~Rex Nebular
1
REXNEB.PCX

Reviewed by Martin Keen


Strictly speaking I shouldn't like Rex Nebular And The Cosmic Gender
Benders (to give it it's full title). Indeed I only got hold of the
game so I could grill it in the Don't Buy This column (which can be
found in this very issue of Cheet Sheets - go take a look after you've
read this). It scored a sorry 40% in the normally reliable PC Format.
It's a first time graphic adventure from Microprose who at the time
knew nothing other than flight sims. So why then do I think this game
is actually pretty good...?

Rex Nebular has all the ingredients of a very bad game. Firstly take a
large dollop of Sierra style graphic adventuring, add poor jokes, mix
in six ounces of illogical puzzles, and cover with a splash of 
sudden-death-syndrome. Whisk until light and fluffy, package the game,
then set it to an unsuspecting public where the product will rest on
a dusty shelf until the software retailer gives in and sells it at a
knock down price of a fiver... if he hasn't thrown it out first.

Aha! But maybe the reason this list of ingredients doesn't turn into
a soggy school dinner is because it has a really gripping plot full
of unexpected twists. Umm... no, the plot is awful. Rex Nebular is
struck down in his space ship and lands on a planet inhabited solely
by women. Men are created by the use of a gender bender and their
only purpose is to help reproduce. Real men are locked away if they
aren't shot first. Rex's only hope of survival is to turn himself
into a woman. Oh dear.

The jokes really are appaling. The game goes out of its way to set 
them up which makes it even worse. Every object has its own set of
commands that can be used with it. For instance the binoculars come
with a "look through" option, and a slice of meat has "eat". But
when a computer circuit has a command "foddle" you just begin to
wander if another dodgy joke is on its way. But perhaps the jokes
are actually one of the strong points of the game. In the same way
that several million people watch Supermarket Sweep you can't help
but want more of these jokes simply becuase they are so bad they
become entertaining.

Most of the puzzles are fairly logical so there aren't too many 
sticking points (which could be seen as a negative point for 
experienced adventures who are looking for a decent playing time).
There are plenty of new screens appearing as you progress throught the
game to keep the interest up, and even the music is servicable.

But none of these plus points seem to make up for the games numerous
flaws. Yet somehow this game remains entertaining and keeps you 
coming back. Rex Nebular is no Full Throttle but it is a game that is
well worth getting hold of on budget. That mysterious factor that 
makes an average game a good game has struck again, and no more has
that factor been more mysterious than it is here.


Text Copyright (c) 1995 Eurowave Leisure Ltd.
