cb:twoc is the result of a lame vg film-based director who was asked to do a game based of an actual game franchise
Universal interactive studios, a company that published several good games, including spyro and other crash franchises, decided to make a videogame based on some levels that not resemble on the previous, next or anyone level left on the game, leaving a very notorious remembrance of a childish film plot with many scenes. But with no movie and to give each level a support, it looks like a failed attempt to make an action adventure platformer. It also features some levels played with coco, crash’s sister, that can’t be played by crash and vice versa, making it look even more like a movie with two subplots making the argument.
The 36 levels are distributed in 6 worlds: 5 normal levels and a boss stage each themed on an element except the two last ones. Once you unlock a world, all levels (with the obvious exception of the boss stage, which is unlocked when the 5 normal ones are finished), are unlocked.
One level may consist in one of 3 different objectives: getting to one point to another (which happens in 7 out of 9 levels), defeating or destroying an objective while flying on a wacky aircraft, which lamely is the most entertaining level objective throughout the game, and is present in 1 out of 7 levels, and the last one, which consists in defeating a boss per world in a very innovating way. Each boss stage leaves an additional ability such as double jump, running or extended tornado punch. The boss stages don’t count as a level due to things we’ll discuss later. The first 2 types include crates and mangoes you can pick up or destroy.
The “getting from one point to another” levels are neither side scrolling nor straightway a la “sonic heroes”, but a lousy and unsuccessful mix between both, giving a “Mario clash” gameplay stile, but with more irregular circuits. There are also levels like “super monkey ball”, where crash rides on a hamster ball. Unfortunately, there are only 3 or 4 levels like this.
The replay value is not as present as a high score game, although it has a strange one. After beating a level, you can destroy all of its crates to win a gem, go through a secret passage to win a special gem or beating it in less than a determinate time to win a relic. Every 5 relics after completing the main game, a new level is unlocked, but the gems or special gems have no significance or purpose.
The story is unchanged ant there are no plot twists, to make things worse, the story mode (and only mode) presentation explains it all, with a conference between Uka Uka (a crash arch-nemesis) and the rest of the villains discussing about “Why evil was going down this semester” and planned an attempt to conquer the world using the Elementals (masks resembling to the four elements) while Crunch, a new Cortex creation, to take Crash down or stop him in his attempt to save the world.
There is a feature that is unlocked with the gba-gc connectivity, which is a game called "Crash blast" where you do blast things, but not crash, as the name and your wishes tell. it is a mini game where you use your bazooka to blow things an enemies up.
In some levels you have to ride different vehicles to achieve a goal, but they are boring or similar to other vehicles, and sometimes you’ll be wishing to skip that part or make it on foot. Also, you will unlock a bazooka, which is useless until you reach the last boss.
Graphics and sound are what you would expect from a 128-bit generation console, but sound gets too repetitive and graphics are not appreciated due to its short length; I beat it in a weekend since it came with my gamecube, but I would consider it as an 15-20 hour length game on the passive or inexperienced player, because I played it in a rush.
If you are not sure about buying it, I would tell you not to. If you are thinking to buy it, I would tell you to rent it first.