The best Crash Bandicoot game ever? No, not quite...
The platforming is the same as the previous games – get Crash from point A to point B, collect fruit and masks, smash enough crates to get a gem – no problem there, Crash's gameplay has always been refreshingly basic compared to "collect-fests" like Donkey Kong 64. The main issue with the platforming is that there's not enough of it. Mixed in with the enjoyable platforming levels are "mini-game" type ones which do break up the monotony of the game, but they don't seem as polished as the regular stages. Some might have you piloting a bi-plane, while others might have you riding a jet ski. Crash 2 had a few of these levels to mix things up a bit (jet packs and polar bears), but they were more enjoyable and complemented the actual platforming. Crash 3's just seem like a mess. Riding on the back of a tiger is admittedly fun, but the motorbike riding levels are downright awful, mainly due to the fact that this is meant to be a platformer not a racing game, so not much thought has been put into things like making the bike actually able to steer properly.
Another issue is the balancing of difficulty. The game starts out easy, gets harder and then becomes easy again. This is mostly due to the introduction of special moves Crash obtains after he defeats a boss. Like the mini-game levels, some complement the gameplay (the double-jump is a life saver), while others make the game way too easy (a longer spinning move and an admittedly cool but overpowered bazooka). The game loses almost all challenge once you gain the ability to spin or blast your way through anything in your path. I say almost all because the game introduces new "time trial" levels where Crash's new found weaponry is pretty much useless. You won't have enough time to stop and aim at things when you're trying to get Crash to the end of the level fast enough to gain a relic. This adds significantly to the challenge of the game, as well as the longevity (there are 3 relics in each level, and over 25 levels). On top of the relics, Crash can also find crystals and gems – making the game quite a long one if you choose to seek everything out.
As well as the overall length of the game, the graphics have been improved too. Instead of the tired old tropical jungles and ruins, the time travel theme of the game allows for more variation in the level designs. As well as being fresh ideas for the series, levels like Egyptian pyramids and futuristic cities feature fancy lighting effects and nice graphical details like reflective surfaces. Crash himself seems to be even more animated than before – especially when it comes to his often hilarious death animations. The soundtrack is not quite as good as the previous games, however. While the music fits with the levels quite well, it's not quite as well composed or memorable. An exception to this is the theme music of the game which was so good it was recycled and put in the next five or so games.
Crash does a lot of things better than its predecessors, but it also does a lot of things worse. Regardless, if you're looking for a solid platformer and you've already played Crash 2, you could do a whole lot worse than play Crash Bandicoot: Warped.