Collecting My Thought on Dex—To Judge a Game by Its Cover

Once in a blue moon, I come across a game so impactful and revelatory it sparks a movement within my core. Dex is not one of these games. However, it did turn out to be a surprisingly well put together package of telepathic hacking fun. I say "surprisingly" because this was one of the games I picked to play based solely on seeing its curious title and cover. The last game I did this with was N.E.R.O. and we know how that turned out. This time, fortunately, I found myself a nifty little hidden gem.

Virtually every aspect of the game is done to an agreeable standard. An exception to the rule is the handful of characters that have overly corny dialogue (putting Dex and Tony in the same room together was a bad idea) and also others with questionable accents. The top-down Asteroids-esque style was an odd choice for the hacking part of the game but it is quite fun and works well with the concept of hacking enemies and security systems in the non-cyber world. The RPG leveling system is simple and easy on the eyes, and the supplementary augmentation mechanic ties in well with the story. However, certain traits you get or improve through these can throw the game's difficulty off-balance especially towards the latter half where it got a little easy. Despite this, the game was still enjoyable to play right up til the end. This is partially due to the various unique quests on offer that ridge the game with vibrant lore, but for the most part it is due to the world of the game itself. The benighted Harbor Prime is sleazy, grimy and rife with movement. It is a city where people of every colour, class and agenda coexist in a neon-lit melting pot. Playing as "chosen one" novice hacker Dex, you are compelled to investigate every corner of Harbor Prime as soon as you get the chance to roam free. Because of this you are even more engaged to every storyline the denizens of the city have you involved in; and despite the game's overarching tale of AI supremacy and hacker revolution actually being nothing too exceptional, the storytellers behind the curtains have you as a captive audience from start to finish.

The Czech Republic's Dreadlocks have plenty to be proud of with Dex. The main lesson to be learned from my experience of playing it is if one can hook the player in with the world one creates, then the stories, characters and gameplay contained within will automatically become that much more enjoyable. The game's world cannot be left as an oversight, and Harbor Prime clearly was not. It is the silver platter on which a standard meal is served, and when the food looks that good it must taste good too, right? Goes to show that you can judge a game by its cover after all.

#FavouriteMechanic Missing packages. Never have I been so tempted to rip open other people's undelivered items instead of doing the right thing.

#FavouriteCharacter Lily oozes sex without being raunchy. "May I call you Clair? Clair de Lune." lmao!

#Nudity The "Aphrodeet" is where pleasure turns, and needs uncurl. They serve augmented and Flesh-and-Blood. I recommend both.

#FavouriteName Mademoiselle de Lune, duh.