Gamedec is a game from the independent studio Anshar Studios that was already released for PC in September 2021. Now Gamedec has also landed on Nintendo Switch in the wake of a good reception by the public on PC. The Switch version of Gamedec, used for this review, does not break with the past but capitalizes heavily on us. The result is an absolutely interesting game albeit with some burrs on the edges.
Gamedec’s review for Switch
Gamedec is a Cyberpunk-inspired game with a noir setting in which we play the role of a detective. The story is set in twenty-second century in Warsaw. The exploitation of the world’s resources has made the natural environment extremely hostile and humans have holed up in large urban centers. In order to escape from this situation of confinement, people rely on virtual worlds where to realize your fantasies. Within these virtual worlds crimes are investigated and solved by specialized personnel: the Gamedecs. We are a Gamedec.
During the game we will alternate phases in which we will act in the real world (Realia) to others in which we will cross a series of virtual worlds (Virtualia). In this virtual worlds will be found the most disparate settings and we will have to participate in “themed” mini-games in order to solve each case.
The game mechanics
Gamedec is a RPG (Role-Play Game) single player with an isometric map. Its most interesting feature, however, is being completely devoid of a combat system. That is, the story and the character evolve uniquely based on the choices made by the player. As a detective, our job is also to collect clues in the field to be able to understand (deduce) what happened at the crime scene.
All choices made during the game count and all of them, both when we interact with non-player characters and when we make inferences, have consequences. Every single decision has a cascading effect on the story and the options that we will have available from there on. This means that, in the end, each game becomes totally unique.
We feel like saying that the replayability of this title is one of the best we’ve ever come across. Despite the game it can be finished in about ten hoursand, let’s see a title that will keep us busy for a very long time.
The character and his evolution
The character is initially chosen selecting a starting profile among those available. The selected profile will affect our starting skill points. From there, new skill points can be earned by interacting with non-player characters through dialogues. Skill points earned can be used within a skill tree which in turn will unlock new options in the dialogues.
Made a choice or taken a position within a dialogue, this becomes permanent and non-retractable. In fact, it will affect the story from that moment on.
The mechanics of deduction
That of the deduction is the main mechanics of the whole game and it is also the main driver of the evolution of history. The player is required to make irreversible choices based on clues that he should have collected. The clues, if not fully collected, will obviously give a partial view of the situation. The number of choices will always be the same, but their availability depends on the progress of our investigation.
We will still be able to select a choice even without having evaluated all the clues and the story will continue anyway. However, we will not be able to assess whether that really was the best choice or not.
What has changed from the PC version
To be honest, compared to the PC version, the game is very little changedfor better or for worse.
The good thing is, of course, the story and game mechanics haven’t been touched. This left the game faithful to its origins and has maintained its uniqueness. Also, we were happy to see the bugs that many complained about in the previous version they have all been put in place. In fact, it has never happened to us where to restart from a save to restore an inconsistent one.
The bad thing is that, as often happens with this type of transposition, the game arrived on the new console without the designers having been able to rethink the interface for the new system. The final result are texts and menus that a sometimes they seem too small (if you have a visual defect take it into account) and the waiting times for the loading of the levels that on a portable console displace a bit. The thing we were really sorry about, though, is that Gamedec does not take advantage of the touch screen to keep the interaction model unchanged. Nothing wrong with that, but we perceived it as a missed opportunity.
The final result is that the game is perfectly usable and maintains its uniqueness but, in fact, it is better to play it on a television; giving up some of the magic of the Switch.
The Gamedec for Switch review at a glance
Gamedec is a game from interesting story and with a gameplay that clearly differentiates him from the crowd. His approach to the RPG genre is pure and total: there are no fights but only dialogue and choices. The character evolves with the storychoice after choice.
be seven Cyberpunk literature enthusiasts and you like story-heavy adventures, then this is a game you absolutely cannot miss. And this is also true if you are a fan of Cyberpunk even as a literary genre. Because this game, as an interactive story, really knows its stuff.
If, on the other hand, your approach to RPGs is much more action-oriented. If you like to increase the character’s stats point by point to be able to take down more and more powerful bosses. In this case, we suggest you proceed with some caution. Because the game isn’t designed to give you that kind of thrill. It’s definitely a title worth checking out, but knowing that the design doesn’t target your play style.
If we really want to find a fault, there is no regionalization in Italian. Nothing wrong with that, but in an extremely story-driven game it can become a hindrance for some players.
PRO
- RPG as innovative mechanics
- Well thought out story
- Very high replayability
VERSUS
- It does not take advantage of the features of the Switch
- There is no regionalization in Italian