Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

"Crash-tastic!"

Travellers Tales, the developers of the Wrath of Cortex, were really in a damned if they do, damned if they don't situation. Crash Bandicoot had a very long lineage on the Playstation and I'm sure Travellers Tales wanted to keep in step with what had been done before. Though, if they hadn't given people what they expected then these same people (I'm sure) would have complained that Travellers Tales monkeyed too much with the ''formula'' and would have bashed it on those grounds as well. So no matter what, they couldn't win. Or could they?

Graphics: 9
I don't see why people aren't impressed with the graphic quality of this game. It has all the cool trappings of a next gen title. Very smooth character models, nice particle effects, colorful/diverse backdrops. I for one was pleased with the results.

Sound: 7
Ok, the sound I wasn't as pleased with. Most of the songs aren't particularly memorable and the sound levels for the voices are way off. Yes, you can adjust the levels, but there is still something wrong with the way this was mixed together. All the usual suspects are here, the sounds of crates crashing open and the simple sound of Crash as he spins, again not memorable, just standard fare. Even the celebrity voices they brought along for the ride are ho-hum (save for R. Lee Ermy).

Gameplay: 10
This is where the game shines on the Xbox. The load times are FAR better than those of the PS2's. On the PS2 the load times were about 45-50 seconds to enter a level, but on the Xbox they are MUCH less. Often hovering around 10 seconds to load or exit a level. This to me makes all the difference. Aside from that it is typical Crash. Yes, it involves some trial and error but honestly I wish it were even more difficult. Bottom line to me is: it's FUN. And the re-play value is always where the Crash series has excelled. This game I'm sure will take about 50 hours of playing to beat totally because after completing a level you need to revisit them for time trials and for breaking every crate. Controlling Crash with the Xbox controller was also a breeze for me. I had at one point (before this game came out), purchased an ''X-Connector'' to allow me to use my PS2 controller with the game, honestly, I never needed it.

Final word: 8
Well, people by and large may really be sick of this series but then again there is a lot of sickness in the world so maybe there is a connection. I really love the simplicity of the Crash Bandicoot series, the inventive boss battles, and am very pleased with this first installment on the Xbox. Hopefully, the next one will contain a few new moves absent here, but as long as the adventure is new I'll be happy.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 04/23/02, Updated 04/23/02