digibutter.nerr

[Kirby]

Please not that I was playing on the PS2 version, so I know nothing about the Wii controls.

Story
It seems Neo Cortex is up to no good again. At the start of COTT, Cortex arrives at Crash's house "in some sort of blimp or something" to inform Crash & Co. that he is going to take over the island (how surprising). He kidnaps Coco and Aku-Aku for no apparent reason and freezes Crunch. It's up to Crash to get his friends back and defeat this evil. Of course, you will learn more about this plot as the story progresses. t's nothing special, and not that creative either, but at least it gets the job done.
Story: 6/10

Gameplay
Unlike previous Crash games, this game is more focused on combat than platforming (although there is quite a bit of platforming). This means that Crash now has a full range of Melee attacks (the spinning move is still there, but you cannot use it for very long). And yes, this also means there are plenty of "defeat all the enemies to move on sections". The fighting is pretty fun, if a little repetetive. The gimmick here is: after beating up an enemy a bit, you can "jack" them and take control of them. This move is really fun to pull off. There are also a few hover-boarding sequences scattered throughout the game, but they seem kinda randomly placed. And now for the bad part: this game's difficulty jumps around like a 5-year-old who just ate 245 Pixie Sticks. One minute you'll breeze though the level, skillfully defeating enemies, and the next, you're getting your butt handed to you by several over-powered enemies who are surrounding you, beating the crap out of you, and not giving you a chance to attack or even dodge. At times this game can be horribly unforgiving. Even worse, sometimes jacking an enemy can only be done by using a charged attack. Since charging your attack takes a second, you are left open to enemy attacks during this tme. The only way to make an enemy jack-able is to constantly beat at them until the star meter above their head fills up, so getting hit could mean having to start this process all over again. These problems can make this game, at times, very, very frustating. When it's not though, it is a very entertaining game. My only other complaint is length: it should only take a good gamer a few hours to beat. Perhaps longer for a less experienced one.
Gameplay: 8/10

Graphics
The graphics are very pretty. Environments and characters are well detailed and fit the cartoony mood of the game. Framerate stutters a bit when a lot of enemies are onscreen at once, but it doesn't break the experience.
Graphics: 9/10

Sound
Voice acting in this game is top-notch and fits the characters well. Enemies are constantly saying humerous comments, of which I've RARELY heard the same ones twice. The writing is well done as well and is quite funny. The music on the other hand is forgettable. In fact, I can't remember a single track, which is disappointing, considering the excellent quality of the other games.
Sound: 7/10

Replay Value
The game doesn't last very long, but there are quite a few extras to unlock. Scattered throughout the levels are dolls that, when collected, unlock concept art. You can also gain skins for you and the monsters you jack by completing various objectives (although I'm still unsure how to use these skins). All levels also have 3 spy-toilets to destroy. IMO this isn't exactly my idea of fun, but if that kind of thing makes you happy: go for it, although I'm sure it won't take that long. You can also play through the game in co-op, which makes the game's frustating moments more bearable.
Replayability: 5/10

Overall, Crash of the Titans is a fun, humerous game with a few flaws that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a good game.

Story: 6/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 7/10
Replay Value: 5/10

Overall: 8/10