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Last post by Penti-chan - August 10, 2017, 05:03:38 am
Pardon the double post, but here's my thoughts on Crash 3, after beating Cortex (Although, I skipped a lot; I basically sprinted to the ending, and then I can slowly chip away at 100%).
Of the original trilogy, Crash 3 is the only one I never finished on PS1; in my original playthrough, from about 7 years ago, I got so caught up in trying to get 100%, that I ultimately got burned out on the game with only a few Crystals left before the final boss. Thus, this is my first complete playthrough of the game. In terms of difficulty, it generally feels easier than 1 or 2, although there are some infuriating parts of it, and from what I recall, a the secret levels were tough.
Gameplay wise, they mix things up by having Crash obtain new power-ups each time he defeats a boss; coming directly off from Crash 2, you can immediately feel the difference each one brings. Perhaps, the most gimmicky one is the bazooka (Sometimes called the "Wumpa Launcher"); which you can whip out when standing still to shoot enemies and boxes from afar, which can make some tricky spots seem trivial, especially when you can destroy a Nitro crate from a safe distance.
Perhaps, my least favorite aspect of the game is the motorcycle levels; they're honestly more of a pain than they're worth, as I tried seemingly a hundred times to get the Crystal for Road Crash before I finally succeeded, given how small the margin of error is during the final quarter of the track. Surprisingly, the last of these, Orange Asphalt, wasn't as hard in my opinion. Meanwhile, surprisingly, I did enjoy the jetski levels, in much the same way as the jetpack levels of the 2nd game; generally, if you take your time, you can get through without many problems.
The final boss fight with Cortex, while cool from a visual standpoint (With Aku Aku and Uka Uka dueling as you take on Cortex), was kinda underwhelming; I was expecting something a little more grand for the end of the trilogy...but then again, I've yet to get 100%, so perhaps there's a secret boss I don't know about, tied in with the best ending? (I know I could just spoil it, but I think the mystery is part of the draw to getting there).
All things considered, Crash 3 is good, but I still prefer 2 as far as the original trilogy goes. I'll likely attempt to go for 100% later on, and if there's anything truly notable, I'll report back.
