Gex Enter the Gecko

🎮 PlayStation ⏳ 8 hours ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

Gex Goes 3D #

This title is a 3D platformer that captures the essence of late-’90s gaming, a mix of quirky humor, pop culture parody, and the era’s fascination with mascot adventures. It’s the second entry in the Gex series and marks the character’s leap from his 2D origins on the 3DO into a fully 3D world, following in the footsteps of titles like Super Mario 64 and Crash Bandicoot.

Channel-Hopping Adventure #

The MC is called Gex, a sarcastic, television-obsessed gecko recruited by a secret agency to once again stop his nemesis, Rez. The game’s levels are designed around TV “channels,” which serve as themed worlds parodying various genres, from cartoons and horror to sci-fi and spy movies. This framing gives the game a playful sense of variety and self-awareness that stands out even today.

Collectibles and Chaos #

Each world is filled with collectibles, hidden power-ups, and plenty of slapstick humor. Gex’s moveset, including tail whips, tongue grabs, and wall climbs, gives the you solid control, though the camera can sometimes make platforming frustrating. Still, for its time, the controls were ambitious and contributed to the game’s open-ended exploration style.

Too Many One-Liners #

The biggest draw is Gex himself, voiced by comedian Dana Gould, Gex constantly cracks jokes, references pop culture, and mocks TV clichés. Depending on your tolerance, his one-liners can be either charmingly nostalgic or grating after a while, but they undeniably give the game personality. Personally I got annoyed quite fast because the frequency that this happens is very high, taking me out of the focus of the gameplay.

Mascot of an Era #

And while this title hasn’t aged as gracefully as some of other Gex entries, it remains a fun, distinctive snapshot of the PlayStation era. With imaginative level design, sharp humor, and a memorable mascot at its center, it’s a game that feels both dated and delightfully emblematic of the time when every studio wanted its own wisecracking animal hero. I would only recommend this one if you are a fan of Gex, or mascot games in general.