Get Dexter (Crafton & Xunk)

A robot, isometric chambers full of mysteries and a French charm that 8-bit output didn't just readily offer — Get Dexter (originally Crafton & Xunk) is proof that the Amstrad CPC, thanks to its enormous popularity in France, had its own strong and distinctive gaming scene. It was released by studio ERE Informatique in 1986.

The game is an isometric action-adventure in which you move through a sprawling complex of rooms, collect and combine objects and solve puzzles to progress further. This genre was flourishing in the mid-eighties, and Get Dexter contributed to it with a nicely designed world, fluid movement in isometric space and an emphasis on the logical solving of obstacles.

For its time the title was impressive both visually and technically. French developers were among those who could squeeze the maximum out of the CPC, and their sense of design is clearly evident in Get Dexter — whether in the cleanness of the isometric graphics or in the thoughtfulness of the spatial puzzles that force you to think about how the individual rooms and objects relate to one another.

The game's significance is largely cultural: it represents that continental, mainly French branch of 8-bit creation, which differed in many respects from the dominant British output. While Britain churned out arcade conversions, in France distinctive adventures like this one were born — and the CPC was their natural home.

For collectors and lovers of 8-bit history, Get Dexter is an interesting chapter worth getting to know. It offers you a glimpse of what a quality isometric adventure looked like from a workshop that thought a little differently from the rest of the market.

Why play it: For a stylish isometric adventure from the French CPC scene that shows how varied 8-bit creation could be.