Gex Trilogy Review (Carl)
For a company that touts itself as a champion of game preservation, Limited Run Games' handling of Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko within their "Trilogy" is nothing short of a travesty. While Deep Cover Gecko was arguably the most polished of the original PlayStation entries, offering improved level design, better music, and a slightly more refined camera, Limited Run Games manages to diminish even these existing strengths. The "improvements" they boast for their Carbon Engine are, in Gex 3's case, barely perceptible. You get widescreen, sure, but the fundamental issues that plagued 90s 3D platformers – the clunky camera, the often-frustrating hitboxes, and the general datedness of its mechanics – remain largely untouched. What's truly infuriating is the abysmal sound design; a constant, jarring popping sound every time you open the pause menu, a cracking and popping or often sound effects that don't even occur when they're are suppose to and while playing through the game you may get a unfixable buzzing noise that you have to turn the game completely off to get rid of. Flaws that scream "untested" and "unprofessional."
The indignity continues with the shocking state of the game on modern hardware. Reports of other audio glitches, visual bugs, and outright instability. This pathetic effort stands in stark contrast to the meticulous work seen in other retro re-releases. Look at Nightdive Studios' Turok remasters, where every texture was lovingly upscaled, lighting systems were overhauled, and the overall visual and soundscape were meticulously enhanced to breathe new life into classic titles. Similarly, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster showcases a dedication to modernizing an old game's presentation, boasting vastly improved visuals and sound design. And while not released yet, System Shock 2 remaster will more than likely have the same treatment given their track record.
But the complaints don't stop at technical incompetence. This "Trilogy" is a bafflingly incomplete package for anyone genuinely interested in Gex preservation. Where are the Game Boy Color versions, which offered entirely different 2D interpretations of the 3D games? Removed without notifying their fanbase however, keeping it inside their promotional material. Where are the Nintendo 64 versions, which, while often criticized, still contained unique levels and content missing from this collection? You might as well of just added another emulator since that's the only thing you did with the PS1 versions. It's a glaring omission that makes the "trilogy" feel more like "three of the PlayStation games we could easily slap on an emulator." This isn't thorough preservation; it's a reactive scramble to fix a clearly incomplete offering, revealing a cynical approach that values quick profit over genuine dedication to gaming history.
I would not recommend buying this Trilogy at all as you will be disappointed in its state. And do what they did and just go get yourself an emulator and dump your original copies.