This is something of an improvement in the platformer stakes compared to its predecessor, Crash of the Titans, there's still a lot of emphasis on combat but it plays very much like a 3D platformer.

For the most part it's an accomplished game with good level layout, entertaining presentation (cut scenes are delivered in several different styles, ranging from Dragonball to South Park and 50s/60s American comic book style). It's fun to play. Instead of having lives like Titans, you're allowed to make as many mistakes as you need to, but taking any damage whatsoever (or dying) resets the combo multiplier which dictates how much each mojo is worth. This mojo is used to improve Crash's skills and the Titans' skills. Some of the restart points are quite harsh, however, so having infinite lives doesn't mean you'll necessary walk it. That said I've found this one a heck of a lot easier than its predecessor, bar a few tight walkways there's very little to stop you pushing through the… more »

This is something of an improvement in the platformer stakes compared to its predecessor, Crash of the Titans, there's still a lot of emphasis on combat but it plays very much like a 3D platformer.

For the most part it's an accomplished game with good level layout, entertaining presentation (cut scenes are delivered in several different styles, ranging from Dragonball to South Park and 50s/60s American comic book style). It's fun to play. Instead of having lives like Titans, you're allowed to make as many mistakes as you need to, but taking any damage whatsoever (or dying) resets the combo multiplier which dictates how much each mojo is worth. This mojo is used to improve Crash's skills and the Titans' skills. Some of the restart points are quite harsh, however, so having infinite lives doesn't mean you'll necessary walk it. That said I've found this one a heck of a lot easier than its predecessor, bar a few tight walkways there's very little to stop you pushing through the challenges and progressing further.

There are however problems. Sometimes platforms have invisible walls preventing you from falling off (in faster-paced areas) but at times they aren't there when you expect them to be, resulting in plunging to your death. The camera is stuck very close behind crash and doesn't shift even when retracing your steps, many a time resulting in falling off ledges which appear from nowhere. The game's plot is functional but almost non-existent, it's just a whistle-stop tour around the game world meeting the established characters. The biggest issues are the amount of backtracking, which is considerable, as well as the length of the game. Unlike Titans this game is set in one continuous game world split into areas, rather than individual levels, and in order to prolong it the developers lead you back and forth by the nose. This hasn't really helped though, I completed it in two evenings (clocked at 6:48). Of course this doesn't include finding all the collectibles, though I'm not sure why most players would want to walk back and forth through areas they've already had to travel through thrice in order to find a couple of voodoo dolls for the sake of a few achievement points.

Developers really need to stop releasing games with camera issues, this it the third console generation where 3D is standard, get your acts together.

To buy or not? If it's really cheap (looking at @ £15 tops) then I'd say it makes a good secondary title and a break from FPS and third-person shooters, but be aware of its shortcomings. Otherwise it could be a worthwhile rent if you've hit a barren patch in the release schedules and need something to play.

Mind over Mutant has left me conflicted, on the one hand it looks and plays well (bar the backtracking), but I'm amazed how little of it there is to play. Originally this was going to be a four star review, but having just stared at a one-screen 'game completed' message in under 7 hours it can't be. If Crash is ever going to regain his standing his games need to be bigger and better than this.