Dex Reviews

Controls are a bit jank, but still enjoyable.

Here's how to pick whether to buy this game: [h1]Do you like Cyberpunk/Shadowrun-style games?[/h1] Then but this game for more of your favorite setting and all of its tropes, especially if it's on sale. Controls are no more jank than SNES Shadowrun and you beat that game a long time ago, right? [h1]I don't have a strong affinity for these types of games...[/h1] Then this game is going to come across as fairly mid, especially if you at any time played Hairbrained Schemes "Shadwowrun" games. Controls take a bit of getting used to. They're not jank, but require you to play by their rules, especially for melee combat. Writing for side characters is all over the place from excellent to "meh". Combat feels a bit stilted, but it's easy to get used to with a bit of common sense like going for headshots and letting your aim readjust instead of spamming the fire button. I would say the best thing about the game is its length. My first luxurious playthrough was about 20 hours which is just about the point where the game's mechanics go from "fun" to "tiresome". All that said I did immediately start a second playthrough with a "melee only" build because now that I know what to do and how the game flows I can easily become an awesome ninja and just cruise for a comfy finish.

Dex is a difficult and, at times, confusing game. The hacking system is especially frustrating — both hard to master and poorly explained. If you don't realize early on that neurostims boost your focus, hacking becomes unnecessarily punishing. Worse, the hacking minigame doesn’t feel realistic. For a cyberpunk game so focused on hacking, it would’ve been more engaging (and fitting) to incorporate real-world elements like basic programming or networking concepts. Instead, it feels generic and tedious. Mission tracking is another major issue. The journal often doesn’t update properly, leading to moments where you're not sure what to do next or who to deliver something to. The quest structure ends up feeling unclear and disorganized. The atmosphere is decent, but not particularly memorable. Some areas feel completely empty — literally just rooms with nothing in them. Why create a room and leave it totally blank? At least put $20 or some item to give it a purpose. Resources are scarce, which creates a sense of fragility. If you make poor choices with your skills or money, you might end up needing to restart the entire game. There’s no proper support or safety net, and the auto-save checkpoints are poorly placed, which adds to the frustration. There are some good ideas here, but the execution often gets in the way of enjoyment. Unless you’re ready for a steep learning curve and a lot of trial and error, this game might not be for you.