Metascore
62

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 16
  2. Negative: 2 out of 16
  1. May 22, 2015
    85
    Dex is a game that definitely deserves to see and experience. It is not the game of the year or the best indie RPG we've ever played, but it's a well-built effort that will excite fans of 2D action games, sprinkled with reasonable quantities of RPG mechanisms and a satisfactory story to support it.
  2. May 13, 2015
    85
    There are a few bugs here and there, but they hardly keep Dex from being an overall enjoyable ride.
  3. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jun 29, 2015
    76
    Brief dialogue, complex, but underexplained plot, practical minimalism in combat and no attempts to toy with 3D – two dimensions is more than enough to navigate ventilation shafts, evade hazards like toxic gas, stealthily take down a guard or break your legs in a miscalculated jump. [Issue#199, p.82]
  4. Sep 16, 2015
    75
    Its retro-style gameplay may be a bit too simplistic for its own good, but, nevertheless, Dex manages to depict a detailed cyberpunk environment and tell a well-written story.
  5. CD-Action
    Jul 27, 2015
    75
    Dex really surprised me. Under its modest externals I found a decent, complex RPG game incorporating everything that makes cyberpunk an attractive setting. [08/2015, p.56]
  6. May 27, 2015
    75
    Dex delivers an interesting story and a solid gameplay, but there are some bugs and aspects with some room for improvement that prevent it from becoming a better experience.
  7. May 23, 2015
    73
    You can get lost following all the story lines in Harbor Prime, a beautiful distopian city. But some flaws are able to bring you back to reality.
  8. Nov 11, 2016
    70
    Overall, Dex is a worthwhile game featuring a compelling, beautifully rendered universe and setting, a well-paced immersive story, and deep characters. It offers a very enjoyable experience that will keep players driven to explore its world and progress in its narrative. The core foundations of its gameplay styles are fun, and chock-full of potential, even if that potential isn't fully realized in some areas. In many ways, Dex's main flaw is that the game doesn't deliver more of the possibilities promised by its strong foundations, and that is not the worst flaw for a game to have.
  9. Aug 10, 2015
    70
    Dex conveys a sense of depth while remaining somewhat shallow; regardless, it is an enjoyable cyberpunk experience.
  10. Jul 6, 2015
    70
    A nice action RPG, with a lot of character and an interesting story, but some annoying flaws in terms of execution and a pretty bland action gameplay.
  11. Jun 4, 2015
    70
    Mediocre fights and design errors couldn't beat the fact, Dex is a pleasant cyberpunk RPG for the fans of the genre.
  12. PC PowerPlay
    Oct 1, 2015
    60
    Dex has a lot of ideas and mechanics, but ultimately feels unfocussed as a result. [Oct 2015, p.64]
  13. Jul 4, 2015
    55
    A combination of a decent role-playing game and a so-so platformer — not the best result after four years of development.
  14. Jul 21, 2015
    50
    Dex creates an interesting world, but the gameplay leaves a lot to be desired. It's a Kickstarter-funded game that quickly shows lack of budget and skilled developers. If you can see past the shortcomings and crude fighting system you will find a few hours of decent fun.
  15. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 8, 2015
    40
    Heavily bugged boredom succeeded only with causing despair and reluctance to continue. After a lot of patches it will be playable, but definitely there’s little chance patches add any fun to the game. [Issue#253]
  16. Jun 27, 2015
    30
    It offers all the right elements that the genre needs, but fails to utilise them in any particularly original, entertaining or - indeed - working state. [Issue#162, p.112]
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 104 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 71 out of 104
  2. Negative: 14 out of 104
  1. May 12, 2015
    10
    one of the few cyberpunk games these games. dex doesn't inspire
    to become the next cyberpunk 2077 (it's not out yet :P ). but what it sets
    one of the few cyberpunk games these games. dex doesn't inspire
    to become the next cyberpunk 2077 (it's not out yet :P ). but what it sets out
    to do, it does it really great. a great atmosphere, nice quests, non-linear gameplay.

    all in all it's a 2d rpg, with good character development, that is a strange
    combination, but it comes out wonderfully.
    Full Review »
  2. May 9, 2015
    9
    I loved the story, setting, aesthetic, characters, voice acting (mostly amazing - was one or two questionable but I've yet to play a gameI loved the story, setting, aesthetic, characters, voice acting (mostly amazing - was one or two questionable but I've yet to play a game where that is not the case), and game play (I primarily did stealth - which was a blast).

    However, on release day there were a few bugs, but they released a 30MB+ patch within 24 hours to address some. The main ones I experienced were some minor controller issues (text scrolling sometimes required a mouse in menus) and an end game saving issue.

    Aside from those two bugs, I really loved the game. A lot. Especially if you're a Gibson or Stephenson fan, buy this game. Some of the best $20 I've ever spent, and I can't wait to see what these guys do in the future.
    Full Review »
  3. Jun 22, 2015
    8
    To start off my review, I want to say that Dex is a really fun game and I would most certainly recommend it. However, there are a number ofTo start off my review, I want to say that Dex is a really fun game and I would most certainly recommend it. However, there are a number of bugs and gameplay issues that can hinder the overall experience, and although I enjoyed the game, I can't help but to feel some disappointment in the final execution. To put it short, if you want a casual experience just to enjoy the story, this game might not be for you.

    Now to break everything down. Dex takes place in a really cool cyberpunk setting. As a fan of sci-fi and cyberpunk, I think the game captures the cyberpunk feel perfectly. The art is truly superb. The character sprites look great, and the environments are very colourful and beautifully done. Dex proves to us that you don't need a game to be all grey and brown to show a gritty setting. This is complemented by a lovely musical score. Music playing in every area was fitting to the setting and memorable. Most notable one is the main theme, which has become one of my personal favourite main themes in gaming.

    The story has its good points, but overall it's a pretty standard cyberpunk story. Hackers, gangsters, evil corporations, secret experiments - all this stuff makes an appearance. To me most issues come in the gameplay.

    The gameplay consists of a mix of stealth, combat, and hacking in cyberspace. Hand-to-hand combat was really well done. The fighting was smooth and each impact was felt. By contrast, gun combat was done rather badly. For some odd reason, it's not possible to walk with your gun out. If you want to shoot, you have to stand absolutely still. If you make so much as a step, the character automatically holsters the gun. This can become extremely annoying during fight sequences, where each second can mean a difference between shooting the enemy and them taking off half of your healthbar.

    The platforming aspects such as jumping and climbing were fine enough, although at times it was very hard to tell where you could jump onto and where you couldn't. At times it seemed like you could jump onto something, only to see your character fall through it and to their death. And because you cannot save when you want, this becomes annoying.

    Hacking... ugh. I just didn't like it at all. It was nothing more than a basic pixel shooter and your sole job is to click, click, and click. What annoyed me more than the hacking mini-game itself is the fact how often the game forced you to play it. Most times there were no alternatives. Play the darn hacking mini-game or make no progress. I signed up for a cyberpunk sidescroller, not a cyberspace pixel shooter.

    The game also had some balance issues. Like for example, there was no permanent cheap/free heal anywhere in the city. So if you were out of money and low on health, there's probably nothing you can do about it. Likewise, there was never any place where I could grind for money and/or experience.

    The game had plenty of sidequests. Most were pretty interesting and I attempted to solve each one of them. However, quite a few of them I never managed to solve due to things not being clear. Maybe I just needed to do more exploration or simply to get lucky, but I think a bit more direction would've been nice. What was nice though is how some main quests and sidequests had nice multi-branched paths to accomplishing your goal and at times you had to make important decisions.

    Finally to round it off, the ending was extremely disappointing and felt rushed. Without giving any spoilers, the game forces you to do your "final fight" in cyberspace. That's right. Hacking again. And the ending cutscene lasted a total of 10 seconds. I really wish there was more to the ending than what I've experienced.

    I know this is a tonne of criticism, but I am glad to have played through this game, and it is a promising game. It's just, it's currently riddled with too many small issues, which pile up and hinder the enjoyment.
    Full Review »