Crash 3 sucks. Because too much of Crash 3 is not actually Crash Bandicoot. Behold:
Crash Bandicoot levels: 15 - 47%
(Cat riding levels): 2 - 6%
Swimming levels: 2 - 6%
Jet Ski levels: 4 - 13%
Motorbike levels: 4 - 13%
Plane levels: 3 - 9%
Less than 50% of the game is the traditional (and fantastic) Crash Bandicoot game you signed up for. The rest are just really tedious. So, let's break down each of these six different categories of game:
Crash Bandicoot levels:
What you came for and it's good. Nothing too exceptional over the previous entries, just real solid Crash adventuring. The new power-ups to Crash's moveset feel largely superfluous, but do allow players to get more creative with movement and sequence break somewhat. I actually really appreciate that you're not too often forced into using these, and they're more for extra flair and showing off expertise.
And expertise is worth showing off, as the biggest addition here are the Time Relic Challenges. Not just speedrunning through a level, but doing so while collecting clock-freezing boxes to maximise your best time. Weighing up whether certain 3 second boxes are worth going for or not is good video game. It also brings back the "no death" challenge from the first Crash in a way that feels much more fair and satisfying. They also don't take lives from you for failure, so thanks Naughty Dog.
Recommend attempting these once you beat the final boss the first time around, as unlocking the Sprint power-up makes these really fun challenges. Crash 3's levels aren't anything super special, but they're a good solid time.
Oh, and the boss battles here are all fantastic. Like, really really good. Especially the final Cortex fight. Cortex in general is at his best here. The final dialogue with him where he's already acting defeated is really well done and Uka-Uka is a fantastic comedy partner for him. Unrelenting evil paired with exhausted-worn-out evil. Wish I could have seen more of them.
Cat riding levels:
Somewhat mean to include these in a separate category as they're a staple of the franchise. But there's also only two of them this time around so whatever. They're the same as they ever were really. Slower than in Crash 2, but with a sprint button instead. Not much to say, there's only two of them and they're fine. I liked them in Crash 2, I like them here in Crash 3.
Swimming levels:
Why don't we put in a swimming level? Everyone loves swimming levels.
These aren't actually that bad compared to the others, especially since swimming has been married to platforming for a long time. (Thanks World 2-2). It's got a bit of Donkey Kong Country flavourings with a rideable mount and being able to modulate your speed with kicking or spinning. Again, not much to say. It's a swimming level. Long, kinda dull, not particularly exciting. They'd probably stand out more if there were than just 2 of them, and if they were the only new gameplay mode on offer here.
Jet Ski levels:
Oooooh here we go. The real unfun stuff.
Credit to Naughty Dog, the water in these levels looks fantastic. But actually playing it... ehhh...
The issue with vehicle sections in games like these is that they're often undercooked mechanically. Meaning that it becomes repetitive and not particularly challenging. The jet ski has one button, the "go" button and you just steer it along. It looks cool going over jumps, but since you're going to be getting all the crates, you may need to take these jumps several times. And then, you're gonna have to wrestle with a non-existent camera system to try and get it positioned behind Coco again to line-up the jump. They also hide a bunch of crates in one of these levels, so enjoy back tracking to try and find those. Very fun times to plod back through the level after seeing you missed 2 boxes.
We also haven't gotten to the best bit of these levels yet! Since you're going to have to collect all the time relics, these levels need to be played at least twice! They're even less fun the second time around!
Motorbike levels:
Awful. Awful. Awful. Awful. Awful. Awful. Awful. Awful. Not even copying and pasting this, writing awful each time I have that such strong disdain for these levels. Awful. If your videogame ever makes the player go "this feels like such a waste of my time" then you have completely and utterly failed as escapism. The LAST thing I want to think of is that I'm wasting my time.
The bike controls are as stiff as a dead cat and the gameplay is about as engaging as a funeral for one. The opposing racers don't actually feel like they're racing and instead are just big boxes that float along the track. If you dare collide with one (or one takes a scripted lane switch into you), you'll lose all speed and potentially fly off the track.
Awful. Why are there four of these levels? Why do I have to play them three times each? (I took the first one really slow to get all the boxes and cross that off).
Plane levels:
Last one, phew.
These aren't as bad as the Jet Ski or Motorbike levels, but also, again, aren't particularly fun. A lot of dead time flying about to the next objective to shoot down. These levels being somewhat fixed on a horizontal plain keeps the controls simple enough as well. I also almost enjoyed the flying level where you race in the plane. Nothing much to say, just kinda dull. The artwork of Crash with flight goggles and a giant scarf looks cool though.
In conclusion:
Someone at Naughty Dog drew a picture of Crash Bandicoot on a motorbike with sunglasses and a bazooka and decided they should make a game about that.
That game isn't very good.
Crash Bandicoot levels: 15 - 47%
(Cat riding levels): 2 - 6%
Swimming levels: 2 - 6%
Jet Ski levels: 4 - 13%
Motorbike levels: 4 - 13%
Plane levels: 3 - 9%
Less than 50% of the game is the traditional (and fantastic) Crash Bandicoot game you signed up for. The rest are just really tedious. So, let's break down each of these six different categories of game:
Crash Bandicoot levels:
What you came for and it's good. Nothing too exceptional over the previous entries, just real solid Crash adventuring. The new power-ups to Crash's moveset feel largely superfluous, but do allow players to get more creative with movement and sequence break somewhat. I actually really appreciate that you're not too often forced into using these, and they're more for extra flair and showing off expertise.
And expertise is worth showing off, as the biggest addition here are the Time Relic Challenges. Not just speedrunning through a level, but doing so while collecting clock-freezing boxes to maximise your best time. Weighing up whether certain 3 second boxes are worth going for or not is good video game. It also brings back the "no death" challenge from the first Crash in a way that feels much more fair and satisfying. They also don't take lives from you for failure, so thanks Naughty Dog.
Recommend attempting these once you beat the final boss the first time around, as unlocking the Sprint power-up makes these really fun challenges. Crash 3's levels aren't anything super special, but they're a good solid time.
Oh, and the boss battles here are all fantastic. Like, really really good. Especially the final Cortex fight. Cortex in general is at his best here. The final dialogue with him where he's already acting defeated is really well done and Uka-Uka is a fantastic comedy partner for him. Unrelenting evil paired with exhausted-worn-out evil. Wish I could have seen more of them.
Cat riding levels:
Somewhat mean to include these in a separate category as they're a staple of the franchise. But there's also only two of them this time around so whatever. They're the same as they ever were really. Slower than in Crash 2, but with a sprint button instead. Not much to say, there's only two of them and they're fine. I liked them in Crash 2, I like them here in Crash 3.
Swimming levels:
Why don't we put in a swimming level? Everyone loves swimming levels.
These aren't actually that bad compared to the others, especially since swimming has been married to platforming for a long time. (Thanks World 2-2). It's got a bit of Donkey Kong Country flavourings with a rideable mount and being able to modulate your speed with kicking or spinning. Again, not much to say. It's a swimming level. Long, kinda dull, not particularly exciting. They'd probably stand out more if there were than just 2 of them, and if they were the only new gameplay mode on offer here.
Jet Ski levels:
Oooooh here we go. The real unfun stuff.
Credit to Naughty Dog, the water in these levels looks fantastic. But actually playing it... ehhh...
The issue with vehicle sections in games like these is that they're often undercooked mechanically. Meaning that it becomes repetitive and not particularly challenging. The jet ski has one button, the "go" button and you just steer it along. It looks cool going over jumps, but since you're going to be getting all the crates, you may need to take these jumps several times. And then, you're gonna have to wrestle with a non-existent camera system to try and get it positioned behind Coco again to line-up the jump. They also hide a bunch of crates in one of these levels, so enjoy back tracking to try and find those. Very fun times to plod back through the level after seeing you missed 2 boxes.
We also haven't gotten to the best bit of these levels yet! Since you're going to have to collect all the time relics, these levels need to be played at least twice! They're even less fun the second time around!
Motorbike levels:
Awful. Awful. Awful. Awful. Awful. Awful. Awful. Awful. Not even copying and pasting this, writing awful each time I have that such strong disdain for these levels. Awful. If your videogame ever makes the player go "this feels like such a waste of my time" then you have completely and utterly failed as escapism. The LAST thing I want to think of is that I'm wasting my time.
The bike controls are as stiff as a dead cat and the gameplay is about as engaging as a funeral for one. The opposing racers don't actually feel like they're racing and instead are just big boxes that float along the track. If you dare collide with one (or one takes a scripted lane switch into you), you'll lose all speed and potentially fly off the track.
Awful. Why are there four of these levels? Why do I have to play them three times each? (I took the first one really slow to get all the boxes and cross that off).
Plane levels:
Last one, phew.
These aren't as bad as the Jet Ski or Motorbike levels, but also, again, aren't particularly fun. A lot of dead time flying about to the next objective to shoot down. These levels being somewhat fixed on a horizontal plain keeps the controls simple enough as well. I also almost enjoyed the flying level where you race in the plane. Nothing much to say, just kinda dull. The artwork of Crash with flight goggles and a giant scarf looks cool though.
In conclusion:
Someone at Naughty Dog drew a picture of Crash Bandicoot on a motorbike with sunglasses and a bazooka and decided they should make a game about that.
That game isn't very good.