Publisher: Acclaim
Ages: seven and up.
Parental
Advisory:
Platform violence
A good platform game that serves a dark and edgy mood and a few new variations, Acclaim's Vexx is well worth a look. Anyone who plays platform games can find lots to like about Vexx and its razor-clawed hero.
It seems that on the forsaken remains of what was once a proud planet, the villagers of Rockhaven led peaceful lives until the day that the Shadowraith, "Dark Yabu," and his minions descended upon the townsfolk and enslaved them to work deep in the caves that surrounded their village.
After taking over the village, Yabu murdered the grandfather of the young Vexx, who somehow escaped aboard the enemy's windship. There, locked within Yabu's sanctum, was the last pair of War Talons, which bonded to Vexx's arms and gave him special powers. From here, Vexx embarks on a quest through volcanic islands, desert temples, frozen citadels, and giant's castles, to confront Dark Yabu, save his people and avenge his grandfather's death.
In the game, players control Vexx to jump on platforms, fight enemies and bosses, play mini-games and more, and the title offers a decent mix of activities that keep the action fresh. The main character has all of the requisite moves that include: jumping, swimming, running, grabbing, pushing, throwing, climbing, and crouching, along with various hitting attacks. An innovation is the character's ability to juggle opponents, and there are decent combos and special attacks that include talon charges, dashes and blasts. The controls are intuitive and the camera is easy to guide.
The game offers nine worlds that include tree canopy villages, caves, desert temples, underwater cities, frozen citadels and more with some 70 player objectives. Some of the game's innovations include a central hub system that lets players travel between worlds; hidden sundials to change the time of day; and day and night cycles with real-time lighting-darkness changes the landscape and characters: enemies become more aggressive and the environments become more hostile. To support all this, Vexx features first rate graphics and audio. Violence-wise, the game features the usual bloodless hitting and striking that one expects in a platform game.
We found Vexx entertaining. And while the title doesn't necessarily stand apart from a host of excellent platform games on the market, it's a competent and worthwhile entry.
3/24/03 www.daytrum.com Editorial Staff
