Developer: Anshar Studios
Publisher: Anshar Publisher
Platform: PC, Switch, PS5
Tested on: PS5
Gamedec: Definitive Edition – Review
Detective stories and cyberpunk worlds have been going hand in hand for many decades. While most of the videogame equivalents of this matchup have a big focus on shooting or some sort of combat, Gamedec: Definitive Edition focuses on the story and deduction part of this premise. We were rather intrigued by the concept of an isometric RPG devoid of combat.
Story
Gamedec: Definitive Edition takes place in the distant feature where VR gaming has reached a new pinnacle. Everybody is using it, from big businesses to small friend groups, and people are enjoying all types of games together. Of course, this world isn’t a utopia, so crime is still a pretty big problem, now both in the real world and the digital one. This has given way to a brand new profession: a videogame detective, better known as a gamedec.
This is where you come in, solving different cases as a gamedec. There are quite a few crimes to look at throughout the duration of the story, all with a bunch of unique characters and choices to make. These will take you to many different games, from Harvest Moon-like farming simulators to the lawless streets where all players can indulge in their most wicked fantasies. Since the game is purely focused on the story, it’s hard to tell more about it without going into spoiler territory.
A game like this rides or dies on the quality of its story, and Gamedec: Definitive Edition definitely delivers. You’ll be at the edge of your seat during the collection of cases, which might seem unconnected but start showing signs of a bigger narrative over time. Along for the ride are a cast of entertaining and colorful characters that will help or hinder your investigation. This is a godsend since most of the gameplay is spent talking to these NPCs.
Graphics
If you’ve ever played an isometric RPG, you know what you’re in for. The whole game is viewed from a top-down perspective, not giving much chance for detailed character models or environments. This, however, doesn’t take away from how pretty the game looks. From the neon lights of the cyberpunk world to the Sakura trees of a samurai game, you’ll be treated to interesting environments. All worlds are brimming with personality and pretty things to look at. Most of the games are even decorated with their own hud interface to add to the immersion. While the world is nice to look at, most characters have very similar outfits, so you’ll find them by memorizing their location instead of their looks.
Most of the characters are accompanied by a detailed character portrait during conversations, making these segments much more enjoyable. An option to change the text size is also a nice addition to these interactions since there is a chance you’ll be sitting far from your screen when playing on a console.
Sound
All worlds in the game are accompanied by a nice soundtrack fitting each atmosphere. Songs perfectly blend into the background, so they never become too distracting. Since so much of the game is spent in conversations, it would have been nice to have a full voice-acted experience. While there are some sentences narrated at the beginning of important conversations, it doesn’t add more than just knowing what a character sounds like. It’s understandable that hours upon hours of voice acting wasn’t possible due to a smaller budget, but it can be a turnoff for people who aren’t ready to read an entire novel worth of text.
Gameplay
Gamedec: Definitive Edition is an isometric RPG purely focused on telling a story and making choices. This makes the gameplay less prominent and in a way, things can be narrowed down to clicking through text and selecting the right choices.
After a brief character creation, where most of the importance is pointed towards starting skills, you’ll be thrown into the world of a gamedec with your first case. This is where the core gameplay is introduced. You’ll talk to different characters, collect clues, talk some more, and eventually make your conclusions. All this is made more manageable by the deduction menu. This is a tool that collects and organizes your clues, unlocking more deductions to choose from as you progress through different cases.
During the conversations, you’ll be able to choose between different dialogue options. These options can sometimes generate skill points, depending on the emotion they are connected to. After collecting multiple skill points, these can be used to acquire new jobs to help during your investigation. This mechanic rewards players for giving consistent answers in line with what their character said before. If you keep being charismatic, your conversations using this skill will become more successful.
One of the most important elements of a choice-driven game is the effect these choices have on the narrative. This is where Gamedec: Definitive Edition shines. Making decisions during conversations feels good since there are clear short- and long-term consequences. Of course, there are some big story beats that always need to be there, but how you get there is entirely up to you. Not only does this add a lot of customization to your own playthrough, but it also adds a ton of replay value to experience the different endings and routes the game features.
The definitive version of the game also features two expansions, one extra side quest, and a standalone experience. None of these are big mind-blowing experiences, but they are fun additions to further expand the world.
Conclusion
Gamedec: Definitive Edition isn’t a game for everyone, but people who are looking for a great choice-driven detective story are in for a treat. A good story, great replay value, and an immersive atmosphere make this a must-play for isometric RPG fans who are willing to read quite a bit of text.
Gamedec: Definitive Edition - Review,
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