Dexter, and why I'm never going to quit on about the X-Files Game

SO I was recently linked a demo video of the official Dexter game. This is a demo of the PC version, but I believe it was originally developed for the iPhone- that's why I'm not going to have views on the funky gameplay and graphics. It's fourteen minutes long and contains, as you'd expect from a Dexter-thing, reference to peadophilia and shows torture.

 

I don't know, guys. I know that the publisher has drastically different goals on a Dexter game then I do: I have my imagination and time, they have budgets and practicalities to think about. People like this game and that's great, it did its job. It's kind of easy to get 'all right' with franchise games, though: just give people more of the TV show and you're away.

I'd have liked to see Dexter utilised better, though. It's such a perfect set-up for a game. I've got a problem with putting the player in Dexter's shoes, for one thing: why ask the player to be a sociopath? I mean it's fun for a short kick, but you can't form a long term connection to Dexter. And then there's the fact that you're going to get him wrong: the player isn't Michael C. Hall or the showrunner.

Using an original character doesn't mean you've gotta' lose the draw of having that heavy hitting Dexter tag, either. Look at the X-Files game which had most of the cast appearing- I mean, was anything better as an X-Files fan then getting to work with Skinner? You got to see what Skinner would do if you shot him, or rang him up. It was cracking.

Or get some preexisting background character- maybe a Dexter's victim family member, a vigilante citizen, or some FBI agent, put the player in opposition to Dexter. It'd be a riot. You know from the offset that there's no way you're going to beat him, but the fun comes from seeing the way Dexter catches you when you run into a dead end (like TWD game!). Maybe the finite 'end' could be almost getting the evidence, or confronting Dexter, and an Act of God gets in the way. Morbid but funny. 

I think something like this even happened in the show? I ought to rewatch it. Aw, but now I'm going to rewatch it making mental notes about some dumb great point and click game Dexter could be.