Gamedec is an enthralling RPG that challenges you in both your intelligence and your morality. The story is full of interesting turns, the gameplay invites replayability, and the atmosphere is wonderfully dank. There are some small technical issues, and the story can get a bit dense towards the end, but overall, Gamedec is a great game.
Gamedec
Developer: Anshar Studios
Price: $30
Platforms: PC (reviewed) and Nintendo Switch at a later date
MonsterVine was provided with a PC code for review
I’ve been intrigued by Gamedec since I first saw it at PAX East 2020. The idea of a nearly combat-free isometric RPG that hinges on your own choices is cool enough, but throw in the detective aspect, and you’ve got something that is right up my alley. I had high hopes after previewing it, and those hopes have largely been met. Outside of a few technical issues, Gamedec is an immersive and intricate game that I highly recommend.
In Gamedec, you play as a detective who solves crimes in games– suitably known as a gamedec. You solve a few game-related crimes for clients through seedy MMOs and Farmville rip-offs and meet all sorts of sordid characters along the way. Eventually, you start to unravel enormous conspiracies that could change the world itself, so long as you make certain choices. The build-up is gradual and earned, the characters are memorable, and the choices are often very gray. It’s a great mix for a detective story that gets you thinking on more than one occasion.
The way that the story is divided by in-universe games, each with different mechanics and environments, is inspired and keeps the story from dragging on. The grimy and violent world of Twisted & Perverted is vastly different from the bright Western world of Harvest Time. When you’re in Harvest Time, you have to farm coins and open lootboxes while you investigate various shady characters. Each game within Gamedec provides commentary on society and the games we play simultaneously, which can be a fun combo.
“Your gamedec is truly your own, as you can shape them into whatever kind of character you want them to be.“
The story does get a bit dense towards the end, where major truths become apparent and a lot of characters are introduced. It can be a bit much to take in, as you connect the dots between the various characters and start to understand what’s happening. It all becomes fairly clear as you go on, but there’s a lot of information to take in at once when you reach the last part of the game.
The most impressive thing about Gamedec is that it feels as though your choices really do matter. Important characters live and die by your choices, and there are multiple endings that can be achieved, depending on the choices you made throughout the entirety of the game. What skills you acquire and who you agree with morally (if you do agree with anyone) all play a major part in the formation of the story, which makes it feel rich and full of different paths to tread. The deductions you make can lead to all sorts of differences in the story, meaning your keen mind is what shapes the story.
There’s very little combat in Gamedec, as you must use skills, threats, and talents of all kinds to navigate your way out of (or into) situations. If you fancy yourself a hacker, you can put the various personality points you earn through dialogue into hacking skills, which opens new doors in investigations for you. If you’re more charismatic, you can spend your points on personality skills. Your gamedec is truly your own, as you can shape them into whatever kind of character you want them to be. I’m looking forward to replaying the game with an entirely different build, as I saw many prompts throughout my playthrough that I couldn’t access due to my character’s build that seemed quite intriguing.
I encountered a few bugs in Gamedec that will hopefully be patched out. My character would be interacting with an object while his model was elsewhere, and dialogue options would occasionally display a number instead of the lines, making it difficult to know what I was supposed to pick. These are pretty small issues that could be patched, so I’m confident that Anshar will fix these problems quickly.
Gamedec looks quite sharp, though it could use a bit more character art. The environments perfectly sell the feeling of being in a slimy but highly advanced future, while the character portraits give off a lot of personality for each character. I do wish that there were more portraits, as some of the seemingly important characters are stuck with generic darkened portraits. Otherwise, Gamedec is excellent at balancing various aesthetics while maintaining the same hard-boiled tone throughout the game’s length.
The Final Word
Gamedec is an immersive and intriguing isometric RPG that uses its concept and setting to great effect. There are some small bugs and the story gets a bit dense, but none of this should stop you from trying Gamedec out. It’s a unique and refreshing RPG, which I look forward to playing through again in the future.
MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
