Sometimes you come across a game that’s bound to be a hidden gem on the Nintendo Switch. Not that strange, since most of the Nintendo consoles and handhelds are known for their colorful and joyful games. Well, luckily, there are also games with a more dystopian and cyberpunk setting, like ROM 2064, Transistor, Valhalla, and Dex. Dex? Yes, Dex, a game that originated from a Kickstarter, ran through 2017. Fast forward to 2020, and the game landed on the Nintendo Switch, and are we glad it did.
Cyberpunk Madness
Can’t wait until Cyberpunk drops? Yes, I know, it’s not coming to the Nintendo Switch (although you never know). Well, maybe Dex can fill up that cyberpunk hole that’s a yearning in your heart. Time to plug into the cyberpunk world Megaman Battle Network style, and enter a 2D action-RPG with non-linear gameplay. Explore, fight, talk, and hack through a neo-noir adventure! In Dex, you play as the mysterious blue-haired girl named Dex, who is being hunted by a powerful and enigmatic organization for her unique abilities. It’s the classic story of a big brother-esque government organization running taps on everyone and everything around them, with a small resistance group trying to uncover the truth. Are you the one they build the big bad interface after? Are you the avatar? Time to find out and explore the misty, futuristic streets of Harbor Prime in this open-world dystopia. Unearth plots and intrigues, forge alliances and take the fight to your enemies on your quest to take down the system!
Dex
The world of Dex is designed as a tribute to some of the greatest neo-noir and cyberpunk worlds with a mature storyline, murky atmosphere, and distinct characters. And this is notable; the whole art style resembles neo-noir, it lives and breathes 1984 and dystopian hacker drama’s. It’s like walking through an 80’s flick or comic series and helps to set the mood. Combine this with the gameplay, which felt like a throwback to classic 2D platforming and action games but mixed with deep RPG elements, interactive dialogues, and real-time combat.
When opening up the level up menu and inventory, it felt like an upgraded version of some of the early Fallout-games, but then in a 2D setting instead of the ARPG Diablo settings. This means a lot of reading since Dex is a little text-heavy. Luckily it has a lot of options to customize your preferred text size, which is a recommendation when playing Dex in Handheld. All of the dialogue is voiced, but I prefer to read through my lines in these kinds of games, so the option to enlarge the subs and menu text was a pleasure for my eyes.
Fallout x Diablo x Cyber..crime?
The story felt exciting and gave me a lot of options on how to tackle specific problems—blowing up the bridge by stealing C4 from some locals punks? Or crawling through the toxic sewers to find a key to the locked door yourself? Bargaining is the primary skill in these kinds of games, and Dex offers a lot of freedom on this. Sidequests are mostly optional but will reward you with some funny dialogues or useful items that can be obtained by buying them, but now getting them for ‘free’ is always the better option. Another exciting addition to the gameplay of Dex is the hacking sequence. By plugging into cyberspace, you enter an arcade-style shoot-em-up sequence in which you control a small ‘plane’ like figure. You are tasked with shooting down firewalls and turrets while avoiding viruses and trojan horses. It was a refreshing mix of the 2D-scrolling RPG-ing, and it’s this blend that makes Dex stand out from the crowd.
Due to the way the skill tree of Dex works, it’s possible to customize your character’s skills and equipment to match your desired playstyle. When given the option, I prefer to kill from shadows as a silent assassin, instead of fighting the power head-on as a gunfighter Another notable option is the use persuasion like a sly diplomat or fight from a distance in cyberspace as a hacker, sadly this option was not my cup of tea. Both storywise and character-wise, Dex’s blur the line between being human and “cyborg” by installing augmentations that grant you superhuman abilities. But you’ll have to do so since that’s the only way to open up new paths in Harbour Prime (and that’s how it’s supposed to be since it’s a Metroidvania in a way).
Conclusion
So, to conclude! If you are into dystopian noir-hackers, you can eat your heart out with Dex. If you like Fallout and Diablo games, blended with a touch of Metroidvania? You’ll like Dex. If you don’t like reading, you won’t like Dex. Give yourself the time and room to dive deeper into the world of cybercrime, dystopian conspiracy theories, and cyborgs, and you won’t be disappointed. I know I won’t be, so time to grab my coat and find myself someplace to hide for the night.
