Crash Bandicoot 2:  Cortex Strikes Back Review

Overall: 9
Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back on PlayStation 1.  Crash Bandicoot is one of Sony’s most popular series along with Spyro the Dragon.  This game was an improvement in all areas over the first Crash game.  The warp room concept introduced in this game allows for easier game saves and better navigation between levels/worlds.

Graphics: 9
The graphics are better than the first Crash Bandicoot game.  The characters are sharper and look much better.  In fact, some critics noted that the graphics for this game were the best of any PlayStation game at the time it was released.

Sound: 8
 The music and effects for Crash 2 are superb. Background comments by Doctor Neo Cortex intertwined throughout the game add a comical flair to the game experience and I think enhance the storyline.

Addictiveness: 8
I am a huge fan of this whole series and enjoy going back and replaying the older games like this one in addition to the newer ones.  After you have played several of these games all the way through, it is fun to go back and start a new game to refresh your memory on the different levels since they are all different.

Story: 8
In this sequel to Sony’s first Crash game, Cortex discovers crystals in a cave where he landed at the end of Game 1.  Crash’s sister Coco Bandicoot asks Crash to get her a new battery for her laptop but before he can complete the task, he is intercepted by Cortex.  Cortex has one master crystal but needs the remaining crystals in order to accomplish his evil plans.  He convinces Crash to help him find the remaining crystals that are spaced throughout the game.  Crash finds a teleporter to a warp room where you learn that there are 5 different worlds to explore with 5 levels each along with a boss battle in-between each world.

Depth: 10
As with the first Crash game, there are red TNT boxes, basic brown boxes, crystals, gems, and colored gems.  This game introduces the green Nitro box.  If Crash touches one of these boxes, it explodes on impact.  Near the end of each level, there is a green exclamation point box which blows up all of the Nitro boxes in that level.  Crash’s functions are simple but much more improved than the first game.  They include basic spin and jump along with a sliding jump and belly flop which are both new in this game, a jetpack level in world 5, and jet ski levels throughout beginning in world 1.  Also new in this game is the ability to double jump which allows Crash to jump higher and across wider spaces.  The bosses that you fight along the way are: a blue kangaroo named Ripper Roo, The Komodo Bros, Tiny the Tiger, N.Gin, and of course Cortex. All in all the game has many secrets to discover and levels to play with lots of content to unlock.

Difficulty: 3
Although difficult to play on certain levels, the game is overall relatively easy to play.

Great review! This review is really well written, and you have great potential to be a great reviewer here on vizzed. The only thing I would suggest is that you space out your review more, and categorize your thoughts. Such as, Story, Addictiveness, etc. Other than that, your review is golden! It was so good that I might want to go back and play this game! Keep up the good work!

Nice job on this review. You really did a great job of talking about the game and describing it. You could space it out a little more but other than that, good job on this review, you explained everything well in such detail.

Overall, great job reviewing this game, you categorized everything well and I think that you have a lot of potential to become a good reviewer. Just practice and continue to review frequently and you will be a master in no time. Keep up the awesome work and I look forward to reading your next review! Keep up the great work man!