"Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex" is a rather underrated title. While it's not in the same rank as the far superior Naughty Dog "Crash Bandicoot" games (that is, the first "Crash Bandicoot", "Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back", "Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped" and the non-linear "Crash Team Racing"), "Wrath of Cortex" is a good, fun and enjoyable game that is far better than the newer "Crash Bandicoot" titles, and, to boot, introduced one of the most popular characters in the series: the muscle bound Crunch Bandicot.
Taking place after the events of "Crash Bandicoot 3", "Wrath of Cortex" starts off with Uka Uka ranting at Dr. Neo Cortex and his minions at a bad guy convention in outer space. Uka Uka is steaming mad at the attendees (Cortex, Dingodile, N. Tropy, Tiny and N. Gin) because evil's productivity is significantly down and that Crash Bandicoot is constantly defeating them. However, both N. Tropy and N. Gin imply that Cortex has a trick up his sleeve and the mad doctor confesses- over the past few years, Cortex has been working day and night on a new secret weapon: a perfectly tuned super-bandicoot named Crunch, whose only objective is to destroy all that is before him and, most importantly, eliminate Crash Bandicoot. However, Crunch is lacking in power, but Uka Uka gets an idea: awaken the dormant Elementals- a group of renegade masks of immense power over the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air-who ravaged the planet thousands of years ago. Using the Elementals, Rok-Ko (element of Earth), Wa-Wa (element of Water), Lo-Lo (element of Air) and Py-Ro (element of Fire) to power Crunch, Crash, his little sister, Coco, and their guardian witch doctor mask, Aku Aku set out stop Cortex, Crunch and Uka Uka by traveling the planet (and outer space) via Coco's Virtual Reality Hub System to seek the Elemental Crystals.
Basically, the objective of the game is to collect the crystals, putting the Elementals back into hibernation (each Elemental can be defeated and put back to rest by getting a total of 5 crystals for each Elemental and battling Crunch in that Element) and, ultimately, bring Crunch and Cortex to their knees.
While "Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex" is fun game, it has two major downfalls that marked it with a mediocre-bordering-negative image. Downfall Number 1: The game and warp room in particular is an obvious copy of the Naughty Dog "Crash Bandicoot" games- especially "Warped"; the warp rooms are very much the same (there's even a secret warp room a la "Warped", only it's at the top of the main warp room than under it). Downfall Number 2: the graphics. While rather somewhat good, "Wrath of Cortex"'s biggest criticism is it's bulky, funny looking graphics. Also, Crash and Coco move pretty slow in the game, even while running faster with Crash Dash. The character's slow movement is especially slow when Crash is dangling from over head mesh or wood panels. Ironically, on the back of the case, it boasts about having "The most dazzling special effects ever seen in a Crash game".
While "Wrath of Cortex" is caught between its mediocre image, one of the good things that came from it was the introduction of Crunch Bandicoot, who is now one of the series most popular characters- so much in fact that Tara Cross created the amazing "Outcast Bandicoot" series with Crunch as the main character of it all. On the other hand, "Wrath of Cortex" was also a sign of things to come. That is, the even worse deterioration of the "Crash Bandicoot" series- "Crash of the Titans" being the final nail in Crash's coffin.
To conclude while it's far from the best in the series, "Crash Bandicoot" The Wrath of Cortex" is an enjoyable and recommended game to play, "Crash Bandicoot" fan or not.
Taking place after the events of "Crash Bandicoot 3", "Wrath of Cortex" starts off with Uka Uka ranting at Dr. Neo Cortex and his minions at a bad guy convention in outer space. Uka Uka is steaming mad at the attendees (Cortex, Dingodile, N. Tropy, Tiny and N. Gin) because evil's productivity is significantly down and that Crash Bandicoot is constantly defeating them. However, both N. Tropy and N. Gin imply that Cortex has a trick up his sleeve and the mad doctor confesses- over the past few years, Cortex has been working day and night on a new secret weapon: a perfectly tuned super-bandicoot named Crunch, whose only objective is to destroy all that is before him and, most importantly, eliminate Crash Bandicoot. However, Crunch is lacking in power, but Uka Uka gets an idea: awaken the dormant Elementals- a group of renegade masks of immense power over the elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Air-who ravaged the planet thousands of years ago. Using the Elementals, Rok-Ko (element of Earth), Wa-Wa (element of Water), Lo-Lo (element of Air) and Py-Ro (element of Fire) to power Crunch, Crash, his little sister, Coco, and their guardian witch doctor mask, Aku Aku set out stop Cortex, Crunch and Uka Uka by traveling the planet (and outer space) via Coco's Virtual Reality Hub System to seek the Elemental Crystals.
Basically, the objective of the game is to collect the crystals, putting the Elementals back into hibernation (each Elemental can be defeated and put back to rest by getting a total of 5 crystals for each Elemental and battling Crunch in that Element) and, ultimately, bring Crunch and Cortex to their knees.
While "Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex" is fun game, it has two major downfalls that marked it with a mediocre-bordering-negative image. Downfall Number 1: The game and warp room in particular is an obvious copy of the Naughty Dog "Crash Bandicoot" games- especially "Warped"; the warp rooms are very much the same (there's even a secret warp room a la "Warped", only it's at the top of the main warp room than under it). Downfall Number 2: the graphics. While rather somewhat good, "Wrath of Cortex"'s biggest criticism is it's bulky, funny looking graphics. Also, Crash and Coco move pretty slow in the game, even while running faster with Crash Dash. The character's slow movement is especially slow when Crash is dangling from over head mesh or wood panels. Ironically, on the back of the case, it boasts about having "The most dazzling special effects ever seen in a Crash game".
While "Wrath of Cortex" is caught between its mediocre image, one of the good things that came from it was the introduction of Crunch Bandicoot, who is now one of the series most popular characters- so much in fact that Tara Cross created the amazing "Outcast Bandicoot" series with Crunch as the main character of it all. On the other hand, "Wrath of Cortex" was also a sign of things to come. That is, the even worse deterioration of the "Crash Bandicoot" series- "Crash of the Titans" being the final nail in Crash's coffin.
To conclude while it's far from the best in the series, "Crash Bandicoot" The Wrath of Cortex" is an enjoyable and recommended game to play, "Crash Bandicoot" fan or not.