Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex

What people search:

Title : Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex
Author : Vivendi Universal
Release Date : 20020419
Binding : Video Game
Regular Price : $49.99
Amazon.com Price : $15.00 (70 %)
VISIT AMAZON.COM'S PAGE

Editorial Reviews :
Crash Bandicoot, the famous marsupial video-game icon, comes spinning into yet another solid action platform game in Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex. This is the first true platform game for the Xbox, and is suitable for cartoon-action lovin' fans of all ages.
Evil is at an all-time decline, so Crash's arch-nemesis Dr. Neo Cortex is designing the ultimate weapon: Crunch, the extra-evil-bio-engineered-super-bandicoot! In order to complete Crunch, the good doctor needs more power--the kind of power that only evil, renegade voodoo masks can provide. Enter the Elementals.

Set free by the evil voodoo mask Uka Uka, the Elementals control various aspects of the environment. They are so powerful, and so dangerous, that they almost destroyed the Earth once, and were sealed in special crystals to protect the Earth from certain doom. Uka Uka believes that by harnessing the power of these evil masks, Dr. Cortex will have all the power he needs to complete Crunch, and finally finish off Crash.

So once again Crash returns to his crystal-collecting, box-bashing, bad guy-spinning ways. Can he stop the masks? Will he defeat Crunch? Only time, and your weary game-playing hands, will tell.

The Wrath of Cortex is the hardest game in the series' history. There are 30 levels, seven different vehicles, bonus levels, and a time-trial mode. As you progress through the game, you fight five bosses. Each time you defeat a boss, you unlock a new move (double jump, bazooka, tiptoe, Crash dash, and death tornado). Although the coolest feature is that you get to play as Crash's sister Coco on some levels.

The game is good, but is it perfect? The graphics are solid, but not much of an improvement over the PlayStation2 version--the game definitely doesn't take full advantage of the Xbox's hardware. Also, the long load times for levels can be annoying. Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex was not developed by Naughty Dog, the company that started the series. The game, while faithfully following the traditional feel of the series, misses some of the polished quirkiness that Naughty Dog is known for.

Bottom line: The Wrath of Cortex is a great game for all ages, and will give you 40 or more hours of solid gameplay. --Bryan Karsh

Buyer Reviews :
There are some things in life that just help keep things FUN (albeit frustrating at times). One of those things is a Crash Bandicoot game. I've played the first two offerings for the PSX but have basically stayed away from Crash since then. But my trusty old Xbox needed something new so I decided to give CRASH BANDICOOT: THE WRATH OF CORTEX a try.

Any gamers familiar with the old Crash games will find the controls and graphics as reliable as ever. The formula also is solid (5 stages per level - 5 levels in all) giving players the ability to choose where they go in each level. Levels vary from basic platforming to running from charging onslaughts to vehicle levels to underwater levels to battling bosses. Some of the levels are a cake-walk while others will leave you with 'rage building!' (I like to throw my controller and utter some favorite words). The most frustrating apect on this new offering (and the only downside) are certain levels that leave the player with tricky camera angles and poor depth perception.

Aside from merely winning a level and getting your gem, Crash allows numerous areas for repeat playing:

1) Find and destroy every crate per stage (harder than you think) to get a BONUS GEM! Collecting all these gems opens up new areas.

2) Getting through certain stages without dying to open up a Death Gauntlet where hidden gems await. These hidden gems will then open up new stages on other levels.

3) TIME TRIAL! Try to conquer a level in record time. The game saves all times and completing all 25 levels this way opens up even more hidden wonders.

All in all, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex will keep any platform gamer happy for days (weeks if you're not very good). It's not the greatest game in the world but it does manage to capture the two key essentials of any good game...

IT LOOKS GOOD AND IT'S FUN!

(by Michael Grant)

back

What people search: