Vexx has many of the standard moves you find in platform games. He
has a normal and long jump, can shimmy along ledges, climb poles, swim, etc.
He can also use his talons to climb up certain vertical surfaces.
Unfortunately, the control in the game is not very precise and is further
hampered by a poorly implemented camera. Vexx can disappear behind
obstructions, be forced to make blind jumps, or need to navigate narrow ledges
from an odd camera angle. You have some control over the camera angle,
but it doesn't work quite right in open areas and you can forget about even
moving it in tight quarters. In a game that relies on so many jumping
puzzles this is a critical problem that can lead to a lot of unnecessary
frustration.
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| Vexx tries his hand at sumo wrestling. |
Another frustrating part of the game is the swimming sequences. The
attack button is used underwater to propel Vexx along, but direction changes
are tough to make and it is very easy to become lost or disoriented because of
this and the way the camera swings around while you are swimming. Some
of the larger underwater mazes include an onscreen map that tells you where
you are - it helps a little bit but fails to tell you which direction you are
facing which is the critical issue. On the surface things are just as
frustrating, Vexx is a very slow swimmer and can't seem to swim a
straight line, so getting him to a shallow edge so that you can get out of the
water is a far too frustrating and time consuming experience.
It really is too bad that Vexx suffers from these issues. I'd find myself
enjoying exploring a world and solving the heart puzzles, only to run into an
underwater sequence or to be forced to trail and error my way through a long
jumping sequence with blind gaps. This invariably led to the end of the
session with Vexx as I felt forced to quit in frustration. It does have
enough good in it that it kept me coming back, though.
In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated:
74%. Vexx borrows a lot from other
games, but puts it all together in an interesting package. Whether or not
you'll enjoy the experience will depend on your patience level with the game's
control and camera.
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