Crash : Mind over Mutant

So, yesterday I picked up Crash : Mind Over Mutant. Now you may wonder why I picked this up, in truth I’m not too sure, I mean we all know what happened to the series once they started doing games like Crash Bash, and I’ve been burnt before by horrid ‘Flogging A Dead Horse’ Crash Bandicoot games but still I picked it up and bought it…with a “your way too old for this kinda shit” look from the guy in Game.

So, what did I think of it? Let’s break it down into simple chunks…

1. Graphics
Crash Bandicoot hasn’t been doing too good in looks since he left the PSone which was a shame as he truly pushed the little gray console by the time Warped came out. His last few outings have been at best visually dull and at worst very ugly, but all of that has changed in Mind Over Mutant. The whole Crash Universe has been given a new lick of paint and a visual make-over. It’s hard to explain but remember when Crash looked like this?

Well, now he looks like this:

Jesus Christ on a stick! Not only has the graphics been boosted but as you’ve no doubt noticed the world now looks more cartoony and Crash himself is almost a totally new character, it works amazingly to give the whole thing a fresh feel it desperately needed!

2. Game Play:
Graphics are not the only things to get a make-over, the game plays totally different from previous games. No longer is it all about collecting gems, using warp rooms, and smashing all the boxes, now it’s more mission based and in simple much more about getting from A to B which sounds dull but is done really well. The controls have been given a touch-up or two as well with Crash using swipes more than his spin attack which now lasts longer than previous games but will result in a dizzy Crash. The other major new mechanic (I say new but before people complain, I know it was in Crash of the Titans, but I feel Crash was still finding himself in that title, in this one the games finally started totally afresh and done it well) is Crash’s ability to control huge mutants with different powers to solve puzzles and get though the game a little easier. A level up system has been implemented into the game too with each mutant having 5 upgrades and Crash having 35. All these new little bits and bobs work together well to give Crash what he needed to move onto a new generation.

3. Audio
I struggle to comment on audio because as long as it dosen’t piss me off (which it didn’t) I never have any issues with it, so I’ll just say it did it’s job :-D

4. Story
The story, well I wont tell you what it is, but what I will say is it’s told in a weird way. Each cut-scene is a cartoon but each one done in a different style including 1960s horror, 1980s kung-foo, and even one where all the characters were played by sock puppets. It’s very weird but dose a good job of motivating you to push on to see the next one just to see what they do next.

5. All In All
This game has put a smile on my face, it has Crash in it, but in no way is it the old Crash Bandicoot we all remember, but that’s not a bad thing, the old Crash was…well…old! The gameplay was dull, where as this one is fun, the visuals were out dated where as this one is beautiful, even the plot actually has some plot to it unlike most Crash games. It’s humour is aimed at all ages and kids who’ve never played a Crash game before will love this as much as adults who still remember Crash Bandicoot on their PSone.

Sadly this may be the last good game from Crash as it was published by now long gone Sierra and I’m not sure who has their grubby little mits on the series now. But I’d recommend giving this game a go, it’s restored my faith in Platformer games as much as Mario 64 and Jak and Daxter did before it.

TRAILER: