The opening narration tells the story of Vexx's people being enslaved by the Shadow Wraiths. When forced to work in the mines, Vexx lashes out at his captor. His grandfather dies in the ensuing fight, so Vexx escapes and stumbles upon the legendary Astani War Talons which fuse themselves to his arms. Armed to the armpits in gauntlets that owe at least some design elements to those seen in Battlechaser's (a comic, for those not so inclined), Vexx sets out to destroy the Shadow Wraiths that have enslaved his people.

Whatever Vexx is, inviting he is not. He's sort of a cross between a hobbit and a rat. From some angles and in some light he's almost cuddly, but not quite. He's got a disturbing, adolescent monster quality to him that keeps him from being cute even in his best moods. His pointy ears, odd facial hair and usually crossed eyes don't come together well. From the cut scenes it's clear not everyone of his race has this problem, so it's all the more bothersome that the lead character isn't more loveable.

The opening scene offers most of the needed exposition before sending you off on your quest. All that remains is a brief introduction to a character that will be helping you on your journey and some welcome, if laborious tutorials on the basic mechanics of the game. Most of your time will be spent searching out wraith hearts, which hold the power to open up more parts of the world. Substitute "wraith hearts" for some of the more ubiquitous platform game collectibles, like stars and coins, and you've got a good idea of how you'll be spending most of your time.

Vexx's world is a 3-D one full of platforms, strange, mostly harmless enemies, floating meteors and many, many levels of uninspired visuals. The levels are, for the most part, diverse. But they aren't always challenging and very rarely are they a sight to behold. While other platformers choose to be bright and shiny, post-modern, or even industrial, Vexx seems to be treading a line between all imaginable styles without accomplishing anything original or attention grabbing. The colors and styles switch a bit from level to level, but none create a lasting impression.

The mechanics offer a little more variety than other 3-D platformers, and for that Vexx is to be commended. Combat in this type of game has, historically, been limited to the throwing of giant vegetables hitting one's opponents with one's ass. While these methods no doubt have their place and can be quite charming, there's something to be said for Vexx's ability to slice down foes with claws or juggle them in the air with repeated uppercuts and kicks. It's not a deep combat system by any stretch, and the villains don't usually pose much of a challenge, but it's still combat and that has to count for something.

The mechanics of playing the game are a bit rough. There's a slight pause before any movement and navigating the landscape is sometimes clunky. The usual jumping from place to place flows well enough, and the game keeps moving at a constant speed. There's also the issue of the camera, but to be fair it's no worse than any other 3-D adventure game. None of these issues make playing Vexx unpleasant, but they are noticeable.

One area where Vexx excels is sound. There isn't too much of it, which means there's no constant, annoying musical presence throughout the game. The score chimes in with a moody string on occasion and an uplifting melody when you reach a goal. Vexx hardly makes a peep outside the occasional grunt of effort, and the same could be said of the bad guys. One could call it minimalist or just minimal. The bottom line is that it adds enough to the experience without trying to create an experience of its own, an accomplishment many games should envy.

Had Vexx come out a year or two ago, it would have been at the top of many a gamer's wish list. As it stands, there are several other platform games available that go above and beyond what's offered here. While Vexx builds adequately on the 3-D trail blazed by Super Mario 64, there are others who have taken the next few steps. If you've played all the others and still have a jones for jumping and gathering, Vexx will take the edge off. Otherwise, wait for the next Mario, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, etc.