Publisher: Activision Blizzard
Developer: Radical Entertainment
System: Xbox 360
Genre: Adventure
Release date: Available now
Review by: Christopher J. Troilo

Maybe this isn’t a surprise to most people, but I can’t tell you how stunned I was to learn that Crash: Mind over Mutant is actually the 15th installment of the crazy Crash Bandicoot series. I had never played a Crash game before, so unfortunately, I’m judging this solely as a standalone platforming adventure since I can’t compare it to the previous 14 games.

Playing as the star, Crash, you find that a craze for a brand-new electronic device is sweeping the land, and all your friends are rushing to try it out. The gadget in question is the mysterious “NV,” a helmet designed by the nefarious Doctor Neo Cortex and Doctor Nitrus Brio. The duo of crack docs is using the device to turn anyone who wears the NV into a mutant completely under their control. It’s up to Crash to save his mind-controlled friends and put a stop to Cortex and Brio’s evil plot.

Mind over Mutant is a very linear platform game, in which you must travel all different kinds of terrain, battling bunches of bad guys and solving some basic puzzles to advance. As you move forward, Crash eventually gains the ability to collect allies in the form of defeated and subdued mutants who each have different abilities, such as freezing water. Over time, Crash and his friends can level up their strength and abilities by collecting “mojo” from downed foes and breakable terrain.

I must applaud Crash for a variety of things it does well. First off, the visuals and settings are beautiful. The art directors really took advantage of a bright color palette when designing the game, which oozes creativity. Next, the dialogue and story are laugh-out-loud funny. There are a variety of cut scenes (skipable if you desire), each done in a different style and format, such as sock puppets for one and anime for the next. Finally, and most importantly, while it’s a very, very easy game, it’s simply a lot of fun to play.

The major issue with Crash is that the camera never moves. In a world where you are running through 3D obstacles, with falling a constant possibility, I am perplexed as to why I can’t choose the view that would best suit my situation. Also, I found that there was a great deal of backtracking I needed to do. This wasn’t a huge issue for me since the artwork is easy on the eyes, but I could see some gamers getting a little frustrated.

I really enjoyed Crash: Mind over Mutant. No, it’s not something radically new, innovative or challenging, but it doesn’t need to be. It looks feels and plays exactly like a Saturday-morning cartoon and is something gamers of all ages will enjoy.