PRODUCED BY: Universal Interactive Studios
DEVELOPED BY: Traveller´s Tales
GENRE: Action / Adventure
PLATFORM: PlayStation 2 / XBox / GameCube
YEAR OF RELEASE: 2001 (PS2) and 2002 (Xbox and GameCube)
Ah, yes... After two spinoffs, Crash really needed to come back for the main series... But, telling the truth, it didn´t changed very much the playability. This is once more semi-identical to "Warped"... Read along, baby!
STORY - 8.5
Okay, those Crash
stories are starting to get cliché... After Cortex, Uka Uka, and
Dr. N. Tropy escape from their prison in time (unlock the secret ending
of "Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped" to see that), Uka convinces them to plan
a way to defeat Crash and his friends. Cortex comes up with the idea of
creating a new super weapon. This is later revealed to be Crunch, another
genetically-aletered bandicoot, but unlike Crash, Crunch is muscle-bound
and has a mechanical arm. Uka Uka frees the Elementals, evil masks who
can control the four elements (unless you are dumb, you should know that
the four elements are earth, fire, wind, and water). Then, they all attack
Crash and his friends when they are resting in the beach. Aku Aku meets
Uka Uka and learns his plan. Then the gang must gather Crystals to put
the Elementals sleeping again. For that, Coco creates the VR Hub System,
and Crash goes for it. Cliché...
GAMEPLAY - 9
If you are curious
to know, I have the PlayStation 2 version. As you know, you must gather
Crystals, gems, and relics that are divided into sapphire, gold, and platinum,
yada yada yada. A good part is that the super powers of "Warped" came back!
However, you don´t get them from defeating the bosses like in "Warped";
they are found in the normal courses. Also, Crash has a bigger number of
vehicles to pilot. Coco is fully playable unlike in "Warped", and the cat
has claws! Coco is a talented kung-fu fighter, and has a powerful kick.
A bad part is that the boss battles are only formed of Crunch powered up
with an Elemental. (If you are curious to know, the Elementals are Rok-Ko,
who controls earth; Wa-Wa, who controls water; Py-Ro, who controls fire;
and Lo-Lo, who controls wind.)
GRAPHICS - 9.5
Yeah, the graphics
are good again, but a bad part is how the characters look: most of them
got uglier, like Cortex, N. Tropy and Aku Aku. However, Crash is a lot
more detailed (I´ve heard that he´s EVEN MORE detailed in the
XBox version). I didn´t like Coco's hair very much, but the undone
strap in her overalls is more noticeable. The graphics look a lot like
the Barbie cartoons created by computer.
MUSIC - 9.5
The music is
made by a band named Swallow Studios. It can get a little repetitive because
it´s electronic music, but it´s good nonetheless. My favorite
one is the final battle.
FUN FACTOR! -
9.5
It´s a
nice thing that Coco is fully playable, and there is a new super power
introduced (it´s named "Creep": it allows you to walk above Nitroglycerin
boxes without blowing up), but cutting all that, there aren't many new
things to see, what can be very frustrating.
FINAL NOTE - 8,5
All right, it
is not a very innovative game, but nonetheless it´s good and a relief.
In a speech made in "Crash Twinsanity", the game that chronologically follows
"The Wrath of Cortex", a reference to WoC is made: Cortex blames the low
sales of the game on a bounced check. But, if you have a PS2, XBox, or
GC, buy it some way, please.
BE PREPARED FOR
MY NEXT REVIEW:
Crash Twinsanity
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