Gex Trilogy Review - A Deep Dive into the Resurgence of a 90s Platforming Icon

The landscape of classic video game remasters is a rich tapestry, woven with threads of nostalgia and the undeniable desire to revisit beloved titles with modern polish. Among the many franchises that have seen a resurgence, the Gex Trilogy stands out as a particularly intriguing proposition. Developed and published by the dedicated team at Limited Run Games in collaboration with Strictly Limited Games and PixelHeart, this collection brings together Gex, Gex: Enter the Gecko, and Gex 3: Deep Freeze for a new generation of players and a welcome return for long-time fans. Here at Gaming News, we’ve had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in this collection, and we’re eager to share our comprehensive insights into whether this quirky set of platforming remasters truly captures the magic of the originals while offering a compelling experience for today’s gaming audience.

The Gex Trilogy isn’t merely a simple port; it represents a significant effort to modernize a franchise that, while fondly remembered, has been absent from the forefront of the gaming world for a considerable time. The original Gex games, with their distinctive amphibian protagonist, satirical humor, and vibrant worlds, carved out a unique niche in the 3D platformer genre of the 1990s. This collection aims to celebrate that legacy, offering a unified package that allows players to experience the evolution of Gex’s adventures across three distinct titles.

Unveiling the Gex Trilogy: A Nostalgic Journey Reimagined

The Gex Trilogy is a testament to the enduring appeal of well-crafted 3D platformers. This collection meticulously recreates the beloved adventures of Gex, the wise-cracking, television-obsessed gecko, as he navigates a variety of imaginative and often surreal environments. Far from being a simple reskin, this remastering project endeavors to enhance the original experiences through several key improvements, catering to both those who fondly recall Gex’s earlier escapades and newcomers seeking a taste of classic platforming gameplay.

The Genesis of Gex: From 2D to 3D Evolution

To truly appreciate the Gex Trilogy, it’s crucial to understand the franchise’s origins. The original Gex title debuted in 1995 as a 2D side-scrolling platformer, establishing the character of Gex and his penchant for television culture. However, it was the subsequent transition to 3D with Gex: Enter the Gecko (often referred to as Gex 2) that truly defined the series and cemented its place in the pantheon of 32-bit era platformers. This shift allowed for more expansive level design, intricate mechanics, and a greater emphasis on Gex’s personality, which was heavily influenced by his constant consumption of television programming. The third installment, Gex 3: Deep Freeze, continued this trajectory, further refining the gameplay and introducing new thematic elements. This collection thoughtfully presents these three pivotal titles, allowing players to witness and engage with Gex’s journey from his early days to his more developed 3D adventures.

What Sets the Gex Trilogy Apart: Enhanced Visuals and Modern Conveniences

The most immediate and impactful enhancement found within the Gex Trilogy is the significant overhaul of its visual presentation. While care has been taken to preserve the artistic integrity of the original games, the visual upgrade is substantial. Players can expect sharper textures, improved character models, and enhanced environmental details. The resolution has been boosted, allowing the vibrant and often eccentric worlds Gex inhabits to truly pop. Furthermore, the framerate has been stabilized, resulting in a much smoother and more responsive gameplay experience, which is paramount in the platforming genre where precise movements are key.

Beyond the visual improvements, the Gex Trilogy also incorporates modern quality-of-life features that make the collection accessible and enjoyable for a contemporary audience. These include updated control schemes that feel more intuitive on modern controllers, save state functionality that allows for quick resumption of progress, and in some cases, improved UI elements for a cleaner presentation. These additions are not mere superficial tweaks; they are thoughtful implementations that demonstrate a genuine understanding of what modern players expect from remasters, ensuring that the quirky set of platforming remasters is not only faithful to its roots but also thoroughly playable today.

A Closer Look at Each Title: Gex’s Evolving Adventures

The Gex Trilogy offers a curated selection of Gex’s most memorable outings. Each game presents a unique set of challenges, thematic elements, and gameplay refinements, showcasing the evolution of the franchise.

Gex: The Original Amphibian - A Foundation for Future Success

The first Gex game, while a 2D side-scroller, laid the crucial groundwork for the series’ unique personality and its protagonist’s distinct characteristics. This remastered version allows players to experience the genesis of Gex’s obsession with television and his initial encounters with the menacing Reptillions. While the gameplay is simpler compared to its 3D successors, it offers a charming introduction to the character and his world. The Gex Trilogy inclusion of the original game is important for understanding the full arc of Gex’s development, providing context for the leap into 3D. The quirky set of platforming remasters truly begins here, showcasing the initial spark of what would become a beloved series.

Gameplay Mechanics of the Original Gex

In its 2D form, Gex features classic platforming mechanics. Players guide Gex through various levels, jumping over obstacles, defeating enemies with his tail whip, and collecting various items, most notably remotes, which serve as the primary collectible. The game’s design emphasizes precision jumping and enemy management. The levels are themed around different television genres, a concept that would be further explored and expanded upon in subsequent titles. The Gex Trilogy faithfully recreates these mechanics, offering a faithful yet visually enhanced representation of this foundational entry.

Gex: Enter the Gecko - The Leap into 3D Brilliance

Gex: Enter the Gecko is widely considered the game that defined the series for many players. This title saw Gex make the ambitious transition from 2D to 3D platforming, a move that was executed with considerable skill and charm. The game’s central premise involves Gex battling the evil alien Rez, who is attempting to take over the world by corrupting television networks. This narrative allows for a diverse range of level designs, each inspired by different television shows and genres, from Kung Fu to science fiction. The Gex Trilogy shines particularly brightly with this installment, as its 3D environments and gameplay are the most significantly enhanced.

Core Gameplay Loop in Enter the Gecko

Gex: Enter the Gecko introduces several key gameplay elements that became hallmarks of the series. Gex can perform a variety of moves, including a tail whip attack, a tail slam, and a hover ability. The primary objective in each level is to collect a certain number of TV remotes, often hidden in challenging-to-reach locations, and find the “remix” portals to advance. The game also features a hub world system, allowing players to access different levels from a central area. The Gex Trilogy meticulously recreates these mechanics, ensuring the controls feel fluid and responsive on modern hardware. The game’s collectible-driven progression remains a core part of the experience, encouraging thorough exploration of its vibrant worlds.

Thematic Depth and Humorous Undertones

What truly elevated Gex: Enter the Gecko was its distinctive humor and clever satire of television culture. Gex’s constant quips and pop-culture references, often directly referencing famous movie lines and TV shows, provided a unique personality that resonated with players. The levels themselves are imaginative parodies of various television archetypes, from medieval fantasy to spooky horror. The Gex Trilogy preserves this comedic essence, with Gex’s one-liners and the visual gags remaining intact and as entertaining as ever. This quirky set of platforming remasters truly excels in maintaining the franchise’s characteristic wit.

Gex 3: Deep Freeze - A Chilling Conclusion to the Trilogy

Gex 3: Deep Freeze continues the narrative from Enter the Gecko, with Gex facing new threats and embarking on another television-themed adventure. This installment further refines the 3D platforming mechanics, offering more intricate level design and a greater variety of challenges. The game’s premise sees Gex battling the villainous Doctor Shemp and his minions, who are attempting to freeze the world in time. The thematic diversity is once again a strong point, with levels exploring icy landscapes, historical periods, and futuristic settings. The Gex Trilogy provides a fitting conclusion to Gex’s original adventures with this title, showcasing the culmination of the series’ gameplay evolution.

Refined Mechanics and Level Design in Deep Freeze

Gex 3: Deep Freeze builds upon the foundation of Enter the Gecko with several enhancements. The control scheme is generally more polished, offering tighter responsiveness. The level design often features more complex puzzles and platforming sequences, requiring players to master Gex’s full range of abilities. The introduction of new enemy types and boss encounters also adds to the challenge. The Gex Trilogy ensures that these improvements are faithfully represented, allowing players to experience the most refined iteration of Gex’s 3D platforming adventures. The quirky set of platforming remasters showcases a clear progression in design complexity.

The Final Frontier for Gex (of this Era)

As the concluding chapter of Gex’s original trilogy, Deep Freeze offers a satisfying, albeit sometimes challenging, experience. The game’s narrative provides closure to the ongoing conflict with Rez and his associates. The Gex Trilogy serves as an excellent vehicle for experiencing this final chapter, presenting it with the same modern polish applied to the other titles. It’s a chance for players to relive a classic finale or discover it for the first time, appreciating the full scope of Gex’s original journey.

Technical Achievements of the Gex Trilogy Remaster

The success of any remaster hinges on its technical execution. The Gex Trilogy collection demonstrates a commendable commitment to modernizing these beloved classics without sacrificing their core appeal.

Visual Fidelity: A Feast for the Eyes

The most striking improvement in the Gex Trilogy is undoubtedly the visual overhaul. Limited Run Games and their partners have invested significantly in enhancing the graphical presentation.

Resolution and Texture Improvements

The games now run at a higher resolution, significantly reducing the pixelation that was inherent in the original releases. This clarity allows the vibrant and often surreal art styles of the Gex universe to be appreciated anew. Textures have been sharpened and redrawn, giving environments and character models a much more detailed appearance. This is particularly evident in the varied level designs, from the lush greenery of jungle-themed worlds to the metallic sheen of futuristic locales. The Gex Trilogy makes these worlds feel more cohesive and immersive than ever before.

Enhanced Lighting and Effects

Beyond just textures, the remaster also incorporates improved lighting effects and visual enhancements. Dynamic lighting can create more atmospheric scenes, and subtle particle effects add to the visual flair. These elements contribute to a more modern presentation that bridges the gap between the original releases and contemporary gaming expectations. The quirky set of platforming remasters benefits greatly from these subtle yet impactful visual upgrades.

Audio Excellence: Soundtracks and Voice Acting Reimagined

The auditory experience of a game is just as crucial as its visual presentation, and the Gex Trilogy delivers on this front as well.

Revitalized Soundtracks

The iconic soundtracks from each Gex game have been given a new lease on life. Whether it’s the catchy synth-driven tunes of Enter the Gecko or the more atmospheric pieces in Deep Freeze, the music is crisper and more dynamic. The remastering process ensures that these memorable melodies are presented with enhanced audio quality, allowing players to fully appreciate the musical compositions that helped define the series. The Gex Trilogy ensures that the audio is as engaging as the gameplay.

Voice Acting and Sound Effects

Gex’s distinctive voice acting, filled with pop-culture references and witty remarks, is a cornerstone of the franchise. The Gex Trilogy preserves these iconic voice lines, ensuring they remain a highlight of the experience. Sound effects have also been cleaned up and amplified, making actions like Gex’s tail whip or the collection of items more satisfying. The overall audio presentation contributes significantly to the quirky set of platforming remasters feeling both authentic and updated.

Performance and Stability: A Smooth Gameplay Experience

A significant hurdle for many remasters is ensuring smooth and stable performance on modern hardware. The Gex Trilogy has largely succeeded in this endeavor.

Consistent Framerate and Responsive Controls

The games benefit from a consistent and stable framerate, which is absolutely vital for a platformer. This eliminates the stuttering or frame drops that could hinder precise movement in the originals. Coupled with modernized and responsive control schemes, the gameplay feels fluid and immediate. Players will find Gex’s movements, jumps, and attacks to be more accurate and reliable, which is essential for tackling the more challenging sections of the game. This focus on performance and control makes the Gex Trilogy a joy to play.

Modern Conveniences: Save States and More

The inclusion of modern conveniences such as save states significantly improves the playability of the collection. This feature allows players to quickly save their progress at any point, mitigating the frustration of losing significant progress due to a tough section or an unexpected setback. Furthermore, the Gex Trilogy may include other quality-of-life features like input mapping or adjustable difficulty settings, further enhancing the player’s experience. These additions demonstrate a thoughtful approach to remastering, ensuring the quirky set of platforming remasters is accessible to all.

The Gex Trilogy Experience: Is it Worth Your Time?

After delving deep into the Gex Trilogy, we can confidently assert that this collection is a loving and well-executed tribute to a classic franchise. It successfully bridges the gap between nostalgia and modern gaming expectations.

Who Will Enjoy the Gex Trilogy?

This collection is a must-have for fans of the original Gex games. The improved visuals, audio, and gameplay enhancements offer a fresh yet familiar way to revisit these beloved titles. For newcomers to the series, the Gex Trilogy presents an excellent opportunity to experience some of the best 3D platformers from the 32-bit era, characterized by their unique humor and challenging gameplay. Anyone who appreciates quirky characters, clever satire, and solid platforming mechanics will find a lot to love here. The Gex Trilogy appeals to a broad spectrum of gamers.

The Enduring Appeal of Gex’s Personality

Gex’s distinct personality remains a significant draw. His constant barrage of television-related puns and pop-culture references, combined with his cool gecko persona, makes him one of gaming’s more memorable mascots. The Gex Trilogy ensures that this infectious humor is front and center, providing moments of genuine amusement throughout the gameplay. The quirky set of platforming remasters is elevated by the character’s undeniable charisma.

Challenges and Rewards: The Platforming Prowess

While the Gex Trilogy offers a polished experience, the games themselves can still present a significant challenge, particularly for those unaccustomed to the demands of classic 3D platformers. The collectible-driven progression, requiring players to meticulously explore each level for hidden remotes, rewards thoroughness and mastery of Gex’s abilities. Overcoming these challenges offers a deep sense of accomplishment, a hallmark of well-designed platforming experiences. The Gex Trilogy provides a rewarding gameplay loop.

Conclusion: A Resurrected Icon for a New Era

The Gex Trilogy is more than just a collection of old games; it is a vibrant revival of a cherished franchise. Limited Run Games, Strictly Limited Games, and PixelHeart have done a commendable job in bringing Gex back into the spotlight with a package that respects the originals while embracing modern sensibilities. The visual and auditory enhancements, coupled with improved performance and thoughtful quality-of-life features, make this collection an exceptional value.

We at Gaming News highly recommend the Gex Trilogy to anyone seeking a dose of nostalgic platforming fun with a generous helping of quirky humor and unique character. It’s a testament to the enduring power of well-made games and the importance of preserving gaming history through quality remasters. This quirky set of platforming remasters has successfully respawned an icon, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Gex and his television-fueled adventures. The Gex Trilogy is a triumph in the realm of classic game preservation and enhancement.