OVERALL IMPRESSION:
Gamedec is a non-combat role playing game set in a high tech cyberpunk world where virtual reality gaming has become a mainstream staple. You take on the role of a gamedec aka game detective hired to solve a series of cases that has repercussions both in the virtual and real world. Touching upon common themes in the cyberpunk and detective space such as extreme capitalism, the nature of reality, existentialism and moral ambiguity. As my first foray into a non-combat role playing game, I was quite stricken by how much I enjoyed the experience. The combination of exploring themes of reality, gaming, and uncovering clues to piece together several mysteries is intriguing and for those that resonate with the material it will pull you into this world. If you enjoy solving a mystery or D&D style adventures with challenging and impactful choices this is a title that you should look into.
GAMEPLAY:
Mix the role playing of D&D into a cyberpunk world and take on the profession of a detective and you have Gamedec. This game captured my interest, took me for a ride and left me contemplating the many choices that are thrown at you. This entire experience is all about making uncovering information and making decisions. The premise is simple. You take on various cases, talk to individuals in the surrounding area, investigate clues and make deductions and choices that affect both the current case and how the overall narrative plays out. Dialogue choices and investigation make up the core gameplay experience. Each case that you take on will bring you to a new unique location and will usually come with its own specific mechanics, operating as a type of mini-game within each scenario.
Staring out you’ll be able to select a character class. This will determine your starting attributes. You can gain additional trait points through your dialogue choices. Eventually as you gain enough points you’ll be able to spend then in a skill tree to unlock various skills that will give you additional dialogue choices.
The core mechanic of solving a case is intriguing. As you uncover clues in the environment and talk to various individuals in the surrounding area, your choices in dialogue scenes will unlock new information and deductions. A case is usually made up of several deductions for critical aspects of the investigation. Meaning each scenario is complex and a variety of factors will determine how it plays out. The more information you uncover, the more deductions you’ll make. You’ll then reach a point where you will need to select a deduction that you believe is true. The scene will then play out according to your choice. Although there isn’t any form of traditional combat, dialogue choices generate tension and drama, thereby keeping the experience interesting throughout.
On top of case specific choices, certain decisions will also have effects that carry on into subsequent cases and potentially affect the outcome of the overall story. This makes player choices impactful. You’re often faced with moral grey areas. Often what appears to be ‘right’ doesn’t play out exactly how you may have thought. Like any good mystery there are twists and compelling revelations along the journey. Making challenging decisions and seeing how they play out is what makes the game captivating.
STORY:
The story explores interesting themes revolving around what life would be like in a high tech world where virtual reality allows individuals to live different lifestyles. There’s a strong focus on the consequences and benefits of technology as well as commentary on capitalism and existentialism. The core of the main narrative is inspired by a collection of short stories by Polish sci-fi author Marcin Przybylek. Much of the narrative focuses on plot and uncovering new information to enable you to make choices. There are also some character moments as you learn more about your own life in this world as well as those that you’ve come in contact with. Because there are so many choices and character’s that you meet along the way there is replay value in revisiting cases to see how different choices affect the narrative.
ART DESIGN:
The overall art direction falls nicely within what you would expect in a cyberpunk world. There are plenty of high tech gadgets, robots and flying cars. On top of that the mixing of virtual reality and the real world allows for quite a surprising range of settings that all represent different aspects of the gaming worlds and reality. Although aspects of the design are familiar, pulling everything together into a narrative led detective adventure is a setting and context I would love to see more of.
CHALLENGES:
This game for the most part doesn’t hold your hand. This allows for exploration and gives the player the power to figure things out and play as they wish. This also comes with the challenge of having a steep learning curve upfront. For example, choices in the early scenarios carry significant impact, but often the player is still learning how things work. In addition, there can be times when what to do next is unclear and/or you may not realize the weight of the decisions you’ve made as you are experimenting.
During most of your adventure you are given free reign to explore, but during one case the scenario mechanic heavily controls your actions. This limits your ability to really take your time and check out what you want to. It does have the effect of evaluating your actions more closely and be more intentional, but the freedom to explore at your own pace is what contributes to the magic and appeal of this title. This is one of the challenges in the game that really felt out of place amongst the other scenarios.
The other challenge that stands out is that although the narrative is captivating, it’s heavily focused on plot. This makes sense as a detective who is solving cases and there are character moments interwoven throughout. However, it would have been nice to get a deeper dive on some of the other characters and even the main protagonist. This is a challenge, but also a good sign that the player wants to get to know more about this world and the characters that inhabit it. Ultimately, it’s not a major flaw, but more speaks about the potential that this IP carries.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
Gamedec is a surprising and classic role playing adventure where your choices matter. The combination of non-combat, a cyberpunk setting with virtual reality makes for an intriguing and captivating experience that focuses on your skills as a detective. Although there are minor challenges along the way, if you enjoy a narrative role playing adventure with challenging choices this is a title you may want to check out. It may not be for everyone since there isn’t traditional combat, but if you are open to the idea you may be surprised by what you find.
GAME DETAILS
PLATFORMS: PC, Nintendo Switch
RELEASE: 2021
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER: Anshar Studios
GENRE/TAGS: Adventure, Role Playing, Point and Click, Non-Combat, Single Player, Isometric
TARGET AUDIENCE: Role playing and mystery fans that enjoy a narrative experience.
COVER IMAGE CREDIT: Anshar Studios
THANKS:
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