Crush is the story of Danny, an insomniac who is looking to be rid of his sleepless condition. Doctor Ruebens introduces him to the C.R.U.S.H. (Cognitive Regression Utilizing pSychiatric Heuristics), a machine that allows him to explore the recesses of his own mind, in hopes of clearing out any issues that may plague his subconscious. Hopefully normal sleeping patterns can return, and Danny can be slightly less bugged out.
Gameplay in Crush is like a reversed version of Super Paper Mario, but much more complex. The world inside Danny's mind is a three-dimensional conglomerate of cubic structures, with stairways, platforms, boulders, and chasms everywhere. Using the special ability of the C.R.U.S.H. machine, Danny can flatten the complexities of his scattered brain into a neat two-dimensional package, thus allowing him to collect his lost marbles (literally) and clear each successive area in his mind. At first glance, the environments suggest that Crush is a platformer, but players will soon find that it is really much more of a puzzle game. Figuring out how to manipulate the environment in conjunction with the camera, and then executing that strategy is the focal point here. The platforming aspect of the game boils down to walking, jumping, crouching, and pushing objects, and is merely an embellishment on the puzzle gameplay.
The game begins with a series of tutorial levels, which could be construed as a thoughtful gesture on the part of the developers because they serve to familiarize the player with the mechanics of the game, as well as point out a few key elements of Danny's mind. Unfortunately, these tutorials are made tedious by the doctor's incessant commentary, which the player can't skip or speed up, and has the ability to make eyes explode and ears bleed. This is especially discouraging in a handheld game, since patience is at its lowest when gamers go mobile. The worst part is that tutorials return at the beginning of each of the three new areas that follow.
Once the tutorials are over, and Danny's mind is accessible sans-interruption, Crush shines as one of the most engaging experiences on the PSP. The game plays out a lot less like the aforementioned Super Paper Mario, and more like...well...nothing gamers have yet experienced. Rather than simply "flipping" in one direction from 2D to 3D, Crush is riddled with a plethora of different perspective changes. Beginning in the 3D world, players can rotate the camera 360 degrees, one-quarter turn at a time, and even shift the camera to a top-down view. "Crushing" is the main tool at the players disposal, and basically takes whichever 3D perspective is in view, and flattens it into a 2D representation. From a side view, distant platforms are suddenly made to be on the same plane as Danny, and from the overhead view, the entire level becomes a single surface. It is a truly innovative design, and creates an incredibly variety of navigation options. As the levels become increasingly complex, players will feel the same sort of tingle in the spatial centers of the brain as a Rubik's cube might produce.
The game is put together in such a way that it often requires lengthy and elaborate procedures to reach the exit in each level, and even more so if the player suffers from the disease of completism, as there are plenty of hard to reach doodads scattered about. The main collectibles in Crush, like coins in Super Mario Bros. or rings in Sonic the Hedgehog, are marbles. Once Danny collects enough marbles, the level's exit will open up, and he may progress to a new portion of his mind. In addition to marbles, each level contains special items such as thoughts and memories. Thoughts are designs printed on certain walls that, when crushed, do things like opening up "trophy mode" (time trial) for that particular level, or granting Danny the ability to jump higher. Memories are floating puzzle pieces - one per level - that unlock gallery photos when grabbed. Also lurking within Danny's psyche are cockroach-like creatures that represent his neuroses and will dump him out into the real world if they manage to make contact with him. Luckily, the same "crushing" mechanic that allows the player to navigate the environments also a weapon against these demons. Line them up against a wall and crush to make them go splat!
As the game progresses, more of Danny's history is revealed via clips of conversations between he and the doctor. There he remembers his past, and the player is treated to comic book style still drawings to illustrate the narration. Not only is the story surprisingly good for a puzzle game, but the artwork used to convey it is excellent. The hand-drawn images carry a certain dark quality that fits right in with the more mature themes the game presents. The rest of the game's visuals are solid, as well. The architectural appeal of the levels is a big draw, with different colored blocks stacked up in all manner of shapes and arrangements; the themed backgrounds that linger off in space add to the feeling of being within the mind, looming like suppressed thoughts over Danny's subconscious; and the stylish 2D presentation of the "crushed" mind is vibrant and alive, lacking the complex torment Danny's mind is usually plagued with. The point is that the visuals do for the game exactly what they should - besides being aesthetically pleasing, they augment the game's content and improve the overall experience.
The audio in Crush is an aural combination platter of tasty treats. I managed to become hooked on what I would call the Crush theme song, which plays on the PSP XMB, on the game's title screen, and during various in-game transitions. This, and the rest of the game's tracks are either relaxing and trance-like, upbeat, or mentally disturbing. Sometimes it's hard to tell which of those it is, but at all times, the music fits the game very well, and simply sounds good. The voice acting is very well done. The conversations sounds quite natural despite the scenario and the doctor's stereotypical Freudian accent. Sometimes the voices come out a bit muffled, though, and with the already-crappy PSP speakers the words become difficult to make out.
It's been a while since a puzzle game has done as much for the genre as Crush does. The game manages to inject a plot into the usually stale genre, keeping players interested in what will happen next. It also blends platform elements into completely fresh and fully realized puzzle gameplay without sacrificing the analytical nature of the genre. Although the platforming portion of the game is slightly substandard as a result of loose controls, the core puzzle dynamics more than make up for it. It is this unique new concept of manipulating one's environment from a variety of perspectives that make Crush great. On top of that, an attractive presentation both visually and aurally rounds out the reasons to keep Crush in your PSP library.
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