Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex is just an average game relying too much on trial and error.
To be honest, I never really followed the story, and, in the end, you really don't need a story for this kind of a game, but I think Crash has to go destroy masks or something.
The gameplay is like your standard platformer. Jump when you have to, attack when you have to, etc. There are TNT and Nitro crates, and they can kill you in one hit if you're not careful. Actually....anything can kill you in a hit! The only way you can get extra health is if you collect the Tiki masks, with one mask giving you one extra hit, two giving you two extra hits before you die, etc.
Most of the levels are very simplistic and straightfoward. There aren't any puzzles or other routes besides the occasional bonus stage in the middle of the level. Much of the gameplay relies on trial and error, and, to be fair, if this was made back in the '90's when a lot of games were doing this, I could give it some credit. But this is 2003! Come on, you have to change SOMEHOW. And, trust me, it can be VERY annoying.
The graphics on all versions are pretty much identical. Though if had to choose between all three console versions, get the Ps2 version. This game was obviously made keeping the Ps2's graphics in mind, and they just made other versions of the game to appeal to more gamers. To be fair, the graphics on all three versions look pretty good, and I like the cartoony style of the game. Animations look very nice and are a little humourous.
The soundtrack is okay to listen to, but it can get a bit annoying at times when the same five or ten notes at the hub screen loop over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. I was pretty mad that these developers STILL didn't get a voice actor for Crash (yes, I know Naughty Dog did make the Ps1 Crash games). Everyone else's voices are standard, and there aren't any spectacular performances, but what do you expect from your avergae kid's game?
Overall, this really could've been a great game, but this was just an average experience. Yes, I just started actually trying to beat the game, but from what I've seen/played (I have played some of the harder worlds), some of the controls are slippery (especially when it's not a platforming stage), and it just relies too much on trial and error. Still, this is an okay game, and if you're just looking for another game to add to your collection, or if you just want something to do for 30 minutes at a time, this is a good choice.