Vexx

"A Platformer's Fantasy..."

So I know it's an old game by now, but recently the rights to this fantastic game were bought by Throwback Entertainment and it seems, at least to me anyway, highly likely that Vexx will make a comeback of some sort. So I decided that I would write a review, hopefully to attract more people to the game....

Story:
Vexx tells the story of Vexx, funnily enough. He is the Grandson of Vargas, the guardian of Overwood, a village in the realm of Astara. They live peaceful lives, until they are attacked by Dark Yabu and his shadow minions, and so they are all enslaved. One night, Vexx decides he can stand it no longer, so he attacks Yabu and is saved from certain death by Vargas. Vexx is able to escape but returns that night to kill Yabu. However, instead of finding the evil shadow lord, he stumbles across the legendary Astani War Talons, weapons of amazing power. Thus Vexx begins his quest to take down Yabu, free his home, and avenge his lost grandfather....
It seems like a fairly typical fantasy story but it is good nonetheless. Unfortunately, the game only has 3 major cutscenes, a beginning, a short middle one, and one at the end, which means the story is not built all that well, but if you like fantasy stories then this should be enough.
Story: 5/10 (couldn't give it more because it's fairly simplistic)

Graphics:
I didn't actually purchase the game myself until just a few months ago, so by that stage I had seen a lot of Xbox360 games and so on, that have far superior graphics. And unfortunately, I don't remember exactly when it came out, or what graphics were like at that time, so all I can really say is the graphics are decent, but not fantastic. Although, the worlds themselves look beautiful. In most of them you can find someway to get high up and just sit there gazing over this amazing, fantasy world.
Graphics: 6/10

Sound:
Probably the best thing about the game, sometimes I walk into a world just to listen to the fantastic music. It suits perfectly for a game of this type and really helps you to get into the mood for taking up this quest. The sound effects are also top notch but it is really the music that makes me give this a perfect score...
Sound: 10/10

Gameplay:
Again fairly typical for a platforming game, you can run, jump and attack in various ways with the Astani War Talons. The key new thing in this game is juggling, you can launch enemies into the air and then keep them their while continuously hitting them, which makes it somewhat easier (and more fun) to take on a larger group of enemies. Although like with a lot of games, there is one major flaw: the camera has a mind of its own. Annoyingly enough, you can control the camera in every situation except the really important ones, when you actually need to. But its not as bad as I make it sound, and it really is a fun game to play, especially using the War Talons.... they are one of my favourite video game weapons ever.
Gameplay: 8/10

Difficulty:
Having talked to others, it seems that most people found this game to be a lot harder than I found it. There is definitely a significant challenge near the end, and I struggled with the last boss, but other than that it wasn't too hard. Although, it probably is one of the more difficult platforming games I have played, and I have played quite a few. Still, if you like a challenge, but a do able challenge, then this game will suit well.
Difficulty: 7/10

Overall:
I grew up playing games like Spyro and Crash Bandicoot on my Playstation, so these are the sort of games I really love. If you like games like this or a good fantasy, then Vexx is definitely a game for you.
Overall: 8/10 :-)

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/06/07