Dex Demo

Cyberpunk universes are not extraordinarily common nowadays, given the fact that people usually gravitate toward genres like fantasy or something that involves zombies. Even so, there are quite a few examples of great quality when it comes to cyberpunk video games, the most famous of which is obviously the Deus Ex franchise. The game at hand tries to emulate Deus Ex in a few ways, and it actually manages to do so.

Dex is an engaging 2D platformer with RPG elements and an intriguing story that allows you to toy with body augmentations and an AI that aims to reach singularity. The gameplay is a great mix of platforming, action-adventure and various mini-games, not to mention the fact that you also get to improve your character along the way by spending experience points.

To begin with, you play the role of Dex, a young woman who finds herself in the middle of a convoluted situation that involves mercenaries, corporations and hacktivists. More difficult questions make an appearance later on, including existential questions by the time you find out more about artificial intellgence and you start to augment your own body with artificial pieces.

Your character is able to perform a variety of actions throughout the adventure, including combat moves and decent gunplay. However, every now and again you can get involved in mini-games instead, such as puzzles or shoot ‘em up sequences that has you exploring the cyberspace. Each one of these sequences helps a lot with the atmosphere, even if they can get repetitive after a while.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that the developers have put a lot of work in the atmosphere, because every level feels unique and quite immersive. Hence, the level design is engaging and memorable, not to mention the colors and the music that goes along with the visual component. Even if the graphics quality is not on par with Deus ex or similar games, the artwork is definitely up there with the best of them.

When it’s all said and done, Dex is a pleasant surprise when it comes to indie productions, especially in regards to story and graphics. However, the gameplay is not too bad either, depending on how much you love platforming, dialog and mini-games.