Crash Twinsanity

Crash Bandicoot was for a while for PlayStation what Sonic is to SEGA, the most iconic pet character of the company. Sure there were some other characters like Spyro the Dragon that would be fit for the role two. But it's clear that there was something special about Crash, they even released racing games and party games full of mini-games. Today we'll talk about Crash Twinsanity, one of the most popular games in the series released for the PS2 and the Xbox. So, let's see if this game is up there in par with Crash 4.

Nonstop fun

Crash Twinsanity opens up with the classic humor that's been emblematic of the series since its beginning. But thanks to the much more powerful capabilities of the PS2 over the PS1 we can enjoy more cartoony humor with better voice acting quality and animations. Overall the story goes on much more differently than in other Crash games.

There are no warp-zones either, so each level is more connected through the story. Instead of being randomly teleported into different dimensions where the levels take place, you get to see how they actually get there. This also allows the story to have more moments of humor and character development, however basic it may be. There are small cutscenes that connect the levels and make the story progress instead of seemingly going through random portals.

Improved gameplay

This time exploration takes a much stronger spotlight in the general game. Back in the older Crash games, we were limited to having the camera stuck behind our character throughout the level. In Crash Twinsanity they implemented the use of the right thumbstick to move the camera around. With this, we can further explore the amazing and crazy levels, and this also adds difficulty to find all the collectibles hidden throughout the levels

Overflowing originality

In this game, you can control Crash, Nina, and even Cortex, this changes drastically the mechanics on each level as they are all different. Many elements in the game are taken directly straight out of the classic titles. But there are even more new elements than ever before, levels are incredibly original. Even though the basic gameplay is the same you know and loves from most other Crash games, the originality in the visuals and story here are an excellent addition.

Crash Twinsanity is a great game and one of the most original ones in the series up to that point. The excellent level design plays an incredible role, and the exploration is much better than what we've seen in any other Crash game. Overall this feels like a mix of everything we all love from the classic Crash the Bandicoot games and adds a ton of features we never knew we even needed. The biggest downside to the game is that it's a pretty short game, you shouldn't expect more than 10 of gameplay.

Pros:

• Great Gameplay
• Nice story
• Very Original
• Fun script
• Excellent world-building

Cons

• Too short

When you have a series that's considered one of the best of all time, it's hard to make a sequel that feels new and refreshing. To tackle that huge task, Crash Twinsanity makes the interesting decision of teaming up the franchise's lead character and lead villain for a buddy adventure that goes against the formula. Bypassing the normal linear levels for open-ended exploration and varied gameplay, Crash Twinsanity is a particularly inventive sequel that refuses to play it safe.

Main Game Features

• Team up as Crash and Cortex to save the day
• Multiple gameplay styles in one adventure
• Three playable characters

Story

Crash Twinsanity is the eleventh game in the Crash Bandicoot franchise and continues the events of the story after Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex. Three years later after his defeat at the hands of Crash, Cortex returns home and begins to plot his revenge. When Crash and Cortex finally face off, they run into a pair of otherworldly beings called the Evil Twins, who aim to destroy Crash's home island and steal Cortex's mighty brain. After some digging, Crash and Cortex discover that the Evil Twins hail from the Tenth Dimension, and decide to team up to take them down.

As is common for the Crash Bandicoot series, Crash Twinsanity is full of slapstick humor, ridiculous characters, and zany situations. Most of the story revolves around the unlikely allies of Crash and Cortex as they bicker throughout the adventure, but still manage to succeed despite their differences. New faces like Nina Cortex add more to the narrative, but this is very much a story about two characters who must put aside their differences to achieve a common goal.

Gameplay

A lot of the elements of Crash Twinsanity feel new for the franchise, including the expanded nature of the level design. When compared to levels in older games like Crash Bandicoot 2, stages in Crash Twinsanity are more varied and open for exploration. Players are no longer restricted by a linear hub area, but instead can meander around the game world as they desire, accessing new levels as the plot continues. As always, there are various collectibles to find in each level, including Wumpa Fruit to increase your life counter and gems to unlock other in-game rewards.

Instead of simply playing as Crash, Crash Twinsanity puts you in control of three characters, including Crash, Cortex, and Nina. Crash uses all of his normal moves, like spinning and body-slamming, while Cortex utilizes his ray gun for ranged damage. The new character, Nina, is able to reach faraway foes and areas using her bionic arm, which feels a lot like Bionic Commando. However, things really get interesting when you play as Crash and Cortex together, leading to crazy scenarios like snowboarding sections where Cortex acts as the board. Constantly funny and fun to play, Crash Twinsanity has lots of humor in both story and gameplay.

Conclusion

If you're used to old Crash Bandicoot games, Crash Twinsanity will surprise you, but in a good way. Instead of offering the same style of gameplay that fans have already seen, this title shakes things up, putting two iconic characters together to form a totally new experience.

Pros

• Vivid levels and graphics
• Good gameplay variety
• Fun to track down gems

Cons

• Jumping feels weird at times
• Bothersome camera controls
• Unfair checkpoint placement