Latest news with #GexTrilogy
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gex Trilogy (PS5) Review: Throwback Platformers Find New Life
While some are more cynical about it, I've been loving the sea of remasters, ports, and remakes of classic games that are now playable on current systems. The latest retro collection is Limited Run Games' Gex Trilogy, which brings Dana Gould's media-obsessed gecko to modern systems. With quite a few quality-of-life upgrades and plenty of special features, this is more than a simple port and gives Crystal Dynamics' forgotten mascot the respect he deserves. While it's possible to get the full nostalgia effect and play the original games with purely digital controls and in a 4:3 aspect ratio, there are also a lot of additions. The most exciting is the ability to play the Gex 2 and 3, which are both 3D platformers, in native widescreen. Rather than just stretching the screen to achieve this effect, you can see more of the world at once in the widescreen version. This makes it the ideal way to play these platformers as they look sharp and give you a wider view than previously available. There are also several other quality-of-life upgrades, such as the ability to rewind gameplay, make saves at any point, and play with a CRT television filter. The original Gex is what I'm most nostalgic for, and I had a great time going through the game again. The 2D platformer is still quite fun, as you've really got to explore the levels in order to find TV remotes to unlock other stages, as simply going from left to right won't keep the game going. The game was a visual feat back in 1995, and while the sequels are clearly inspired by Super Mario 64 being a phenomenon, it's hard not to wonder what the games would've been like if it had doubled down on 2D and evolved that way. The 3D sequels, Gex: Enter the Gecko and Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko, retain the good sense of humor and feature former The Simpsons writer Rob Cohen doubling down on gags. The pop culture references and parodies help the game feel like a real time capsule, although the gameplay hasn't aged incredibly well. Gex 2 and 3 weren't Super Mario 64 upon release, and they certainly aren't as fun to go back to 25 years later. However, there is a charm to platformers of the era, and these collectathons are faithfully put together in the Gex Trilogy. There's value beyond nostalgia here, even if these aren't platforming classics (although it's fun to see some of the huge names that worked on these titles, such as Glen Schofield, Evan Wells, and Bruce Straley). I do want to give a special shoutout to the game's nice collection of bonus features. There's a great interview with Dana Gould, prototype footage of the never-released Gex Jr. game, plus ads, manuals, and art for all three titles. This extra effort, along with a complete music player for all three titles, really helps make Gex Trilogy feel like a celebration of the series. We love to see it. The Gex Trilogy lives up to its name and brings all three Gex games to modern consoles. With solid quality-of-life updates and a nice array of bonus features, there's a lot here for fans to sink their teeth into. While the 3D sequels haven't aged like wine, they're still interesting to revisit, and the original side-scroller is still quite a lot of fun. The original Gex is still quite fun Nice quality-of-life upgrades Good array of bonus eatures The 3D sequels aren't quite as beloved 8 Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital copy for our Gex Trilogy PS5 review. Reviewed on version 1.000.000. The post Gex Trilogy (PS5) Review: Throwback Platformers Find New Life appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.
Forbes
30-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
‘Gex Trilogy' Heads To Everything Except Nintendo Switch 2
Gex Trilogy Feel that '90s breeze blowing in? It sure smells like Book It! personal pan pizza to me, but it's also carrying Gex Trilogy, a remastered collection of all three Gex platformers from Limited Run Games. The revamped compilation features the original 2D Gex, plus both 3D sequels in Gex: Enter the Gecko and Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko. The new release is hitting all major consoles except Nintendo's imminent Switch 2, so for those wondering, that's legacy Switch, PS5, Xbox and PC. LRG is asking $39.99 for the digital collection, which I think it pretty fair, given that the Croc: Legend of the Gobbos remaster goes for $29.99, and it doesn't include Croc 2, but Gex Trilogy gives you all three major releases in one convenient package. However, I'd wager much more work went into re-releasing Croc, at least from what I can currently see. As per usual, Limited Run Games is selling physical editions of Gex Trilogy, like the Classic ($75), which arrives in a retro PS1-esque box with a steel book, poster and soundtrack sampler. The Tail Time edition ($200) is the big one here, featuring box art by none other than acclaimed Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano (I guess it pays that the Gex IP is owned by Square Enix), a full soundtrack, a steel book with art by Marcos Lopez, a poster with art by Alex TJ Campbell, an inflatable Gex doll, a debonair Gex statue, a pin and some trading cards. Gex Trilogy I truly have mixed feelings about anything 'collectible' these days, because I think the human race has more than enough stuff for a thousand generations—as well as a thousand landfills—but I am really looking forward to playing the Gex Trilogy and reliving some solid gaming memories. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder I've actually never played the oringial Gex, so that will be cool, but I did live inside the worlds of Gex: Enter the Gecko and Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko on the PlayStation for quite some time. They were commendable if somewhat average 3D platformers on a console that, in a lot of ways, couldn't compare to the N64 in such an arena. And I bought a copy of Jersey Devil, man. We were starving. Speaking of, I'm not sure what kind of ports these are specifically, as in PlayStation or N64, because both consoles had their own versions of the later two games. From early footage, it looks like LRG is porting from the PS1 versions, if I had to guess. A recent trailer touts new features, such as widescreen support and analog controls, and while those are great, the announcement of analog controls feels a bit… strange? The 3D Gex titles always had such options, even on the PS1. Maybe they've been improved? Hopefully. Otherwise, it seems we're basically getting the old Gex games wrapped in LRG's Carbon Engine, kind of like their release of Tomba! Nothing too incredibly special, unfortunately, and I haven't seen any Crocumentary-style museum extras announced just yet. Maybe they're in there, though. Additionally, it also looks like it's exclusively the Dana Gould voice-acting in the remasters, which is what I grew up with, but I've read how some UK fans aren't too happy about this, because the actors were different overseas. A toggle would have been nice, though I'm sure it's a rights issue. Granted, even with all it's sure to be outdated pop culture references, I'm still excited to dive back into the Gex universe, mostly because the barebones games remain pretty special to me, even if they were never top-tier experiences. I only wish these titles had gotten a more overhauled and loving treatment, because I think they would have truly shined with a noticeable graphical update. It appears perhaps more effort went into the physical collector's editions than the actual remasters, but I'll reserve official judgement for June 16.
