Abandoned title 5734L3R reboots as RE5734L3R

Although I’m skeptical, I really hope that this game sees completion

5734L3R (pronounced Stealer), the intriguing post-apocalyptic robotic future title that seemed to disappear as quickly as it had arrived is back, perhaps; or at least this shiny new teaser trailer for it seems to indicate it is for now.

While details are as fuzzy as they were when the original teaser made the rounds, we do have a few facts to go on. The official RE5734L3R site describes the title as a “platformer that focusses on atmosphere and exploration,” and on the title’s Facebook page, the developer hints at the game’s design by asking “How do you feel about the idea that in game will not be any gameplay? Just a world that you can explore [sic].”

We do have a few bullet points to go on; although, like the quotes used above, some of them are not entirely clear — most likely as a result of errors in translation from Russian to English:

• Interact with the environment to connect to the world.
• Use stealth to survive.
• Solve puzzles to get access.
• Hack the Network and social chips to make robots more friendly.
• Move up the hierarchy of robots to get admin rights.
• Use Bugs to fly very far.

Lastly, we have this description from the title’s ModDB page to factor in: “It’s not a game about gameplay, but about the world you are in. There are no humans and perhaps never was. But some aspects of the world (‘anatomy’ of certain robots, a kind of ‘alphabet,’ architecture etc) make this possibility very likely. Even though 5734L3R is robot and look like many other robots, he is a stranger in this world. He came here to steal something very important [sic].”

So, there you go. We’ve got sharp-looking pixel art, gameplay that purportedly involves stealth, puzzles and hacking, and a game that is not about gameplay. My take on this is that the intent here is to say RE5734L3R will be light on action or combat — but that’s just my interpretation.

The designer is also accepting donations to fund production, but be aware that unlike Kickstarter, there are no refunds, and in no way is this an endorsement to do so. With one cancellation under its belt, I would find it very hard to recommend donating unless you really like what you’re seeing and are willing to accept the substantial risk of getting nothing in return.

All things considered, I’m excited to see this title back in production. How long it stays that way remains to be seen, though. As things progress we’ll be sure to keep you posted. For now, enjoy the teaser and keep your fingers crossed that this time around the game will manage to reach completion.