Back in 2012, Dreadlocks Ltd announced the reveal of their cyberpunk video game called Dex. The Czech developers faced finical hardships before the initial release and asked for 14,000 pounds ($17,722) in a Kickstarter. By releasing a teaser for the title, the company thrived and received almost twice the amount they asked for.
After eight long years and several updated versions later, Dex has finally made its way to the Nintendo Switch. Thanks to the publisher, QubicGames, hardcore fans of this side-scroller RPG will now be able to play this game on their beloved Nintendo system.
Plot
Like most video games in the cyberpunk genre, Dex follows the same general storyline as its predecessors. In a futuristic dystopia, you play as a cyborg hacker named Dex. Very much like the classic film, The Matrix (1999), the protagonist of this game is thrown into the middle of a war between low-life hackers and corrupted government agents.
Dex is called upon by the almighty AI named Raycast, who is designed similar to the infamous character, Dr. Manhattan from The Watchmen series. Dex is labeled as a messiah and without her, the uphill battle against The Complex, the radical big brother figure, seems hopeless. Upon Raycast’s request, other hackers guide Dex through her journey to take down the backwards society they call home.
Gameplay
Dex is a 2D side scroller that offers a large dialogue tree and an expansive map. The design of the setting is pretty large for a game of this genre, luckily, fast travel to different districts are offered throughout. Most surroundings will take place in a futuristic, urbanized city, allowing Dex to venture above rooftops and in sewer systems as well.
While playing, the environment is very interactive, and this will help further the game along. Since this video game is a side-scroller mixed with an RPG, most things in the game only require the press of one button. Countless hours can be spent trying to dive deeper and deeper into the map.
Because the setting of this game is extensive, users are granted the ability to travel as they please. There is not a direct flow in Dex, meaning players can handle the game however they choose, and can complete objectives whenever they wish. This non-linear option offers a lot of fascinating outcomes in the plot, and one player’s experience to another will never be the same.
The mechanics of Dex is simple: the fighting controls are minimal, and it is quite easy to pick up. In combat, the only moves required is to punch, kick, dodge and block. Eventually, a wide arrange of firearms will be offered, however, the aiming function is not the greatest and the fire rate is inferior as well.
As Dex continues to grow and become stronger, users have the ability to upgrade her using earned skill points. By killing foe or advancing in the story, newly acquired XP can allow Dex to become more persuasive to NPC’s, learn how to become a master lockpick, be immune to poisonous gases, and much more. By the end of the game, Dex will become an overpowered cyborg that no one wants to mess with.
My Personal Experiences
Going into this game, I was quite excited. I am a huge fan of cyberpunk titles and I love the idea of dystopian settings. I thought the overall premise of the title was intriguing, but nothing I have not seen before.
I enjoyed the storyline a good amount. I found Dex and her crew of hackers to be redeeming and likeable characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the voice acting as well and found myself very attached to Dex by the end of title. Interactions with NPCs were also fascinating and my favorite aspect of the game.
On paper, Dex offers a lot of potential. The scenery is well drawn out, the layered plot trees are well designed, and the various customization makes the game never feel boring. However, the gameplay and controls created too large of a drift between its potential and the true outcome of the game.
With side-scroller games, combat is the bread and butter, and in my opinion, it was the worst part. Not only was the fighting style repetitive and dull, I found myself being able to skip over enemies as I pleased. When I search for titles in this genre, I want the action to be the best part, not something I dread and mull over.
With no doubt, I loved the setting. However, at times it was hard to tell what the playable map was and what was background imaging. Because of this, I found myself dying a fair amount just because I would jump in the wrong direction. This leads to another major problem: Loading screens and wait time takes all momentum out. Fast travel is convenient when needed to be, but waiting on screens to load every couple minutes just killed the mood for me.
The open-linear is something out of the norm for side-scrollers for me. Treating NPC’s in a certain manner could heavily impact the storyline later on. Every decision had major implications and I absolutely loved that. If Dex could have provided stronger gameplay to pair with its incredible story arch, it would have lived up the hype. Sadly, it did not and now I am stranded here wondering what could have been.
The Final Verdict
Overall, I would say Dex is a very middle of the pack game. There are a lot of highs, but also a lot of lows. I enjoyed my playthrough a good amount, however, I do not see myself going back to play it again. For the retail price of $19.99, it is a fair bargain. If combat was better, I would say this game would be a dark horse contender for one of my favorite games of 2020. However, the game just did not follow through with the controls and this ends up hurting the rating quite a lot.
Final Score: 6.5/10
Check Out the DEX Trailer:
For more information, please visit: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/dex-switch/
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Nintendo Switch Review
Video games have played an essential role in my life since my parents purchased me my very own GameCube. Countless years and games later, I still have appreciation and love for the gaming community and culture. My passion for a variety of games has kept me close to many friends and roommates over the years. Starting in the fall, I will be embarking on my final year at Michigan State University. I am very excited to see what this year full of gaming will pertain.
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