Showtime's 'Dexter' Hits the iPhone Screen
posted September 14th, 2009 4:12 AM EDT by Big Albie in $5.99, 3.5 stars, Adventure, Reviews, iPhone games, iPod touch games
For those who haven’t closely followed Showtime’s Dexter, the series is based on novels written by Jeff Lindsay. I remember reading his first book “Darkly Dreaming Dexter” years ago, and the intelligent, yet macabre storyline has kept me reading the novels and watching the show.
Coincidentally, I had just finished the latest book “Dexter by Design” when Dexter arrived on the iPhone/iPod Touch platform. Happily, the intelligence and spirit found in the books and TV series carries through into the game. For fans of Dexter, the game will not be a disappointment with good variety, engaging play, and humor with an element of guilty morbidity. However, non-Dexter fans may find themselves disoriented and will want to first familiarize themselves with the TV show or books first.
Dexter is a psychopathic serial killer who was taught his policeman father Harry how to channel his killing urges. When Dexter was younger, his urges, also known as the Dark Passenger, were released by killing animals. Instilling his own special killing code, Harry decided to focus Dexter’s talents on criminals who had gotten away with murder in the eyes of the law. In Dexter the Game, you play through the eyes of Dexter and must collect enough evidence to ensure that Dexter is killing someone rightfully deserving. Of course, the catch is that Dexter must also maintain his cover as an unfeeling psychopath.
The game focuses on the first TV season consisting of 5 cases: Mike Donovan, Dear Dexter, Coke Head, Jamie Jaworski and Robert Marelli.
The cases are presented in a simultaneous fashion with Dexter moving back and forth between the different victims each with its own set of mission objectives. This type of format lengthens the game significantly because you’re managing several cases at once with each at different levels of progress.
The game incorporates voiceovers from Dexter actor Michael C. Hall, expertly used throughout to create that Dexter atmosphere. Unlike other games, Dexter follows a steady, slower pace as you identify and stalk your victim and incorporates a mix of timed and untimed mini-games, performing and meeting task-oriented activities, and interacting with other characters. This is where the game shines because the variety of challenges keep everything moving.
Through the use of 3D graphics which run smoothly on my iPod Touch 2G, the game makes liberal use of cut scenes that show Dexter performing his actions to give it an almost movie-like quality. The characters representations can look somewhat strange, however. Dexter’s sister, for example, is not nearly as sexy as she is on the show, although the character of Sergeant Dokes looks pretty good. The various locations, however, such as Metro Police Station or a victim’s home really do show the high production values that were put into this game.
The game offers three levels of difficulty—easy, medium and hard, and the level of difficulty primarily determines the amount of available of time to complete timed puzzles and activities. You can play either in third-person (behind Dexter’s back) or in first-person mode, and choose from several types of controls—double joystick, accelerometer/tilt, single joystick, and an on/off option for strafing.
This video shows some of the controls and environments, but does carry strong language so is not safe for work:
Contextual action buttons will appear in the appropriate situations such as Examine, Open, Talk and Climb among others. Items that Dexter can interact with are highlighted such as doors, tools, and files. Use of the Talk button brings up text-based dialogue boxes accompanied by voice acting. You are then presented with three response options. The responses range from aggressive to passive and each choice affects Dexter's "Dark Passenger" score and "Mask" score. You need to strike a balance to avoid exposing yourself, while still fulfilling Dexter's inner darkness. If the Mask white bar ever depletes down to zero, the game is over since Dexter will be no better than the criminals he stalks.
The game also provides several tools that help you complete missions. The Journal located at the top of the screen keeps track of case progress and also tells you want you need to do. And since Dexter needs to travel from place to place, accessing the GPS will show different locations. By tapping on a location, the game takes Dexter instantly there. In that, the 3D environments offered are discrete locations rather than one contiguous open world.
Overall, the developers did an admirable job creating a game incorporating a relatively engaging storyline tied together through a variety of different mini games. The initial task usually involves stalking the victim without being seen, and you maneuver Dexter in a game of hide and seek. As the story progresses, you also have the bigger task of investigating an unnamed serial killer who freezes victims before chopping them up. Other tasks involve picking locks, gathering evidence, and executing the final judgment on the victim.
While you can move Dexter in any direction you want, the goals can feel very pre-set rather than providing a free-roaming alternative choices. For example, entering someone’s house involves picking a lock, but then a dog prevents you from entering so you’re left with breaking through a window. Or in another, while stalking a victim, there is only one way to accomplish the recon rather than having several options.
Dexter the Game has high production values that incorporate a good variety of challenging tasks and mini-puzzles despite the point A to point B task progression. Understandably, with this type of game, the replay value is limited, but what is there should take a while to complete. If you’re a Dexter fan, the game is a solid adventure game that admirably captures the spirit of the series. For others, however, first watching the show or reading the books will go a long way in the actual enjoyment of the game.
App Store Link: Dexter the Game. $5.99
Note: there have been reports of the game not working on OS 2.2.1
TouchArcade Rating:
Two Thumbs up, great review. I would love to play this game but i tryed to update my 2G ipod touch to 3.1 and it didn't work. I tryed to restore it but it comes up with 'ERRROR 14' so if any1 can help that would be great. DEXTER RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Man!!! Someone's been working overtime to get this review up:)
I'm so disapointed… these are the worst controls I've seen on the iphone. moving dex is a real pain. so laggy, it feels like he can only move left right up down, and f*** the diagonals. there nothing to compare to it; games like Sandstorm are topnotch and this, well, it's a deception. I'm a huge fan of dexter but seing this is like an attemp to enjoy a bollywood version of the Showtime best show so far. I'm only talking about controls and the pleasure to go on with that… beside this, I can only applause the voice acting cast, the musics, everything like in the show. I was waiting something way better than this.
The default controls are horrendeus but did you try the single joystick mode? It's just like Modern Combat and it works so much smoother!
Wow.. cool game, despite the super hard controlling lol
Hey guys,
Just ran into a problem where I was told to see Rita but for some reason there's no option for me to choose for visiting her in the GPS.
I've completed all lab stuffs and missions apart from "Dear Dexter" which I'm currently stuck on right now. Any clues?
Could that be a bug?
I have the exact same problem. Anyone know what's wrong?
Go back to this black guy and walk around him until an action button appears…you'll get another crime book thing and after that the gps will be back on the top of the screen… that's how i did it…
hello. did you find an answer? i have the same problem and the answers below doesn't work!! (sorry for my bad english and thank you for your help!
does this game work on ipod 2g because on my ipod touch 2g is not working!!
doesnt work on touch 1g with 2.2.1 despite saying it does on app store! wish theyd get it right before I spend money on it, I wanta refund!
You need to have version 3.1 in order for it to work. I had the same problem, but when I updated my iPod to 3.1, I tried it again and I've already beaten the game =]. Hope this helps
I find it the best game yet for the Iphone.
Played it for hours.
Great graphics, music.
But no I am really stuck. I cannot get the messages from my answering machine. I have only the save option.
Please help
Antran, I am having the same problem no answering machine option just the save option icon….
i'm stuck too. the gps should let you re-visit locations even if not required, it seems to be simple to get stuck! my journal says I have to find the better killing room for jaworski but I can't. not good
finally. cant wait for the next onew! finished it in less than a few hours, but AWESOME!!!
keep looking out for doors in the constuction site
stuck on messages, you need to solve the blood splatter for doakes b4 it will show up. frustrated me too
thanx dexter ,I solved the blood splatter for doakes ..went back to my apartment still no luck…………..I did everything possible but can't get the answering machine icon just the save one
sal do every other mission that you can. that is how i opened it, I was getting really frustrated.
started again, i'll let u know if i have the same problem we had b4
sounds good thanx……..
I beat the first mission but for some reason I didn't accomplish the 2nd of the 3 tasks in order to prove Mike Donovan guilty? Does anybody know what I didn't do?
Same problem! finished and started a new game but i am unable to find the 2nd of the 3 evidence to prove Mike Donovan guilty… someone for help us ?!
same here!
did you catch him in the act?
hey Sal. do as much in the ice truck killer as you can, whilst still doing the other cases. It's set up to make sure you finish everything else, because after the 2nd lot of answering machine messages, the game is nearly over
Dex , I did everything you can possibilty do as far as missions go.
"I have nothing left" and still the same thing just a save option ,also I am not sure what the mission was called before I think it was called" ice truck" now its called_
"Dear Dexter" in the mission journal. very strange got to be some kind of glitch……………
great game :]
stuck tho. . . does anyone know where i find the crobar or hammer in the construction site in the jaworski level??
Climb on the trash can just in front of you when u begin the mission
Hey all. I am stuck on the JOWARSKI Board when you have to watch him outside his job??
Me too!!
Could anyone suggest me how to follow Donovan without being seen??? T_T
Thank you in advance ^^
finsihed the game incomplete so going back to re-do without anything missing…
the 3 required for Donovan are
1) collect 3 bodies
2) collect a 4th (all in yard)
3) make him admit to the killings
stuck on coke head mission…talked to Doakes, did the blood spatter, but when I talk to LaGuerta the mission ends 2 of 3 complete…does anyone know what the 3rd piece of evidence required for "coke head" is?
The 3rd evidence for Coke Head is a toxicology report outside laGuerta's office near a shelf
the report is in her office, not outside. it's on a table between a couple of chairs in a corner
to follow Donovan…
walk around the bush (where the cars are), but start when he's already turned the corner into the park area…
then walk around the bushes and after the yellow/red disappear when you're entering the opening hide behind the tree and you're good.
How do I solve the blood spatter on Doakes case? I have re-played 3 times and can't figure out the blood spatter or the messages? But I am assuming you have to do one before the other
The toxicology report is nowhere in the police station. Where and what is really the 3rd piece of evidence for the Coke Head case?
I got a message from Rita asking me to meet her asap but I can't travel to her place. all my missions are complete except for the dear Dexter one. please help.
Still trying to find the 3rd piece of evidence in the Coke head case.. looked in the corner in laguerta office but it doesn't do anything.. this toxicology report is nowhere to be found