Dex Review – Engrossed in the shell

Cyberpunk: There’s never enough of it, and I’ll happily consume as much of the genre as I can get my augmented digits on. Whether it’s a return to the Renaissance-influenced streets of the recent Deus Ex games or a hungry anticipation for what’s to come in Cyberpunk 2077, the genre is alive and well currently.

It’s also a malleable one, able to download new sub-genres into its network on expand upon them with signature despair from a dystopia that’s not too far off on our timeline. Dex is a neat take on the genre, flexing cyber-muscles that emphasise choice as you explore the grimy alleyways of a world caught between the heavy-handed nature of an authoritarian organisation that’s out for blood and reluctant hacktivists helping you realise your potential as the Chosen One of a trans-humanist world gone mad.

To survive long enough to save the day, you’ll be doing plenty of cyberpunking: Hacking systems, recruiting a colourful cast of misfits as allies and dealing with ruthless enemies who want to take you offline with extreme prejudice. It’s a good thing then that Dex has plenty of options available to you for working your way around a bionic brouhaha, as its combat is largely rubbish.

You can instead use stealth to pick off foes and hack your way past them using a novel mini-game, which is an infinitely more preferable way to deal with enemies who soak up more bullets than James Caan at a tollbooth when you decide to shoot your way out. Dex can level herself up, improving on her ability to absorb damage, hack locks and talk her way out of hairy situations.

The world of Dex is also a fascinating one to explore, filled to the brim with eccentric characters and locations that you’ll want to explore. Dex nails all the tropes of Cyberounk design, infusing its neon-lit streets with a sense of mystery and noir themes along the way. Not that I’m complaining, as that’s exactly what I’m looking for in a cyberpunk game.

Dex is gorgeous to look at, has a captivating story to engage in and is downright frustrating when you need to fight your way out of danger.

9860

switch/dex

Last Updated: August 5, 2020