With nerfs to the strength strat, semibots must come up with a new way to survive their R.E.P.O. runs now that the big update is here. A new map, weapons, items, and UI changes face you. Do you have what it takes to adapt and survive?
Public matchmaking is now available. Although no official patch notes have been released at the time of writing this article (as this is an open beta), here is everything you need to know about R.E.P.O.‘s first big update.
R.E.P.O. patch notes
New content
The main addition this update has is the enormous museum called Museum of Human Art. This features predominately larger rooms, making it difficult to evade monsters, but significantly easier to navigate around. There’s not so much risk of getting lost here, or losing track of where Extraction Points are.
Most of the level is open and often feature multiple floors even in the early game. Cover isn’t much of an option in the museum, so you will have to think on your feet and enter the level with equipment if you want to survive multiple extractions.
New weapons and valuables
This update includes eight new items and two new upgrades. The Stun Mine has also been renamed to Trapzap. Here’s what you need to know about the new additions:
| Item | Cost | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Duck Bucket | $6-7K | Found in the secret shop, the Duck Bucket has one function: to cover the Apex Predator. Simply hold and drop it over the Duck standing in front of you and watch it waddle around slowly, being unable to follow or turn into its aggressive and over-powered form. |
| Pulse Pistol | $15-16K | The Pulse Pistol is a small firearm that resembles the Ray Gun. Shooting this at monsters causing them to get blasted back, having a significant knockback effect that temporarily stuns and halts their movement. Enemies will fall to the ground and stay there for approximately two to four seconds before standing back up to resume their patrol. This weapon can also kill monsters. This pistol is best used to launch the Robe, Headman, and Reaper away, causing them to reset and forget about your existence (so long as you’re not still standing directly in front of them). It can also be used to launch enemies into acid/lava pools or off the map, although this is harder to achieve. It takes two bullets to kill the Duck and four to kill a Reaper. |
| Boltzap | $17-18K | A crossbow with minute stun effects. Capable of killing monsters, a single bolt can hit multiple enemies at once (so long as they’re directly next to one another). The main way this works is if the enemy taking a direct hit bounces back into nearby monsters, having the same knockback effect on them. This deals damage and throws monsters to the ground, but they can and will immediately get back up, so don’t use this as a way to stun and attack monsters. It has a ridiculous charge size, making it incredibly useful. However it’ll likely cost one to two Energy Crystals to replenish. It takes approximately four charges/arrows to kill a Mentalist. |
| Prodzap | $28-29K | A melee weapon that doesn’t deal much damage but is an effective stun weapon. The monster will drop and likely take extra damage hitting the ground. This gives you around three seconds to run away or swap weapon if your goal is to kill the threat you’ve stunned. |
| Cart Cannon | $42-44K | A cart-mounted weapon with four charges. Can one-shot all monsters. Best used in close-proximity to make the most out of this powerful weapon. 500 damage in one shot. |
| Cart Laser | $42-44K | A cart-mounted weapon with four charges. Takes approximately three seconds to use a charge. 50 damage every successful hit. Will likely throw the high HP monster backwards, where you need to reposition if you want to hit it again. |
| Photon Blaster | $46-48K | Handheld version of the Cart Laser with precise three-second beam. |
| Phase Bridge | $19-20K | Energy bridge you can extend to climb onto structures. |
| Tumble Wings Upgrade | $4-5K | Get wings to fly further during Tumble Launch (Q). |
| Crouch Rest Upgrade | $7-8K | Replenish stamina bar at a faster rate. |
Items aren’t the only new thing to interact with. You can find a ton of new valuables inside the Museum of Human Art map, such as a giant baby head that cries when its eyes open, a strange pacifier, a jamming boombox, and many more. These include medium to heavy valuables that have unique and significant effects, adding more comedic moments, but are hard to exfil with.
Sadly, there isn’t any new monsters for R.E.P.O.‘s first big update. But there’s more than enough content here to experience the game as if you’re new. The main reason for this is the added Overcharge feature.
Overcharge feature
Overcharge stops you from holding onto monsters for too long. The amount of time it takes to fill the gauge on your cursor depends on the monster you’re trying to grab. This has been implemented to stop the popular strength stat, which made it incredibly easy to lift and slam enemies, making all weapons pointless. If the gauge becomes full your semibot will implode, taking 20HP.
Weapon buffs
While you can still quickly grab monsters on full strength to throw them off the map, you won’t be able to rely on this all the time, as the deadliest of enemies’ Overcharge gauges fill incredibly fast. But semiwork has found a great middleman if you’re not happy with the strength counter—weapon buffs.
Firearms have received a significant buff in both their ammunition and accuracy. These firearms still take the same number of bullets to kill each monster, though. But firearms are now cheaper in the Service Station, making them equipment you shouldn’t pass up.
UI changes
R.E.P.O. has a much sleeker design when you load into the level. The weapons, throwables, Drones, and Charging Station accurately display the charge level of each item, making it clear how much you have left in the tank.
This may be a placebo, but the sound design seems better, too. It’s more realistic and clearer, with seemingly new ambient noises added to increase the overall fear factor this co-op horror provides. Music plays in some areas of Museum of Human Art—you can hear the crunch of soil and grass under your feet in courtyards, and there’s clanging behind you, as if you’re being watched and followed.
Balance changes
Semiwork has implemented balance changes for more gameplay variety in the early game (like Overcharge), which are added every five levels to improve its difficulty leveling. These will be referred to as Moon Phases.
Semibots can replenish stamina faster by staying still while crouched. There are now team discounts for healing items and Energy Crystals, including extra health from the truck at the end of a round in levels one to five. Small and medium valuables will successfully stun monsters up to level five, making them more “unsteady.” Monsters will then be harder to stun/kill from level five onwards (every five levels), where their strength will increase as you invest in upgrades. These are now in the open beta.
