Soylent Green is good
There was a time when becoming a mascot for a console brand was like chasing the dragon. There were so many characters created that they ended up with one or two games and then disappeared. There has always been one though that has stuck with gamers that grew up during the 90s, and that was Gex. The wise-cracking gecko was initially the mascot for the ill-fated 3DO console, then became the face of developer Crystal Dynamics. He went on to get three games across one generation, and then also disappeared. Funny enough, those games were absolutely huge when they were released, so it has always been a mystery why he just suddenly disappeared. Now, 26 years later, everyone’s favorite gecko gets a grand return.
This new collection contains all three of the original games, but with a catch. For anyone familiar with the series, the first game was pretty much the same across all three platforms it was on, with some minor changes and improvements. However, the second and third games are a bit different. Limited Run Games has opted to stick with the PlayStation version for all three, which comes with benefits and downsides.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $29.99
Let’s kick off with the advantages. The PSOne versions scale better, which means we get widescreen adaptations of the second and third game. They also went back and modernized the camera system, so it works much like how games do today. There are still some quirks, especially since the game lets you adjust the camera, but it works much better than the originals. Platforming is much easier to pull off, and some of the objectives are now obtainable without frustration. There are also a host of filters and a save anywhere function. The biggest thing though is the rewind. I abused the heck out of this thing in the first game.
What we are missing are some special levels that were found in the N64 versions of the second and third game. Some of these were really cool, and it would have been awesome to have them included. I would have actually preferred if we could play any of the versions of all the games, but I get it. This collection also omits all the handheld versions of the games, which is disappointing. Gex 2 was actually really neat on the handheld. Originally there were also missing voices from the PAL versions of the games, but Limited Run Games has confirmed those are coming in a future update, which is awesome.
As for the games themselves, they are pretty by-the-numbers. The first game is a 2D side-scrolling adventure that focuses on various themed levels. Everyone knows the Cemetery levels, because it is always the footage you see of the game. Mostly because the game was kind of repetitive, which meant most people never made it past these sections. The second and third game expanded into 3D and further solidified Gex as a real secret agent. The third game included FMV sequences that are…uncomfortable to say the least as they feature a model that interacts with Gex in suggestive fashion. It was weird then and is still weird today.
Probably the biggest addition to this collection though is the extras. This package is packed with complimentary content including original artwork, videos of deleted levels, and a host of box art. The biggest addition though are the interviews, including a very detailed one with Dana Gould, who voices Gex in the US version of the game. Dana was the reason Gex is so fondly remembered. Yes, his lines are dated, of the time so to speak, but I can recite so many of them to this day. They have been embedded in my brain.
The Gex Trilogy is a great collection with a few missing pieces. It was a lot of fun to revisit these games as I loved playing them in my youth. The new rewind feature makes the games much more playable, and the updated controls make the second and third game tolerable. Limited Run Games did a great job with this collection, and it is worth it alone for the interviews and extras. Hopefully we can see Gex return in the future, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. He was definitely a product of a certain time.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
