Crash Twinsanity

Over its history, Crash Bandicoot has passed through several development teams and directions, from the original trilogy out of Naughty Dog's studio to later entries the franchise entrusted to other studios after the brand was sold. Twinsanity was created during one of these phases and tried to push the series closer to looser, more open levels and bolder humor than what players were used to from the linear platformers of previous entries, where moving forward usually meant a single correct path through the level from start to the very finish.

The game's main hook is Crash's forced cooperation with his age-old rival Doctor Neo Cortex, who must face a new and far more dangerous opponent threatening them both equally. The level design is more open and less linear than in previous entries, the levels are more sprawling, and the game more often alternates platforming passages with action battles and scenes full of parody of both the previous entries in the series and the genre in general. The game's development was troubled, and part of the planned content didn't make it into the final version, which is noticeable in the pacing and length of the game, yet Twinsanity still offers a different experience than the classic entries – a greater emphasis on story, dialogue, and a duo of playable characters who switch off within the same level as the given passage requires. The game's humor is also considerably more direct and cartoonish than the rest of the series, with characters who often poke fun at themselves and at the genre's conventions, something the previous entries didn't do. The soundtrack and voice acting reinforce the impression that this is more of an animated slapstick full of exaggeration than a seriously intended continuation of the classic platformers of the previous Crash Bandicoot entries.

Why play it: Twinsanity will be appreciated by Crash fans who want to see the series in a more unconventional, more open form with an emphasis on humor and the cooperation of two opposing characters, even knowing that it's a game marked by a difficult and rushed development.

Why play it: For Crash fans curious about a more open take on the series with an emphasis on humor and the cooperation of two opposing characters, Twinsanity is worth a look, even though it bears the marks of a difficult and rushed development.