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 games such as Metal Gear Solid.

"We got to that million-dollar figure by cutting as much as we could, because we're small.

"If you're making a puzzle platformer with two or three guys in a room, that's a different story. We're trying to make a game that rivals Resident Evil or the original Metal Gear Solid. We're trying to do that in half the time, with a small team, and a fraction of those budgets," Payton said to Edge.

The game's goal was met with just hours remaining on Friday, May 11. Funding stagnated mid-way through through 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 Shephard in the Mass Effect series.

Republique is a stealth game, centered around Hope, a girl who has been imprisoned for her life, as you influenced her movements via security cameras. The game was originally iOS-only, though PC and Mac versions were said to be uniquely designed.

Payton left 343 Industries as Creative Director on Halo 4 during September 2011, citing differences in the direction he wanted to take the franchise. Republique is described as a console experience for mobile platforms. It features a 4-5 hour campaign, full voice acting, branching narrative and "Metroidvania" exploration.

Payton was also told setting a smaller funding goal could lead to a higher final total, though he said the studio needed $500,000 to retain creative control and ownership of the IP.

"People have a lot of confidence in this game. They see it as a big game, they see it as a big moment in history in our current console generation.

"That tells me we're doing something right," Payton added.