Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex moves the series into the high-resolution world of the PS2. Unfortunately, the game isn't the graphical jump that the original titles were on the venerable grey box; while The Wrath of Cortex looks quite nice, with crisp graphics and solid animation, there are many other games out on the PS2 that look better. Some of the stylization is undoubtedly a design decision, as the Crash worlds have always been somewhat cartoonish, with a simple graphical flair that works well for the series. But even then, I felt that many of the levels could have looked more alive separate from the action going on in it and less like a level simply constructed for a game.

Crash Bandicoot's sound quality is excellent, similar to the other games in the series. The voice acting for the various characters is spot-on, overdone but properly so for this sort of game, and the sound effects are just as they should be. The music is also good, including a number of remixes that will have series fans grinning as they listen to them. There's nothing like the familiar 'whirl' sound that Crash makes when he spins to bring back memories of playing the original game on rainy days, and much of that feeling is preserved here.

Unfortunately, it feels like Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex is indeed stuck in a sort of time warp. Most of the game is straight out of the previous titles in the series--run, jump, collect fruit, the occasional chase scene. The few truly unique stages (such as the Marble Madness-esque rolling stages and the various vehicle-based levels) help make up for the bland similarity of the rest of the game. Instead of ingenious level design, you'll find much of the same that you saw in the original three titles, along with more loading screens than anyone should ever have to sit through.

I could tell you something about the storyline of the game, but it does just as much good as the story of the previous titles. Needless to say, Dr. Neo Cortex is up to no good again, and as usual it's up to you to stop him. The game is divided into zones of five levels each, much like the previous two titles in the series, which doesn't have the continuity of the original title. After you collect the five crystals in each section, you can fight the boss, which consists of another Bandicoot melded with an Elemental Mask--Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. After that . . . well, you know what to expect.

For the most part, the game plays identically to other titles in the series. Run, jump, and spin your way through mostly-linear levels, occasionally jumping on a 'Bonus' platform to be whisked away, gaining extra lives and fruit in the process. Destroying every box in a level will net you a Gem, and successfully navigating the paths marked with skulls will net you the coveted coloured gems, which open up paths in other levels. The coloured gems don't play nearly as big a role in this game as they did in the first Crash title, which is both a good thing and a bad thing--there's less incentive to go hunting for them, but they take less time away from your gaming.

Along with the old-style levels (including the obligatory chase stages), there are a few new twists to the formula. Coco has her own stages, although they play very similarly to Crash's. There are also a number of vehicles that you end up piloting, from planes that can shoot missiles or bullets to an underwater sub-thing. And, my favourite, the game sports a number of levels where Crash is inside of a rolling ball, requiring you to run around willy-nilly, smashing boxes and avoiding cliffs.

In the end, though, the game just doesn't ring true. The franchise needs to go somewhere different, and in that respect Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex doesn't deliver. The standard stages are downright boring if you've been playing the games for a while, and while the new-style levels definitely make things more interesting, there are enough other annoyances to pull the game back down. Besides the load times, the bosses can also be nit-picky, especially a particular one (you'll know when you waste ten lives on them on your first shot).

The game's difficulty level swings all over the place. The opening stages are simple enough, but the game quickly pumps the challenge up, and one of the early bosses is a major pain in the butt. However, if you're not going for the completist 100 percent status in the game, a good gamer should be able to get through with not too much trouble. Some of the gems and relics are devilishly hard to get, though, which adds quite a bit to the challenge. The Bradygames strategy guide that I received had a number of good tips on how to get through some of the stages, but the game is so timing-based--especially in the later levels--that nothing beats practice in terms of getting it right.

For the most part, Crash controls just as he has in the past, which is a blessing for those of us who have been playing the series for a while. Boss fights also garner you new abilities, which range from the gimmicky (the first one) to fantastically useful (the second and fourth). Nonetheless, the controls are spot-on, as tight as they should be. However, the game's hit detection seems to be a bit off, especially with reference to the aforementioned difficult boss, who you may find challenging to the point of frustration because of the way the game registers hits.

These problems pale in comparison, however, to the inexcusable load times that Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex sports. You end up spending a good minute or so between the warp room and the level, and the same amount of time coming back out. It's absurd that the game needs to load that long, and it takes a lot away from the immediacy of the game's action. I found myself looking for a book or something to do during the downtime, which is never good when you're supposed to be focused on a title.

The Bradygames guide has a number of interviews with Traveller's Tales, and they said that the original concept of the game was decidedly different, more of a free-roaming adventure title. They switched back to the old-school Crash gameplay, though, in an attempt to keep an audience. I, for one, wish that they had gone along with the original plans. Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex is not a bad game, but it could have been much better. The excessive load times, bizarre hit-detection, and derivative gameplay leave much to be desired, even for a series fan like myself. People who are die-hard Crash addicts will find a lot to love here, but those looking for something a little fresher would be wise to look elsewhere. Hopefully Crash's next outing will be more varied; until then, there are more varied and entertaining titles out there.