2. Crash Badicoot 3: Warped
Best Crash Bandicoot Games
Crash Bandicoot’s third outing is widely regarded as the best in the original trilogy, and it’s little surprise once one gets their hands on it.
Like with the second game, Warped honed and refined every aspect of what had come before it. The platforming was precise and felt perfectly tuned, allowing players to pull off split-second reactions and speed through levels in feats of chaotic grace.
The levels were more diverse and entertaining, dropping players into a wide range of situations and scenarios. Crash could be spinning and bouncing his way through an ancient jungle one minute and racing a cavalcade of villains on a motorcycle the next; and, in a first for the series, players could even control Coco, riding atop a tiger cub around the Great wall of China.
Even the story managed to be a step up, introducing a new villain which breathed life into the somewhat tired dynamic of Cortex’s constant drive to destroy Crash and take over the world.
It was the peak of what the series could be, and marked a perfect high point to see the franchise off into the next generation with. It deserved its place at the top that it held for so many years, and if not for this next entry’s quality, it likely would have held it for years to come.
