Vexx

"Best platform on Xbox to date!"

From the time I first played Vexx on the March issue Xbox Magazine disc I was hooked. I ran out and bought it the day it released. The game just pulls you in. Massive fantasy worlds with tons of paths to follow, obscure places to go, puzzles to solve and numerous obstacles and enemies to avoid or maul the daylights out of. All in search of another one of the precious wraith-hearts, which are the key to free your oppressed world and your enslaved people.
Gameplay is definitely the key factor in Vexx. There are tons of things to do, all of which are very diverse. Your task as Vexx is to travel all of Astara in search of the Wraith-hearts, which contain the power to open portals to new worlds. Astara is split into nine enormous worlds that vary from forests to marshlands, deserts, aqua-levels, and even the house of a giant where you are but the size of a bug. These worlds also contain sub-worlds for further exploration and discovery. Each world holds eight to ten wraith-heats that Vexx must claim by traversing difficult paths, solving puzzles, playing mini-games, or by defeating native adversaries.
To get through these dangerous adventures Vexx has his power claws (an old Astani protector weapon) to aid him. They empower him to perform super athletic moves and attacks. And you’ll have use all of them, including swimming, sliding, edge-shimmying, wall-climbing, slashing, upper-cutting, flare-kicking, pulse-jumping, and ground-pounding to kick the wraiths back into the demon word and free your lands.
Design is great. The worlds are intriguing and beautiful. Levels are superbly constructed with many diverse areas and ideas. The first time that a new warp opens you’ll stop and stare, and then when your done, you’ll be running off to explore that spot that provoked your curiosity. Each world contains so must to explore and do. And when you finally think you’ve got everything searched, there’ll just be a whole new world for more.
Graphic quality is good, with some nice special effect touches. Forests look inviting, deserts dry and the marshes feel damp. Water droplets cling to the camera after emerging from water. Textures are nice, water ripples, and debris goes flying from explosions. Characters are nicely done, in close you can see Vexx’s clothing whip to a halt when he stops. Sumo’s fat jiggles as he stomps around, then give him a kick and watch all those rolls bounce ( almost as great as dead or alive volleyball )
Sound is great for a platform game. Vexx doesn’t utilize the dingy little sound effects and music of other platform games. The game has a decent sound track of adventurous and eerie music backed up by some fitting sound effects. All together it makes a good mix.
Story has a good background but not as much of progression as the game goes on. Basically, the story in a nutshell goes... a race of humanoids ( called Astani ) create a great civilization. They gain the technology to open the rift, a kind of transport system, but in doing so open a hole to the demon world. Demons kill everyone. Even the protector with his War Talons. 700 years later same thing happens with Vexx’s people. Dark Yabu kills Vexx’s granddaddy. Vexx gets pissed, finds old war talons, and proceeds to deal out a butt kicking. And here the game begins. You must collect wraith hearts to power the now shut down but still usable Rift Hub, chase down Yabu and you can probably guess the rest. The game doesn’t contain a complex story, but this leaves the game open for its non-linear approach. Each world holds a certain amount of hearts and each door to a new world has a number of hearts needed to unlock it. The game can be completed in any order. And if you get enough on the earlier levels, the more advanced levels are not even needed to beat the game. Most games with weak stories seem undirected, lost, and boring. But not so with Vexx, the lack of progressive story doesn’t bring down the quality as each challenge completed is met with a dozen more.
Overall, I just love this game. It’s a great mix of action, exploration, and puzzle solving. Definitely buy this game. It’s well worth the 50 green. I give a big thumbs up to the guys at Acclaim for Vexx. Great game.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/27/03, Updated 02/27/03