Crash Bandicoot
I was a full-blown fan of the PS1 Crash games back during that era. I remember the first game being hard as nails, but as a kid I still really enjoyed it. Well I must have had the patience of a saint back then, because playing the remake in this current age, there were some levels that made me want to go on a shooting spree!
So yeah, there's an issue with camera placement and certain perspectives causing misjudgement in the platforming. The game is brutal enough as it is, and add a camera that is sometimes not your friend and it can be needlessly rage-inducing. Also, holy shit are the boss battles bad. Like... bottom of the barrel bad. And they get worse the further you progress.
Otherwise, a very faithful, very conservative remake of one of the very first pioneers of 3D platforming. The fundamentals of the original have aged well, so when the game isn't making Dark Souls look like Katamari Damacy, it offers a satisfyingly tight and enjoyable platforming challenge. But you've got to be some kind of sadomasochist to get through the late-game levels.
7 outta 10
Crash Bandicoot 2
Just like the PS1 originals, the remake of Crash 2 marks a significant improvement over the first game. It's far more forgiving, the level design is tighter and fairer to the player, the new moves in Crash's arsenal grant more diverse traversal (especially helpful during time trials) and the boss battles... well, they aren't godawful this time around.
It's N'Sane how much more enjoyable Crash 2 is compared to the original. It's amazing what a bit of difficulty balance can do for a game. I might even go for the platinum!
9 outta 10
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
I've been a fan of the Naughty Dog Crash games ever since the PS1 days (I guess that makes me an ancient), so while they're very familiar to me, going through the remakes for the first time made me realise the trajectory that these games took from 1 to 3. For better or worse (mostly better), ND really fished for that casual audience as the series went on! Playing 1, 2 and 3 in such close proximity makes it more readily apparent than ever how insanely easy 3 is compared to the first game.
So yes, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, aka 3, aka the one with much of the challenge removed. This is a pretty easy, breezy affair. Chill bait. The definition of comf. Even the platinum is a relatively stress-free time. This is also the entry where ND went a little too hard in on the gimmicky levels. There's a lot of vehicular stuff going on here, and most of it is passable, but it's not nearly as entertaining as the conventional platforming stuff, and it does make me miss that perfect balance achieved by 2. Still a jolly good time all in all though, and the faithfulness of this remake is testament to how well Warped holds up even all these years later. Just don't go into it expecting it to test your platforming mettle.
8.25 outta 10
Overall score of the collection - 8/10
I was a full-blown fan of the PS1 Crash games back during that era. I remember the first game being hard as nails, but as a kid I still really enjoyed it. Well I must have had the patience of a saint back then, because playing the remake in this current age, there were some levels that made me want to go on a shooting spree!
So yeah, there's an issue with camera placement and certain perspectives causing misjudgement in the platforming. The game is brutal enough as it is, and add a camera that is sometimes not your friend and it can be needlessly rage-inducing. Also, holy shit are the boss battles bad. Like... bottom of the barrel bad. And they get worse the further you progress.
Otherwise, a very faithful, very conservative remake of one of the very first pioneers of 3D platforming. The fundamentals of the original have aged well, so when the game isn't making Dark Souls look like Katamari Damacy, it offers a satisfyingly tight and enjoyable platforming challenge. But you've got to be some kind of sadomasochist to get through the late-game levels.
7 outta 10
Crash Bandicoot 2
Just like the PS1 originals, the remake of Crash 2 marks a significant improvement over the first game. It's far more forgiving, the level design is tighter and fairer to the player, the new moves in Crash's arsenal grant more diverse traversal (especially helpful during time trials) and the boss battles... well, they aren't godawful this time around.
It's N'Sane how much more enjoyable Crash 2 is compared to the original. It's amazing what a bit of difficulty balance can do for a game. I might even go for the platinum!
9 outta 10
Crash Bandicoot: Warped
I've been a fan of the Naughty Dog Crash games ever since the PS1 days (I guess that makes me an ancient), so while they're very familiar to me, going through the remakes for the first time made me realise the trajectory that these games took from 1 to 3. For better or worse (mostly better), ND really fished for that casual audience as the series went on! Playing 1, 2 and 3 in such close proximity makes it more readily apparent than ever how insanely easy 3 is compared to the first game.
So yes, Crash Bandicoot: Warped, aka 3, aka the one with much of the challenge removed. This is a pretty easy, breezy affair. Chill bait. The definition of comf. Even the platinum is a relatively stress-free time. This is also the entry where ND went a little too hard in on the gimmicky levels. There's a lot of vehicular stuff going on here, and most of it is passable, but it's not nearly as entertaining as the conventional platforming stuff, and it does make me miss that perfect balance achieved by 2. Still a jolly good time all in all though, and the faithfulness of this remake is testament to how well Warped holds up even all these years later. Just don't go into it expecting it to test your platforming mettle.
8.25 outta 10
Overall score of the collection - 8/10