In the beginning of Wrath, Crash is placed into a convenient warp room with five gates. Each gate has five portals that lead to levels in which he must collect crystals. When all the crystals have been collected in a portal, the boss level opens. When the boss is defeated, a new gate will open, with five more portals to explore.
The levels are much the same as they have been for the previous two Crash games. For those who have not played them, it works like this: Crash must navigate through immense levels of daunting obstacles and various enemies, to try to collect the crystal in that level. Located throughout the level are crates, which Crash can smash to gain extra lives, masks (which take the blow if a baddie hits you), and wumpa fruit (which give you an extra life if you collect 100). If the bandicoot smashes all the crates in a level, he gets a gem. In order to complete the game with 100%, Crash needs all the crystals AND all the gems.
There is one more similarity between Wrath and previous Bandicoot games – and this is a good one. It is insanely fun! Hopping through levels, spinning crates and dodging flamethrowers never gets old. Each level has a certain theme… for example, one might be based in medieval times, or one could take place in the Middle East. The actual levels are very nicely done, with realistic props and design. The music in Wrath was also very nice. I don’t usually notice this, but the music added a lot to the game, and contrasted very well with the environments that Crash was in.
In some levels, Crash can ride vehicles. Each of these vehicles has separate controls, and can only be used at certain points in the game. Surprisingly, I only got to use each vehicle in one level, which was a bit disappointing. I was expecting about 2-3 levels in which I could use each type of vehicle – but I suppose if the designers had done this, than there wouldn’t be any room for normal, non-vehicle levels. In addition to vehicles, there are some levels in which Crash rolls around in a hamster ball. For me, this was the highlight of the game. Controlling the ball was extremely fun, and rolling down chutes and catapulting off jumps entertained me for hours.
The bosses in the game were interesting. Each was one of the elemental masks which Uka-Uka summoned. They all had a specific way to defeat them, which took a while to get the hang of. I ended up going through about 10 lives on each boss before I finally figured them out. Still, it was very fun to do. When each boss is defeated, Crash receives a power, which he can use throughout the rest of the game. These powers include a bazooka, super-spinning, and the double jump. This is all well and good, but there was only one power that was not used in previous Crash games. Its fun, but where’s the originality?
Also a feature in Wrath is time trials. After completing a level, Crash can re-enter it in order to complete it in a specific time. Bashing certain crates will give Crash more time. If the level is completed within the allotted time limit, the player will receive a relic. They can be obtained on every level, and for every five relics you get, a new level will be opened.
My biggest complaint in Wrath was the originality. It seemed suspiciously similar to its predecessor, Warped. From the same warp room, to almost the exact same powers, to the same things you are collecting (crystals, gems, relics…), this was almost exactly like the last game in structure. That is, of course, not fully a bad thing, as both games are extremely fun – but some originality in design would have been nice, instead of a replica of another game, with different levels.
Beating the last boss plays an ending, but you can only see the true ending if you collect all the crystals, gems, and relics. This is no mean feat, and I have not managed to do it yet. However, I am looking forward to seeing the full ending!
I have been an avid fan of Crash for years, playing all the previous games and beating almost all of them with about a 114% score. The next in the series, Wrath, did not disappoint me. The gameplay was just like the previous ones – fast ‘n fun. Although I would have liked to see a lot more originality in this, the same old elements are good elements, and if you enjoyed the other Crash games, you are sure to enjoy the latest.
I am a high school kid who has loved playing computer and video games from a very young age. I have always found computers fascinating, and am enthralled by gaming and interactivity with a virtual environment.
I currently review for GamersInfo.net and run a home-based website design company called PCI Studios.
