GameDec is an isometric adventure RPG that places players in an interesting role. They are tasked with solving crimes in video game worlds. Players will adventure through multiple locations as they try to piece together what links these cases and ultimately bring it all to an end. With multiple endings and dialog options, Gamedec is something worth checking out, even with its bugs and flaws.
Story
GameDec puts players in the role of a GameDec (be prepared to hear this term alot) , A private detective who work between both virtual worlds and the real worlds to solve crimes. After selecting a skin and deciding what their characters name will be, players are thrown into the city of Warsaw and sent on their first case. Players are Tasked with solving the mystery as to why someone’s son is unable to log out of the game world they are trapped in. This case sets the tone for the rest of the adventure and brings in some heavy topics for players to tackle and serves as a good indicator of what lies ahead of them. It is worth noting that GameDec handles heavy topics involving assault and crime right off the bat so the M rating is something to be aware of for those who aren’t fans of these kinds of things.
Once players solve the initial case, they are cast into a world full of deceit and mystery as things start to take a turn for the worst. Decisions must be made and players must utilize information that they have picked up along the way to help make informed decisions that will impact the way the game ends. GameDec can be finished in around 14 hours but that accounts for just one playthrough. The game encourages players to replay it multiple times in order to unlock the full story that is being laid out. This is definitely a title that needs to be revisited in order to see all sides of the story.
Gameplay + Presentation
Gameplay revolves around players solving a multitude of problems without any combat. As they gather clues and interact with various amounts of NPCs, they can use these points to make deductions during the case. If players don’t carefully investigate the area, then they may miss important information that will change how the case plays out.
As players solve problems, they are given experience points that can be spent to unlock different skills which in turn unlock certain dialog options. For example, Players may unlock a skill that gives them access to more medical information or are able to use their influence as a detective to get more information from NPCS.
The world of GameDec will have players visiting a multitude of video game worlds that pull inspiration from real world counterparts. Twisted & Perverted feels like an edgy and gritty take on GTA with its inhabitants able to participate in all sorts of things while Harvest time is a take on farming simulators and has a touch of western action to it as well. Each world even has a different HUD to help differentiate themselves from each other and even has NPC’s to help make each game world a little more interesting.
There is very little voice acting to be found in the game, with certain lines and intros being voiced. The voice acting is decent enough but it would have been nice to have more lines fully played out. With all of the dialog presented in the game, it would have been nice to be able to hear the characters put some emotion behind the heavy topics and really hit home when things start to get rough.
Overall, GameDec is an adventure fit for those looking for more of the Cyberpunk setting. The idea of solving crimes as a Game detective seems a little strange at first but grew on me as the story went on. By the end of the game, I was fully engrossed in the characters and even was worried about their well-being. Although there are a few minor complaints, GameDec is definitely worth checking out.
