hold two weapons at a time. With the exception of Halo, most classic games didn’t do this and I really wished we were able to hold at least a third. But I can understand if this is done for balancing.
Lastly, While the AI is pretty good in Trepang2, it never outshined that of F.E.A.R. (and to be fair, nothing really has since 2005, which is mad). Now the AI of F.E.A.R. is legendary, but that was down to multiple components including some stuff not AI related. The AI knew how to use the environment and the level design was consistent, being always in cramped, tight environments, that weaved in and out, had plenty of cover and very rarely in open arena-like areas. AI would use cover, throw items at you, and even crouch and crawl under surfaces to flank you. Something which is utterly insane and again, I’ve never seen any recent game do this.
While the AI in Trepang is nothing like F.E.A.R., it is still very good nonetheless and will flank, ambush and flush you out when needs be (even if it uses the grenade tactic a little too often). And there are some small touches which are neat, such as enemies reacting to your flashlight, which again is a trick in F.E.A.R.
It’s a hell of a lot better than most AAA games, including the likes of Control, which is another high-octane, high-spectacle shooter where the AI is awful. So, plenty of props to the developers for making great AI, when AAA games don’t offer even half of what is here.
However, I do give massive props to Trepang2 for some neat additions compared to its inspiration, including the gun parts you can find in levels, allowing you to customise your weapons throughout the game. And more importantly, the variety of enemies, ranging from super soldiers to gross mutants that spew acid. The cool set pieces that see you running through your life through hostile environments. And the multiple locations take you from underground labs to castles in the mountains of Europe. There’s plenty of variety to spice things up.
And the inclusion of side missions is also a good thing, with some excellent (be it frustrating at times) wave-based shooting sequences, which really ramp up the tension, and made my hand cram from all the shooting and moving. Good fun, but wished there were more types of side quests, other than these hoard modes.
REDACTED REDACTED What the f… REDACTED REDACTED 
Some minor spoilers aheadTrepang2 offers some stellar gameplay, no questions, but is great gameplay enough if the story is …. Not good at all?
Yes and no. Personally, while the gameplay was highly rewarding, enriching and utterly engrossing during Trepang2’s campaign. The story really could have been much better and kept my interest more.
Trepang2’s story is a bit all over the place, and just mad as balls at times with no rhyme, reason or satisfying payoffs. The core of the plot involves Subject 106 taking on a strange cult, bio-engineered monsters, and all manner of super shady conspiracy stuff, that verges on the edge of the cosmic unknown. I found it a little too silly at times, and I love silly, but something that feels a bit more together, and not just random things are thrown together in a bid to make a story.
Trepang2 feels like it’s not trying and trying too hard at the same time, with certain elements feeling out of another game altogether, such as locations and some of the more Hellish “DOOM” looking mutants. These things and more just raised so many questions and not enough pleasing resolves. And the random Easter Eggs, which take up entire levels really left me thinking if the writer of this had a game plan or an idea on where the plot should go. Late in the game, you come across the actual “Backrooms” and I’m conflicted on this. If this was a joke or a small wink, I’d be fine with it. But it’s an actual chunk of a level and just feels so out of place, and overall felt quite lazy as there could have been something else here entirely and more unique.
With all the documentation you find (80% of it useless and adding nothing to the lore) there’s very little world-building, or meaningful backstory developed throughout the game. I get a story can be second place to great gameplay, but having something weird for the sake of it, unfocused and just plain taking ideas which don’t fit narratively just feels lazy and uninspired. And the time in between missions where you hang out at your base, and get new missions just feels so empty and lifeless. At the base of operations or the HUb between missions, there is no one there, and your only contact is through your radio. You don't meet cool characters, or see the inner workings of this secret organisation at work, which is really odd. It just feels like an empty multiplayer map and could have been cut altogether.
With F.E.A.R., there was a cool mystery, interesting characters, and a compelling backstory and while some of it was a little off, it was engaging nonetheless. With Alma’s tortuous experimentation, and the fact her own father was leading the project, not to mention that the Point Man (main character) was her son, layered together into a tragic tale that was so memorable. You could see the influences from the developers and what they love from films and other games but made it work and feel structured in a cohesive plot.
I played Trepang2, read most of the documentation, and still only have half a clue about the plot, and I didn’t find it all that interesting. In general, it was just too unfocused and lacked any memorable characters, exciting developments, or compelling twists which would stick with me long after I finished the game.
Overall?Trepang2 might not be perfect, but it is really a shining light in the darkness of modern FPS gaming. It’s unashamedly brutal, confidently spectacular and balls-to-the-wall insane, offering solid and engaging gunplay and action. It sets its sights high on the likes of the great F.E.A.R., and brings in something utterly refreshing, engrossing and totally enjoyable, as it breaks away from the live service formula, and generic military shooters of old and new.
I was absolutely hooked with the gameplay from start to finish, and while there are some big gaps here and there, they don’t really hold back what is a stellar shooting experience. Trepang2 should serve as a great reminder that creativity should be encouraged more in the genre, by unleashing more mechanics and cool gameplay features, to make the most of the shooting. I hope Trepang2 influences other studios to go nuts with their gameplay, injects a ton of style and visual spectacle, and above all makes the FPS genre a creative force as it once was long ago.
I hope all these Boomer/Retro Shooters do, for the sake of the genre.
+++ Amazing gunplay and stellar action
++ Great destruction and spectacle
+ Looks and sounds great
+ Neat small mechanics including gun upgrades
-- Story is not good and the campaign feels like a random mess
- AI can be smart but use dirty tricks too often
- Lack of small destructible features does impact heavily the overall experience
A review code for Trepang2 was kindly provided by Team 17 for the purpose of this review.
