Vexx
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| Vexx | |
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| Developer(s) | Acclaim Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Acclaim Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | 2003 |
| Genre(s) | Adventure game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Teen (T) |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube |
Vexx is a video game developed by Acclaim for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube consoles released in 2003. The game is a 3D platformer game, starring a character of the same name. The objective consists of collecting magical hearts and unlocking more worlds to play, defeating enemies and jumping across platforms. Vexx is armed only with the legendary Astani war talons, which give him the power defeat his enemies, as well as fly and swim under water. In 2006 Canadian Publisher Throwback Entertainment acquired the license and publishing rights to Vexx. Throwback Entertainment is currently developing a new Vexx for next-generation games systems. Though exactly which game system it will be on is unknown.
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[edit] Storyline
The introduction tells briefly of a planet called Astara, which was inadvertently destroyed by its own inhabitants, who "opened a door better left closed." The planet was, in fact, destroyed by the Shadowraiths, after the Astani created the Rift system, which could open portals to other worlds. When the portal was opened, the Shadowraiths came through it and attacked Astara, and then drained all of the energy out of the Rift system.
Seven hundred years later, Astara is literally in pieces, and all that is left are large chunks of land floating in an asteroid field, yet the individual pieces of the planet are still inhabitable. One village, called Overwood, is eventually discovered by the Shadowraith, Dark Yabu, and its inhabitants are enslaved. One villager named Vexx, who is captured along with his grandfather, Vargas, attacks Yabu in a fit of rage, and is almost killed when Yabu retaliates. But Vargas saves Vexx, and is killed by Yabu instead.
Later that night, still determined to get revenge, Vexx sneaks onto Yabu's airship, where he discovers the legendary Astani war talons, which Yabu kept hidden because he was unable to destroy them. The talons permanently attach themselves to Vexx's hands, at the same time causing an explosion that destroys the airship and nearly kills Vexx. While he is unconscious, Vexx learns through a vision that Vargas' soul is still imprisoned within Yabu's magical amulet.
When he wakes up, Vexx is in the company of an old man named Darby, who informs him that Yabu completely destroyed the village, and that Vexx and Darby are the only ones left. Darby, however, is too old to fight, so he instructs Vexx to collect the hearts of dead Wraiths, which still contain the energy drained from the rift system, and use them to power the gates, and find Yabu before he opens the gate to his own world.
Later on, Vexx meets up with Darby again, and the two of them encounter Reia, the last remaining Astani warrior, who is also the narrator of the game. Reia exposes Darby, who turns out to be Dark Yabu in disguise. Both Reia and Vexx try to attack Yabu, but he escapes, taking Reia's magical staff with him. It is revealed that by collecting the Wraith hearts, Vexx was actually helping Yabu power the gate to his own world. But the only way to close the rift is with Reia's staff, so Vexx has to activate the rest of the gates and catch up to Yabu to get it back.
Vexx finally finds Yabu in the Shadow Realm, and the two of them fight one last time. Vexx wins, and retrieves the staff, but at the same time, the platform on which he and the portal back to Astara stand begins to crumble. Unable to get back through the portal, he throws the staff through, successfully closing the rift, but also trapping himself in the shadow realm forever.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Vexx
The main character of the game, and the last surviving citizen of Overwood. Vexx is determined to avenge the death of his grandfather. Early in the game, he comes across the Astani war talons gloves, which give him the ability to combat his enemies, as well as climb walls, jump higher, and swim underwater.
[edit] Vargas
Vargas is Vexx's grandfather, and one of many slaves who are forced to help Yabu mine for Wraith hearts. He dies in the beginning of the game to save Vexx's life from Dark Yabu. After being killed, his soul is imprisoned in a magical amulet that Dark Yabu wears, tormented forever until Yabu is killed.
[edit] Reia
The last survivor of the Astani, Reia is Dark Yabu's sworn enemy. It was her father who opened the rift system, which resulted in the destruction of Astara. While the rest of the Astani were killed, Reia survived by locking herself in a tower, and learning to trust no one. Reia is also the narrator of the game, and several of her journal entries can be found in the different worlds explored throughout the game.
[edit] Darby
An old man that Vexx encounters early in the game, Darby appears to be a survivor of the Astani, but is in fact Dark Yabu in disguise. It is he who tells Vexx that he should collect the Wrath hearts to power the gates, but only so that Vexx will help him power the portal to his own world. Dark Yabu keeps up his Darby disguise until encountered by Reia, who recognizes him immediately.
[edit] Dark Yabu
The only Shadowraith encountered in the game, Dark Yabu is responsible for the death of Vexx's grandfather, and the annihilation of the rest of Overwood. Dark Yabu, like all Shadowraiths, is a shapeshifter, and ironically, tells Vexx this while he is disguised as Darby.
[edit] Nasty, Brutish, and Short
These three pirates are encountered multiple times throughout the game. Their names are a direct reference to Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.
[edit] Gameplay
Vexx is a 3D platformer adventure game, in which the player must overcome a variety of obstacles, puzzles, and enemies in order to collect a number of Wraith hearts, which allow the player to unlock new locations. There are a total of 81 hearts in the game, but only 60 are required to beat the game.
The game uses a combo-based fighting system, with several different attacks that the player can use. Most of the game, however, is based on puzzles; for each of the 81 Wraith hearts there is a clue in the form of a riddle, which the player must decipher to find the heart. Obtaining the hearts usually requires the player to find a number of items scattered throughout an area, win a mini-game or battle, or simply pass a number of obstacles.
