Crash Mind Over Mutant

The last Crash game to release other than the recent remasters was Crash: Mind Over Mutant, and it wasn’t really the best received game ever made. In fact, Mind Over Mutant still attracts a lot of hate to this day, not even taking into account the fact that the series effectively lay dormant for over a decade after its release.

Techno-babble

The plot of Crash: Mind Over Mutant centers around technology, in particular a certain device that puts whoever uses it under the control of everybody’s favorite bad guy, Dr Neo Cortex. It echoes the rise of the smartphone in a hilariously satirical way, with everyone except Crash being constantly buried and controlled by these devices. Voice acting is also top-notch here, and really acts as a strong point along with the storyline.

Bring it back

If there’s one thing gamers will never enjoy doing, it’s revisiting the same areas over and over again, and that’s Mind Over Mutant for you. The game relies heavily on back-tracking, and it just feels like unnecessary padding. It comes across as lazy game design, and there’s no excuse for that.

Smile for the camera

The camera angles are a real mess in Mind Over Mutant, and they can’t be adjusted either. You’ll have to jump around with fixed camera angles reminiscent of early PS1 survival horror titles, and it’s not really any fun. It’s okay for the combat sections, but when you’re trying to make tight jumps it can be a real pain. When platforming is such a core part of your game, you need to be able to see the depth of jumps, or it just feels broken.

Identity crisis

The real issue with Crash: Mind Over Mutant is that it just doesn’t know what it wants to be anymore. It seems Radical felt that the simple platforming gameplay of the originals was just too primitive, and instead opted for a more hack and slash-based project, more akin to something like God of War for kids than the Crash Bandicoot we all came to know and love.

Pros

• Interesting satirical plot
• High quality voice acting
• Hack & Slash identity crisis

Cons

• Bad camera angles
• Constant backtracking

Looking to defy expectations, Crash: Mind Over Mutant is an installment in the longstanding franchise that does things a bit different. While this wild adventure still stars Crash Bandicoot and his friends, a major alteration in the core gameplay changes things up. However, you can still expect goofy humor, a zany story, and lots of hidden secrets. As one of the last mainline entries in the beloved series, Crash: Mind Over Mutant is definitely different, but mostly for the better.

Main Game Features

• Free roam exploration
• Beat 'em up gameplay
• Supports two-player co-op

Story

Crash: Mind Over Mutant is a continuation of Crash of the Titans, and picks up with our good friend Crash Bandicoot living on Wumpa Island with his friend, Crunch, and his sister, Coco. Unfortunately, the evil Doctor Neo Cortex has brewed up another scheme with the aid of Nitrus Brio, mass-producing mind control helmets and delivering them across the world. When helmets are delivered to Crash's house, Coco and Crunch accidentally put them on and transform into monsters. Although Crash is able to free Coco, Crunch is not so lucky, sending them on an adventure to free the world's inhabitants from Cortex's control. In general, the story in Crash: Mind Over Mutant is pretty good, especially compared to the shallow narratives in some of the previous games. A bunch of villains and characters return, resulting in an ensemble cast of favorite faces. This story is told through both in-game dialogue and animated cutscenes, with the cutscenes featuring stylized visuals that add a lot of charm to the experience. Although the Crash Bandicoot franchise isn't known for its storytelling, Crash: Mind Over Mutant is still a good time.

Gameplay

Like the previous game, Crash: Mind Over Mutant is much more action focused, but there's still plenty of platforming to be had. For the first time, levels are open-ended, featuring multiple paths and allowing players to roam freely. Instead of racing to the end of a level, you'll often have to complete various objectives, such as retrieving items, defeating enemies, and more. There's a big emphasis on beat 'em up action, as Crash is now much more agile and powerful, with extra abilities to help out. As always, you can nab some power-ups that grant special powers, like the ability to slow down time or deal extra damage.

Mutant gameplay returns from Crash of the Titans, as Crash can mount various monsters and use their abilities throughout each stage. There are numerous mutants to find, each with a special power that must be used to complete puzzles and make progress. For example, one mutant can freeze water, while another can roll quickly, opening access to different areas of the game. Some levels are even designed around these mutant powers, creating unique experiences not seen in other Crash Bandicoot games. Best of all, the entire game is playable either solo or in two player co-op, with the second player controlling Coco.

Conclusion

Crash: Mind Over Mutant provides enough exciting action to keep you playing, as you search for secrets and try to collect all the unlockables the game has to offer. While there's an ample amount of beat 'em up action, fans of the classic trilogy will still enjoy the platforming gameplay.

Pros

• Free roam gameplay adds replayability
• Mutants are more fun and easier to use
• New moves and abilities

Cons

• Some objectives are repetitive
• Can't move the camera
• Not very challenging