It didn't shit the bed as badly as Spyro: ETD, but Crash's next-gen debut at the time just didn't come up with any new ideas to expand the series, making The Wrath of Cortex feel stodgy and conservative. Not only that, it also played, looked, and sounded watered down as well. Also, if you thought Warped had more than enough vehicle levels, TWOC goes ahead and makes almost every single level have a vehicle in it.
Did I forget to mention the long loading times too?
Final Score: 49/100 (Aluminum Medal)