I was hoping this could be an A+ if it fixed my issues with Crash 2. It did. The gameplay was smoother in some places and I thought the finale gave a challenge and the ending didn't feel anticlimactic because of that. It also keeps the charm that Crash 2 had and barely changed a thing. Then why isn't it a five and why don't I prefer this over the second one? It's because there are too many gimmick levels, some with wonky gameplay and controls and the actual platforming levels are a bit too easy and bland. I have no problem with the gimmick levels as it adds variety to the game to make things more interesting, but I feel like with the boat levels with Coco and the scuba levels, the controls were wonky. The scuba diving was a bit slow where I would have the joystick all the way right and it would take Crash forever to go right and I'd die. The same goes with the boat where the steering was way too sensitive. I'd have to keep turning back for boxes and the crystal because the steering would go way left or right with a slight movement of the joystick. I did enjoy them, but they could've been improved. I very much liked the motorcycle and plane levels though as they ran very smoothly and were way more fun than they should've been. When it comes to the actual platform levels though, they were a bit inconsistent in execution and difficulty. They all ran smooth though. My problem was that it would go from a hard level to an especially easy one and then some of them would be pretty bland. I still had fun with most of them though. I also think this game has the most creativity with the worlds you go to. They introduce the time warp thing where you can go to so many different places. It's a phenomenal idea which creates scenic levels and adds more fun to it making some of them slightly less bland. I also enjoyed the plot of this game which was original and the whole Uka Uka plotline was interesting. My biggest issue is the way they set up the game. I didn't really care for the layout of the main world you're in with everything being separated like that. Crash 2's layout was great, while this felt like a step down. I think if this was slightly more organized, had smoother controls, and more exciting levels, this could've been the best because they already had a 4.5 game for me. But in the end they didn't have that which made me deduct a few points. It's a lot of fun and my second favorite of the original trilogy. I'd recommend playing these games. Time to go play the originals!

GRADE
A-