Gaming Target - Xbox: Vexx

Written by Nick Doukas on March 19, 2003

Full Review: The anti-Mario, seriously trippin' through the Mushroom KingdomЕ

If you're going to examine the origins of platformers, look no further than Mario. Nintendo's squat and sturdy hero has been pleasing console gamers since the days of the 8-bit NES, and everything that's come along since has had to measure up to the little plumber's legacy. Since Mario himself came tearing into the world of 3D in Super Mario 64, there's been a surfeit of 2D style platformers attempting to go 3D. Some have succeeded in capturing the essence of the gametype, while others have fallen flat. Developer Acclaim brings their take on the genre to the table with Vexx, a solid effort that combines a dark spectrum of visual styles, as well as interesting level architecture and play mechanics, with inspired character design.

As the game begins, the world of Astara (more specifically, the village of Overwood) is attacked by the forces of the Shadowraith, Dark Yabu. Vargas, the aged guardian of Overwood, and his grandson Vexx (that's you), were defiant, but outnumbered. Enslaved along with the other villagers under Dark Yabu's power, Vexx launched a futile assault on the invaders. In an attempt to help his grandson, Vargas is killed by Yabu, and Vexx escapes into the tunnels beneath Overwood. Armed with his war talons, Vexx will stop at nothing to overthrow Yabu, avenge his grandfather's murder, and restore order to Astara.

The realm of Astara is divided into 9 levels (though only Timberdale will be available at first), which are accessible through a centralized hub. In each of these worlds lie a certain number of shadowraith hearts, which must be hunted and acquired in order to open up the gates of the subsequent levels. Each world consists of various enemies that require defeating, as well as platform quests to perform. These include: item collecting, switch flipping, old school jumping, and boss fights. Intermingled with the standard trappings of platformers are several interesting variations in the guise of minigames. You'll deal with evil clones of yourself, as well as a few deadly obstacle courses, and even return to 2D form by jumping into a painting.

You'll move Vexx with the left analog stick, and use the (somewhat temperamental) camera with the right. The X button is used to attack, while jumping is accomplished with A. Use the B button to center the camera, and Y to switch to an over the shoulder view, useful in the event you wish to observe your surroundings at greater length. Different combinations of buttons, in conjunction with the left trigger, will produce crouches, ducks and long jumps. Vexx is able to juggle enemies in mid-air with 3 and 4 hit combos, and use special talon attacks as well. In addition, both ground pounding and uppercuts are par for the course. Other moves include push and edge grab, the ability to sink the talons into rock walls and climb, swimming, and charged attacks.

Throughout the adventure Vexx will face creeps like the scuttling, fungi-like Puggles, the mutated Grimkin, and the dash-attacking Krunks. Each creature is suitably animated, though pretty basic in execution. The overall look of Vexx is dark and antiquated, with a quasi-fantastical feel. Most of the terrain you traverse comes in the form of floating islands in the sky, and many of the levels have a distinct vertical component to them, with signposts urging you onward and upward. Combining climbing and platform jumping with numerous enemy encounters, Vexx never really transcends mediocrity, despite its ambitious main character and stylized design.

Graphically, the game looks good, the backgrounds are well realized, and the character model of Vexx is tight. Decent animation and good-looking special effects round out an acceptable, if somewhat pedestrian, visual presentation. Sound in Vexx is average as well, with the various in-game noises well defined, but an overall cohesive musical score is, for the most part, absent. The game does support 480p, so HDTV owners will receive the additional benefit of upgraded image quality. Overall, Vexx has some charm, but trust meЕyou can do better.