Crash of the Titans (Wii)

Sadly for Crash, he never quite took off as much as Sony were no doubt hoping.  Not as cool as Sonic and not as playable as Mario, Crash slowly became just another platform character, especially when "Jak and Daxter" and "Rachet and Clank" were released.  Despite not becoming a gaming "icon", Crash still sold a stack full of games and I can understand why.

Sure, Crash 1-3 had the most irritating jump controls ever, but it was extremely playable and on some occasions, very, very challenging.  So here I am, reviewing the latest Crash instalment and to be honest, I'm a little nervous, especially after my previous review of the disaster that was Spyro the Dragon on the DS.  Much like Spyro, a few years have passed since I played Crash Bandicoot.  It's been passed from developer to developer.  One positive is that this game has been developed by "Sierra" who were responsible for the fabulous Space Quest series.  So, let's get underway ...

Graphically, Crash holds up pretty well, not massively moving away from former 3D versions of the game.  If you were expecting hugely detailed graphics then you'll be sorely disappointed.  They are bright though, colourful and cartoonish which suits the game down to the ground.  The cut scenes, again aren't the most detailed I've ever seen, but suit their purpose.

Crash has always had non-descript Aztec music running in the background whilst loud sound effects mask the uninspiring soundtrack and much like the graphics, this version of Crash Bandicoot does little to stray from the formula.  What you do get though is sets of enemies who will be having conversations about what evil things they're going to do until you enter the fray, which I thought was a nice little touch.  The cut scenes and part of the in-game action also have speech, and in typical Sierra style the acting is full of abstract humour.

Let's move on to the game play, which shows a major change from former Crash instalments.  The old Crash used to be about crate breaking and puzzles.  The new Crash is actually more of a beat-em-up in the style of Double Dragon.  Crash has various attacks such as punching, spinning and charge dropkicks.  The more "Mojo" (funny blue crystal things) you collect, the more moves you pick up. 

The Apples that were the main stay of past games are now very few and merely add to Crash's health.  The main innovation is Crash's new ability to hijack monsters and use them against others, which gives you a whole new move set and a great sense of power as you obliterate all in your path on the backs of these beasts!  To demonstrate how much fighting is involved in the game, you actually get awards for combos (the number of enemies you beat up in one go.)

Don't get me wrong, there is platform jumping involved and there are puzzles you have to solve but they really do play second fiddle to the majority of the action that's taking place.  As a purist I suppose I should hate the change - but I don't.  In truth I like it, and it ticks all the boxes my young cousin Thomas asked of Spyro.  Where Spyro failed, Crash has succeeded.

Whilst I've read reviews stating that Crash is too easy and not long enough, this simply isn't true in my opinion.  Maybe these people are super human game players?  All I can say is that I barely made it through the third level by the skin of my teeth and that, to me, shows this game is no walk over.  There's plenty to get your teeth in to and you won't finish each level perfectly first time, that's for sure.

I'm really scratching my head on the rating of this game.  I've really enjoyed playing it by I know there's going to be a whole bunch of people who can't rate a game highly unless it has 700 side quests and takes 5 years to complete.  I know it's not the kind of game that's going to have you pondering for hours as to how to make it to the next stage.  Crash of the Titans is the kind of game you can pick up, beat the snot out of and then put down again ... happy in the knowledge you're not going to be lost if you wait too long to go back to it.

Crash is not perfect. Crash is the type of car which drives at the speed of light but would shoot off a cliff if you ever went round a corner.  And it certainly doesn't come with an MP3 player.  Crash of the Titans is not flying.  It's falling with style.  And yet I know that a person like me appreciates it for what it is.

However, I'm not reviewing this game for me, I'm reviewing it for you.  I really want to give it 4 out of 5 but I know many of you will yearn for something more then this is.  If you read the review and like the sound of my description, buy it.  If you're not sure, pick it up second hand.  I still believe this is worth £30-£40 of anyone's money.

I'll give it 3/5

Johnny James