Platform games on the Xbox 360 are few and far between really, we have been treated to the likes of Sonic and Kameo but there are few others, however this catalogue of games is about to grow once more as Crash Bandicoot makes his debut on our the next generation console.
Crash of the Titans is a 3D style platform game which see’s you trying to rescue your friends after Doctor Cortex swoops from the sky and kidnaps them. You set off on your adventure through various levels in your task to get your friends back. Starting off on the beach level you will come across various enemies which when defeated spawn mojo orbs which you collect as you go, collecting enough of these orbs to fill up the meter at the top of the screen will see you learn a new combat move.
To help you through the levels, Crash has quite a few new moves up his sleeve, for instance, should you be on a slippery surface, then he will pull out his surf board and start to slide along the floor, equally should you wish to jump from one platform to another, then tapping the jump button will see him use a helicopter move to reach the goal, the other controls are quite straight forward also, RT blocks (using Waku Waku’s face), X is used to fight and Y uses a slightly more powerful move (which can also be used to break an enemies block). As you progress you will learn new combos for the X and Y buttons which enables you to defeat enemies that little bit easier.
I haven’t mention the B button yet as the use of this is perhaps the greatest thing about the game, this is because some of the enemies that you will come across are mutated monsters which you would just be unable to defeat in mass without some help and this is where the B button comes into play, once you manage to stun one of the enemies using your normal moves, then with the help of your friend Waku Waku you are able to take control of them (or jack them as I will call it from now on), which makes defeating the others a whole lot easier.
There are at least 15 enemies in the game which you can take control of such as The Snipe (who throws razor sharp feathers), The Spike (who is a large creature who uses his spiked hands to whack you) and Yuktopus (who freezes you with a strange bagpipe move), these are just a few of the many you will come across that you are able to jack once stunned and as you progress they get tougher and meaner. Being able to take control of these large enemies really is a great addition to the game, it adds a whole new concept to platforming and is crucial to the plot, in some levels you won’t be able to get further unless you jack an enemy first and then use their powers to do what you need to do.
As well as the larger creatures you will also come across minions, again there are various types such as The Ratician (a mutated rat), but all of them are fairly simple to defeat and to add another twist should you defeat 65 of them, you will then become a minion master, enabling you to wear their skin. Unlike the larger creatures, the minions all seem to have a little personality of their own, the games creators have added a wide range of dialect, meaning that you won’t usually hear them say the same thing twice and this is where the humor comes in as they come out with phrases like “The biting begins now” or “who does he think he is, an Italian plumber”, it may be little but it is still a nice touch.
Another thing that you will notice as you progress through levels is the information posts, stopping and pressing B at any of these will give you hints and tips which prove quite useful. As well as the information posts, another point of interest within the levels, is the mojo rooms, there is one of these per level and as you enter you are given a challenge which ranges from collecting a set amount of green mojo to defeating all the enemies, all within a set time limit, you reward should you complete these tasks is an extra life.
Once you complete a level you are then taken back to the main menu for your game, from here you can replay the level, the mojo rooms, view information for any monsters you have jacked, change skin or view any concept art that you have unlocked or if you just want to get on with the game then you can always just continue the story and make your way to the next level.
Graphically Crash of the Titans is nothing groundbreaking, the developers have spiced it up a little for the next generation consoles by adding a little HD gloss, however I don’t imagine this is anything that a older console couldn’t handle. The sound offers more than the graphics by adding a thumping soundtrack and professional acting to the dialogue. The speech is particularly noticeable because it is varied and rarely repeated.
Crash of the Titans brings a great platform franchise to the Xbox 360, although usually aimed at children, this version has something for everyone to enjoy. The developers seem to have come up with a great idea in enabling players to jack the monsters they fight and in practice it really works. Although Crash of the Titans may not be a game for everyone, those who do buy it will certainly not have wasted their cash because it’s a great game with a lot of replay value.
