Vexx

"The game that made me believe in the PS2 again"

So there I am, unable to face another minute of Project Zero (not because I'm scared, because I'm bored witless by the endless backtracking and dull combat) and I'm thinking, well, overall the PS2's been a real let-down. I counted precisely 3 games that had really knocked me out and that I'd come back to and play again (Ratchet and Clank, Silent Hill 2 and Medal of Honor Frontline if you're asking). That's a fraction of what were, for me, killer titles on the original PS, and fewer even than on the N64 (and I only own 4 N64 games!). So when on a whim I bought Vexx, it was without any great expectations, given the mixed reviews and a less than inspiring try out on demo. Boy was I wrong...

Let's get the obvious criticisms out of the way first. Number one if you're expecting an involving storyline forget it, there isn't one. A brief intro (our hero has to save the planet from the evil tyrant blah blah) a two minute cut scene in the middle and another at the end and that's it. Basically you'll find more plot development in Gran Turismo. That doesn't bother me because, apart from Insomniac, I don't think anyone writes decent storylines for platformers anyway and I'd rather get on with the game than listen to a load of inane dialogue, but I can imagine some gamers might want more.
Secondly Vexx is so obviously derived from Mario64 that I'm surprised he doesn't come on saying 'Hello, itsa me, Vexxio'. Apart from the structure of the game (hub leading to different areas which you can access in any order when you have completed enough tasks, secret areas, collect 100 of x, collect 6 of y etc etc) you'll also recognise pole jumping, wall jumping, long jumps, ground pounding, all the old favourites. Given that Mario64 was and still is one of the best designed games around I can think of worse role models though.
Thirdly there's really nothing in this game that you won't have seen before. Platforms that spin, push out of walls, crumble away, flip, rotate, see-saw, there's nothing really new. Except maybe for a glorious eye-watering moment where you have to dispatch an enemy with a well-aimed blow to the...well, I hadn't seen that in a game before.

Still with me? Good, then let me tell you why I love this game so much. First off having been brought up on 3d platformers of varying quality (Croc, Crash, Jersey Devil, Gex, even dare I say it, Tomb Raider) there's been a dearth of this type of game on the PS2. I have this theory that things changed around the time of Spyro 2 and developers have been scared of producing pure platformers and have felt the need to add a whole load of sub-games. Although Spyro 2 integrated them brilliantly most lead to a disjointed mess. Viz the hugely over-rated Jak and Daxter which although billed as a platformer was to a large extent shooting and flying. Listen, if I want to fly a hovercraft I'll buy Wipeout. Vexx concentrates on the two stables of pure platforming, landing that perfect jump and the thrill of exploring new areas and does it to perfection. The other point is that Acclaim have understood the fundamentals of great gameplay firstly that you need to work out what to do and secondly that you then have to have the skill to do it. The first part is made easier in part by arrows that direct you on the route to certain tasks and (in another homage to Mario64) by some cryptic clues. Actually the latter are often laughably written, usually in cod-poetry (any British readers who remember the TV game-show 3-2-1 will probably be reminded of the convoluted clues on there) but somehow it adds to the fun. Amusingly when I turned on the Spanish text by mistake I found out that they'd given up on the cryptic verse towards the end and just put something like 'On the volcano'!

But the main thing is actually doing it and let me warn you that this game can be frustrating and HARD. At least one or two tasks in each world are no-brainers but a couple of others, even from the first level, will have you tearing your hair out. And as the game draws towards the end you'll think almost every time 'How am I ever going to do that?'. I would have submitted the review about three weeks earlier but I was determined to finish it completely first and the last two tasks (those flipping islands aaaaaagh and the final boss aaaaaaaagh) took me three weeks to do. But here's the great draw for this game, you just know deep down you can do it, every time, and even when you throw down the controller for the twentieth time having missed that final jump again you know you have to go back and play again because it's your fault that you messed up and next time you'll get it right. Never in all the games I've played have I got a feeling of satisfaction after completing so many tasks, it's real shout out loud, fist pumping stuff.

Just to briefly cover some the basics:

Controls are intuitive and easy to use though at the start because they depend on quick variations on two or three buttons, you'll find yourself ground-pounding when you should be long-jumping and probably falling to your death as a result (Mario64 revisited zzz)

Visuals are generally solid if not ground-breaking with the same sort of interplanetary feel that's de rigeur these days (R&C, J&D, Haven) some of the lighting effects are pretty stunning and the best feature is the real vertigo-inducing feeling of height you get on many levels. I thought the main character and enemies were fluidly animated and there's virtually no slow-down except perversely for a few seconds at the start of every world. Loading times between levels are virtually non-existant and the camera does it's job well 95% of the time, the only real problems are as usual when you're indoors and up against a wall (hint: go into first person view and then back and it usually sorts out any problems)

And personally I thought the audio was great, more mood music than real tunes and some really spooky voices from the lost souls trapped in gravestones (don't ask!)

I've never seen such a mixed bag of reviews for a game so I'd guess you'll probably love it or hate it. I can only speak as I find, I started off thinking of a 7 and the score kept going up the more I played the game. Giving it a 10 doesn't mean it's perfect, it's not by any means, but it's a reflection of the fact that it's the first game in years that has completely gripped, enthralled and entertained me. If you're a platformer at heart too it might be just what you've been missing.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/29/04