Crash Bandicoot has become quite an icon now. His third outing on the Playstation is definately his best adventure yet, and Naughty Dog have left no stone unturned when it comes to fast and furious gameplay that has a welcome level of variety. Something of a mascot now to Sony, much like Mario is to Nintendo, Crash Bandicoot was born as a platformer. But this game has so much more to offer than that, the level of variety not only in environments, but in the styles of play make this a fantastically playable game, offering many different challenges. Throwing this all together would be a nightmare for most developers, however Naughty Dog have extensively play-tested Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped to ensure it has that high level of playability and Crash attitude that we have all grown to love. The Warped! subtitle now refers to the reference of time, as Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped now takes place in different time periods, as well as in different locations around the world. From medievil Europe, to ancient Egypt and 1960's America, popularised time periods have been recorded and made playable. Some new options of play now come into effect too. Featuring the same Hub system famous in Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, Crash has five levels to complete (which includes finding a crystal), before he can face off with a boss to open the next gate, which opens a further 5 levels. In this Crash outing, we will see Crash racing around lava pits avoiding Dinosaurs, swimming in technologically advanced pools while watching out for sharks, riding motorcycles on route 66 in middle America to fighting off against the Persians in Ancient Persia. There is little need for a story when a game plays this well. Rated E for Everyone, this is a non-violent game that your little sister will love. But you will enjoy it too, naturally. Fast paced moments like racing a tiger along the great wall of china to jet-skiing in a pirates world, (both of which are playable as Coco, Crash's sister, the first time you get to play as her), will have you joining in the action. Graphics are now even better than before - with longer draw distances, better animations, and more of them, and lots of great detail. Little touches like how you jump on the tiger and it squashes down comically to the laugh out loud death animations are great to look at - and give the game a real comical touch. You may find yourself dying deliberately just to see all those funny death animations again. Graphically, the game is splendid, I have no complaints. A new addition to the game which adds further variety is the inclusion of the time attack mode. After finishing a level, you have the option of doing it again against the clock. No throw away mode, this adds to your completion rate, and the levels change slightly, with normal boxes changing to timers that stop the clock slightly. Its a good addition, and will further test your skills. Sound is suitably corny, with a carnival like fare pushing the game along, as well as those great effects. Sound effects are again carnival like - bringing a real fun like atmosphere to the game. I personally loved the sound effect of the shark eating you, then spitting out your mask and flippers, but that's just me. The game pits you with enough variety to make the trip worthwhile, but there aren't enough levels to sustain you. Hidden secrets, and the always elusive gems - plus the addition of the time attack mode definately add more to the game's longevity, but at the end of the day we are talking about a Crash Bandicoot game - which aren't famed for their length. Overall, the third platformer from Crash lives up to the name, and provides enough playability and variety to make the game great. It's just the issue with the replayability, and the longevity of the game that make it a questionable full price buy. However, this review has been done several years since it's release, so it should be available at a bargain price. If you have the means, and would like a fun game - than I recommend this. Classic platforming gameplay.
Other Helpful Reviews for Crash Bandicoot 3: Buttobi! Sekai Isshuu (PSOne Books)
Poor, poor Crash. Once Sony's answer to Mario, you've now been reduced to starring in mindless beat-em-ups full of lame pop culture references. Thankfully, this is one of the better Crash games, though there's a few flaw... Read Full Review
Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped is the greatest game of all time. It has wonderful level design, graphics are as good as they got for its time and the music is just totally flawless. Yep Naughty Dog has done it again and they h... Read Full Review
