Croc 2

While I'm aware that the first croc game has its flaws, I have to admit that it's a ton of fun even to this day and its flaws largely stem from it being outclassed by other great ps1 platformers of the day. The same can't be said for the sequel which does fix some if the original games flaws but ends up having a ton of its own which overall makes it unplayable at points.

I guess the biggest fix here is that while croc still uses tank controls in this game, they aren't as stiff here as they were before as it's a lot easier to control him throughout the game. There’re also more activities in this game as the levels aren't just stage to stage like in the original but rather are all interconnected like they are in Spyro or banjo Kazooie, this allows for multiple other gameplay mechanics which was a common troupe for 3d platformers around this time. Unfortunately, both of these positives are far outweighed by just how bland the gameplay is likely due to this being a much more child friendly adventure as opposed to how dark the original game was. I'm not just talking about the level design and it having a brighter colour pallet (which makes the lack of draw distance that much more jarring compared to the original) but rather how everything feels less threatening this time around as we have the "simlish" style voice acting that was prevalent in Nintendo games at the time (despite being a ps1 game.) This is very noticeable with the bosses who are only threatening due to bad camera angles which prevent the player from seeing what they’re doing while fighting these otherwise pushovers with simplistic attack patterns. Speaking of the camera, it'll be the biggest challenge this game has to offer as what would otherwise be basic as hell puzzles are made frustratingly difficult due to the angles changing often at complete random during gameplay, this of course making the tank controls an absolute pain as like most games with this control scheme, crocs direction changes based on where the camera is pointed at rather than which button you're pressing in the d pad. It's like controlling Spyro whole he's using the supercharge only at a much slower speed and the inability to come out of tank controls by coming to a standstill.

It's because of the camera that this game is borderline unplayable, not that you're missing out in a great game if you stopped playing because of them as the presentation is rather weak even compared to the first game and is clearly much more kid friendly compared to its darker predecessor. It's not an awful game were there to be a patch that makes the camera be your friend, however there's far better to choose from even if you can find a way to befriend the camera.

Croc 2 is a compilation of everything you find annoying in other 3d platformers rolled up into one big helping of nonsense.
Considering the basic “jump around on platforms and collect things” linear structure of Croc 1, Croc 2 is monstrous by comparison. Perhaps in an effort to one-up every other 3d platformer game, Croc 2 tosses in everything that it shouldn’t. A shop is included solely to waste your time, leaving you running through a level only to find out at the end of it that you needed to buy a specifically colored jump-pad to complete it. Instead of running around and picking up gems, you have to win races and ride on minecarts, too. In true Argonaut fashion, the level design is sadistic, which is further emphasized by switching over to a Mario 64 ‘x hits and you’re dead’ health system. Unlike Mario 64, enemies are far more annoying to deal with and you get far less health pickups to recover from. Spare hearts are treated like their own collectables, so you’re only granted a few mistakes per level before you have to do everything all over again. Add in levels that are painfully long, as well as some tedious tasks required for progression, and you end up with one painful playthrough for something that looks like it should be geared for young kids.