This was the game that defined Crash, and unfortunately, is probably the only Crash game to date to ever do so. It would be the last platforming Crash game to hit the PlayStation. By this time, Naughty Dog was getting tired of developing the Crash series, and turned down the chance to keep the series running by saying that this would be their last Crash game. But honestly, this game is where Crash is at his best. What's the story? After the events of Crash 2, in which Crash destroys the Cortex Vortex Laser, the Vortex comes tumbling down to Earth. When it hits Earth, it actually crashes into an ancient shrine, releasing the evil spirit Uka Uka, Aku Aku's evil brother. Once released, Uka Uka and Cortex transport to a hovering Time Machine in space, created by N. Tropy, master of time. It turns out that Cortex was actually working for Uka Uka, and Uka Uka isn't happy that Cortex has failed him twice in a row. Uka Uka wants Cortex to do his job right, so he joins Cortex to defeat Crash (and his sister Coco), and Aku Aku. Aku Aku transports the 2 Bandicoots up to the Time Machine as well and instructs Crash and Coco that they must find 25 Crystals in order to stop Cortex's and Uka Uka's evil plans of taking over the world. Thus beginneth our heroes travels!
GAMEPLAY --> 9/10
Some things never change, and it's perfectly fine here. Crash 3 has all the comforts of Crash 2, with the Aku Aku crates, Nitro Boxes, and Bonus Rounds returning. New crates include a "roulette" kind of crate, in which spins a certain icon to see if Crash will get an extra life, an Aku Aku mask, or just wampa fruit. Crash's goal is the same as before: Get a crystal and head for the goal. Some crystals have to be obtained by doing certain tasks, like shooting down blimps and planes on the flying levels, or getting 1st place on the racing levels. Gems return as well, and the same routine: Get all the crates to get a Gem. Although, it's not always the case. Some Gems are just hidden in a level accessed usually by a hidden passageway or a secret platform that takes you to another unreachable part of the level. Some levels have secret paths that let you have a Colored Gem, which means you can get the other Gems you couldn't get before. Relics make their debut in Crash 3, and are obtained through Time Trial mode. Once you beat a level, you can return to it and you can grab a Floating Clock, thus starting the Time Trial. Beat the time to get a Relic. Get a really good time to get a Gold Relic or the even rarer Platinum Relic. The point of this game is similar to Crash 2. You have 5 Warp Rooms (6 if you count the hidden one) and in every level, there is a Crystal waiting for the taking. After you get 5 Crystals in a Warp Room, you can challenge a Boss to a battle. If you defeat the Boss, you can get a Special Move that can be useful in other levels. You can even get a Bazooka! Anyways, the Gameplay is smooth as it can get. The levels are challenging and the traps are even trickier. Plus, I love the Crash Death Scenes where they show numerous ways how Crash can get defeated.
GRAPHICS --> 9.5/10
Instead of being in the cliche jungle or ruins themes, Crash 3 takes you to different parts of time, including the Medieval Period, Ancient Arabia, Egyptian Tombs, Retro-styled Speedways, and more! These levels have greater design than in the previous games, and it really shows how much the PlayStation can handle. Crash's movements are more fluent, and the Motorcycle and Plane controls are easy to figure and maneuver about.
MUSIC --> 10/10
Crash's greatest soundtrack comes in this game. I like every track of the game, but my favorite tune would have to be the Prehistoric Jungle themes. The Bonus Rounds have their own unique way of remixing the Main Theme of Crash 3, and those I like it. This game has example of great music, and it is certainly a lot better than the previous installments.
REPLAY --> 4/10
Even though this is a truly great game, the levels can get boring playing it over and over. Unless you haven't found the secret paths yet, none of the challenge changes, even if in Time Trial mode. Time Trial can be a pain in the neck if you don't have the Crash Dash, but once you do have it, you can basically go through most of the levels and get a Gold Relic easily. I still play this, but not as often as I do with some other games.
DIFFICULTY RATING --> "SOFT" HARD
Crash 3 really isn't all that difficult, but there can be times when the game becomes incredibly hard, especially during Time Trial mode or finding the secret Gems. The Flying Stages can be tedious as it takes a lot of ammo to defeat the big enemies and yet the enemy planes can hit you down in just 4-7 hits. I wouldn't say this is insane, but it can get hard really fast.
OVERALL --> 9/10
Great classic game. I wish they created more Crash games like this.
GAMEPLAY --> 9/10
Some things never change, and it's perfectly fine here. Crash 3 has all the comforts of Crash 2, with the Aku Aku crates, Nitro Boxes, and Bonus Rounds returning. New crates include a "roulette" kind of crate, in which spins a certain icon to see if Crash will get an extra life, an Aku Aku mask, or just wampa fruit. Crash's goal is the same as before: Get a crystal and head for the goal. Some crystals have to be obtained by doing certain tasks, like shooting down blimps and planes on the flying levels, or getting 1st place on the racing levels. Gems return as well, and the same routine: Get all the crates to get a Gem. Although, it's not always the case. Some Gems are just hidden in a level accessed usually by a hidden passageway or a secret platform that takes you to another unreachable part of the level. Some levels have secret paths that let you have a Colored Gem, which means you can get the other Gems you couldn't get before. Relics make their debut in Crash 3, and are obtained through Time Trial mode. Once you beat a level, you can return to it and you can grab a Floating Clock, thus starting the Time Trial. Beat the time to get a Relic. Get a really good time to get a Gold Relic or the even rarer Platinum Relic. The point of this game is similar to Crash 2. You have 5 Warp Rooms (6 if you count the hidden one) and in every level, there is a Crystal waiting for the taking. After you get 5 Crystals in a Warp Room, you can challenge a Boss to a battle. If you defeat the Boss, you can get a Special Move that can be useful in other levels. You can even get a Bazooka! Anyways, the Gameplay is smooth as it can get. The levels are challenging and the traps are even trickier. Plus, I love the Crash Death Scenes where they show numerous ways how Crash can get defeated.
GRAPHICS --> 9.5/10
Instead of being in the cliche jungle or ruins themes, Crash 3 takes you to different parts of time, including the Medieval Period, Ancient Arabia, Egyptian Tombs, Retro-styled Speedways, and more! These levels have greater design than in the previous games, and it really shows how much the PlayStation can handle. Crash's movements are more fluent, and the Motorcycle and Plane controls are easy to figure and maneuver about.
MUSIC --> 10/10
Crash's greatest soundtrack comes in this game. I like every track of the game, but my favorite tune would have to be the Prehistoric Jungle themes. The Bonus Rounds have their own unique way of remixing the Main Theme of Crash 3, and those I like it. This game has example of great music, and it is certainly a lot better than the previous installments.
REPLAY --> 4/10
Even though this is a truly great game, the levels can get boring playing it over and over. Unless you haven't found the secret paths yet, none of the challenge changes, even if in Time Trial mode. Time Trial can be a pain in the neck if you don't have the Crash Dash, but once you do have it, you can basically go through most of the levels and get a Gold Relic easily. I still play this, but not as often as I do with some other games.
DIFFICULTY RATING --> "SOFT" HARD
Crash 3 really isn't all that difficult, but there can be times when the game becomes incredibly hard, especially during Time Trial mode or finding the secret Gems. The Flying Stages can be tedious as it takes a lot of ammo to defeat the big enemies and yet the enemy planes can hit you down in just 4-7 hits. I wouldn't say this is insane, but it can get hard really fast.
OVERALL --> 9/10
Great classic game. I wish they created more Crash games like this.