The level design in this game is fantastic, everything else in the game isn't.
The Level Design:
Gex 3 seriously has some of the best levels of any 3D platformer I've ever played. No two main levels have the same theme, even the hub worlds and some of the side levels are unique. Every main level feels big and sprawling, big enough to be impressive and give a sense of accomplishment for making it to the end, but linear enough so that the player doesn't get lost. Each level is loaded with background gags, unique enemies, and objectives that are well-separated enough to cut back on backtracking when going for different remotes(most of the time). Gex's unique costumes and quips for each level are a nice touch too. I can run through most of the levels in this game a thousand times and never get tired of them.
The Everything Else:
This game's story was likely the inspiration for Sonic 06. I find it hilarious that this random woman who never appeared in the previous games is suddenly the driving force behind the plot, and not hilarious in the way the game intended. The soundtrack is pretty good and Gex's quips are occasionally funny, but if you feel the need to throw your TV out a window by the end of the story after hearing Gex's 15th flirty conversation with a human playboy model, I won't blame you. The actual gameplay can be pretty stale and repetitive, and the 100 fly coin objective in each level would probably ruin the game for me were the levels not so good. The boss fights are joke(Rez excluded) and most of the collectables are worthless, only feeding into a lame 100% completion reward that is not worth your time. The main villain never has a speaking line in the whole game, making Gex 3's connection to the previous 2 games feel tenuous; this game has the Sly Cooper 3 problem. This game is unpolished and lackluster in many ways.
Altogether, I loved this game for the level design alone. If great levels themselves are enough to spark your interest, Gex 3 will scratch that itch. If that isn't enough for you, then I'm sad to say this is a game to skip.
The Level Design:
Gex 3 seriously has some of the best levels of any 3D platformer I've ever played. No two main levels have the same theme, even the hub worlds and some of the side levels are unique. Every main level feels big and sprawling, big enough to be impressive and give a sense of accomplishment for making it to the end, but linear enough so that the player doesn't get lost. Each level is loaded with background gags, unique enemies, and objectives that are well-separated enough to cut back on backtracking when going for different remotes(most of the time). Gex's unique costumes and quips for each level are a nice touch too. I can run through most of the levels in this game a thousand times and never get tired of them.
The Everything Else:
This game's story was likely the inspiration for Sonic 06. I find it hilarious that this random woman who never appeared in the previous games is suddenly the driving force behind the plot, and not hilarious in the way the game intended. The soundtrack is pretty good and Gex's quips are occasionally funny, but if you feel the need to throw your TV out a window by the end of the story after hearing Gex's 15th flirty conversation with a human playboy model, I won't blame you. The actual gameplay can be pretty stale and repetitive, and the 100 fly coin objective in each level would probably ruin the game for me were the levels not so good. The boss fights are joke(Rez excluded) and most of the collectables are worthless, only feeding into a lame 100% completion reward that is not worth your time. The main villain never has a speaking line in the whole game, making Gex 3's connection to the previous 2 games feel tenuous; this game has the Sly Cooper 3 problem. This game is unpolished and lackluster in many ways.
Altogether, I loved this game for the level design alone. If great levels themselves are enough to spark your interest, Gex 3 will scratch that itch. If that isn't enough for you, then I'm sad to say this is a game to skip.