Review: Gex Trilogy for PS5

Sure thing. Let’s dive into this wild world of Gex from a completely different angle. And bear with me, my thoughts might drift here or there — but isn’t that how real conversations go?

Okay, so, ever heard of Gex? Yep, that gecko before all those GEICO ads. Guess what? It’s tail time again! Wild, right? Like, seriously, a leap back to nostalgia city with the Gex Trilogy making a comeback. Three games all packed to the brim. And the question is — do they stand up now? Or should they just, you know, stay in the ’90s where they belong? Let’s just see.

Tail Time Returns!

Starting off, there’s the original Gex. Picture this: It first made waves on the 3DO (I know, who even remembers that console?), and then it hit the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. It’s all about Gex, the gecko, getting zapped into a TV world by this bad guy Rez. Seriously, every time I try to visualize it, it’s like some Saturday morning cartoon, but worse. You go from wacky places like a Cemetery to a spoofed-up Toonland to a wild Kung Fuville. Honestly, the plot is thin as paper. You bite on power-ups, stomp around with the tail, grab remotes. Oh, and there’s saving — you can save anytime. Thank heavens, right?

Now, as for playing it? Mixed feelings. Running feels kinda off. Like, you think you’ll nail the jump, but — nope. Enemy hit boxes are as quirky as you’d expect. Climbing’s tricky too; can’t always tell where you’re supposed to go. And, oh boy, Gex talks. A lot. At first, it’s funny, then it gets as old as leftover pizza. The worlds are imaginative, but do they feel same-y? Kinda. Or maybe it’s just me.

Gex Goes 3D — Sort Of

Jumping to Gex: Enter the Gecko — yep, now we’re in 3D. Rez is back! This time, Gex is bribed with money (because why not?). Controls? Better, but it still feels like trying to juggle jello. At least the lines he drops are more varied — woohoo, I guess. But let me tell you, the camera? Ugh. Imagine trying to watch a movie while someone just moves the screen randomly. First thing’s first — switch to manual mode.

In this game, you roam this hub filled with these gigantic TV screens that lead to other worlds. It’s cool, like flipping channels on an old TV. Gex changes outfits, which is a blast. A rabbit costume in one world, and then, surprise — he’s in a disco suit! But it’s easy to get lost. Maybe a map would’ve helped.

Last Stop — Gex’s Final 3D Hurrah

And then there’s Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko. It’s got everything — snowboard sections, wacky bosses! But returning characters and ideas do make it, well, a bit predictable. Also, the hub world feels like a tangled mess of spaghetti. Why fix something that wasn’t broken, right? Coins are coins this time. Letdown. Oh, and that ticking timer in bonus areas? Like nails scraping a chalkboard.

The adventure’s fun and makes things slightly connected, and truth be told, boss fights don’t feel as ‘meh’ as before. More stuff to do, more things to see — but maybe a tad overwhelming.

In a nutshell, this trilogy to me doesn’t scream ‘timeless’. Limited Run does a neat job with upgrades, but when put side by side with iconic games like Super Mario 64? Bit of a mismatch. But what’s neat is that they bring back a piece of the ’90s. Like a time capsule, full of the crazy, good, bad, and odd feels from that era.

Whew, that was a rollercoaster. But life’s all about these crazy loops, right?