The Good
I must say before I embark upon this review that I've never particularly liked the Crash character. From the beginning, it was an obvious attempt by Sony and Naughty Dog to rip off Sonic the Hedgehog, and sometimes I swear I can see little dollar signs in Crash's pupils. But good taste aside, Naughty Dog are talented game designers, and they've turned what started as a lukewarm platformer into one of the most insanely fun series on the PlayStation.
For the most part, the basic concepts in Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped haven't changed. You have 3D movement, but this mostly takes the form of "tunnel" levels where you are running on a linear track. You bust boxes, bop enemies, and outrun the infamous boulders. Also mixed in are more traditional side-scrolling levels (that still have a degree of depth, so be careful with the up/down!). New to Crash 3 are several mini-game levels that have you buzzing around a true 3D environment in a vehicle. You beat 5 levels, fight a boss, and 5 more levels, until your final confrontation with Cortex. This is a platformer, so naturally the story is so stupid I will not bother with it here.
Crash 3 is a much deeper game than either of it's predecessors, occasionally approaching Super Mario 3 levels (the highest compliment I can give). While beating the basic game by getting all the "crystals" (just survive the level) is fairly easy, each level also has several secret offshoots that allow you to pick up "gems". Some offshoots on earlier levels cannot be accessed until you obtain gems from later levels. Also thrown into the mix for this game are "amulets", which require you to beat the level in Time Trial mode under a certain time. The system of secrets is very elaborate e.g., the second gem on level 3 might not be accessible until you get the blue gem on level 16 and bronze amulets for all the levels, that sort of thing. Suffice to say the most expert of gamers will have a tough time getting 100% completion.
The graphics for Crash 3 are impressive, to say the least. The cartoonish feel of the game allows Crash to avoid the pixelated look of titles that aim to be more realistic. The jetski levels show off what is, in my opinion, the best in-game water possible on the PSX. Everything is done in an exaggerated, cartoonish vibe that expresses a liberal sense of humor. The "medieval" levels in particular result in some wickedly funny death animations. The designers include thinly disguised homages to other PSX games such as JetMoto and Tomb Raider.
Crash himself has more moves than either Mario or Sonic had at the same points in their careers. These include bodyslams, double jumps, mega-spins, dashes, slides, and the ever-amusing mango bazooka. The control still manages to be easy and natural, and the level design is challenging without being overly frustrating.
The Bad
Although most of my gripes stem from my personal distaste for Crash himself, there are a few more concrete issues with this game.
Numer one among them would be the music. The cartoony xylophone/synth is barely tolerable from the start, and after a few levels it grates deeply at the soul. The stupid voices for the games' few cutscenes also detract from the game's quality. This is NOT the game to justify the CD medium with.
Also, Crash still resists the move to true 3D. The few times you do move into 3D are confined to vehicular races, which are fun but shallow, and two (very lame) plane levels. Would it be too much to ask for at least a level or two which utilize true 3D platforming? For new-school aficionados, I would recommend Gex or Spyro as superior product.
And finally, Coco is the worst sidekick ever. EVER! Worse than Tails! Worse than Toad! Boooo!
The Bottom Line
As a concept, Crash is very derivative and soulless. As a game, Warped is neither true 3D nor true 2D, which makes for a unique and compelling gameplay experience. If you can stomach the cutesy-ness of the design and the (ugh) soundtrack, I recommend checking it out.
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