There was something special about the golden age of 3D platformers. The late 1990s were packed with colourful characters, imaginative worlds and developers eager to explore what could be achieved in three dimensions. Among the many mascots competing for a place in players’ hearts was a little green crocodile called Croc, whose debut adventure introduced us to the wonderfully charming Gobbos. Now, with Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos, Argonaut Games and Titanium Studios return with a sequel considerably more ambitious than its predecessor, giving it a fresh lease of life while preserving the personality that made the original series so memorable.
This time, the adventure is personal. After Professor Gobbo witnesses the Dantinis resurrecting the fearsome Baron Dante, he is taken prisoner, setting another chain of events in motion. Meanwhile, Croc is enjoying a peaceful day on the beach when he discovers a bottle containing a message from his birth parents. They are searching for him, and what begins as an emotional journey to discover his origins soon becomes a much larger adventure. Baron Dante has not forgotten his previous defeat, and Croc’s attempt to find his family quickly turns into another showdown against a familiar enemy.
It is a lovely premise for a sequel because it gives Croc a more personal reason to leave Gobbo Valley and explore the world beyond. There is a sense of discovery running through the adventure, with the search for his parents providing an emotional thread that connects the different locations and characters. Of course, this is still a cheerful platform game about a little crocodile rescuing Gobbos, collecting goodies and jumping on things, but there is enough personality in the story to make the journey feel worthwhile.
A Bigger World to Explore
One of the biggest changes from the original game is the move towards a more open-ended, village-based structure. Rather than simply selecting a level and working your way towards the exit, Croc 2 gives players four distinct locations to explore, each with its own Gobbo culture and personality. Sailor Village brings a coastal atmosphere, Cossack Village introduces a wintry setting, Caveman Village takes things back to prehistoric surroundings, while Inca Village offers a mountainous environment. Each location provides a welcome change of scenery, helping the adventure feel considerably larger than its predecessor.
These villages act as central hubs where players can meet characters, discover new objectives and work out what needs to be done next. The Gobbos are more than just little creatures waiting to be rescued, with their different personalities and requests giving each location a sense of community. There is a pleasant rhythm to moving between the hub areas and the surrounding levels, completing tasks, rescuing captured Gobbos and gradually opening up more of the adventure. It gives the game a greater sense of purpose than simply collecting enough items to reach the next stage.
The objectives themselves offer a reasonable amount of variety. Some missions focus on rescuing Gobbos, while others involve finding objects, solving puzzles or tackling challenges that require a little more thought. There are plenty of opportunities to explore, and the game encourages players to look beyond the obvious route if they want to discover everything on offer. It is a structure that rewards curiosity, although completionists should be prepared to revisit certain areas when they acquire the necessary items or abilities.
Swap Meet Pete’s General Store is another welcome addition. The enterprising cat provides a place to spend collected crystals on useful gadgets and equipment, while his Crystal Ball offers a convenient way to teleport between villages. This makes the wider adventure easier to manage and gives the collectibles a practical purpose beyond simply increasing a score. Having a shop to visit also adds a little personality to the progression system, making the journey feel more like a connected adventure than a collection of unrelated platforming stages.
Croc Has Some New Tricks
Croc’s familiar moves return, including his jump and trademark tail spin, but the sequel gives him a few additional abilities to tackle its larger environments. The triple jump is particularly useful, providing extra height when reaching platforms or negotiating trickier sections. It is a simple addition, but one that expands the possibilities of the platforming without making Croc feel overly complicated to control. The best character abilities are often those that become second nature after a little practice, and the expanded moveset gives players more flexibility as the adventure progresses.
There is a welcome variety to the activities on offer, too. Croc is not restricted to running and jumping through traditional platforming levels, with cars, speedboats, minecarts, hang gliders and even an aeroplane making appearances. These sequences help break up the familiar gameplay and give the adventure a greater sense of spectacle. Some are more successful than others, but the willingness to experiment makes the overall experience feel more ambitious than a straightforward sequel might have been.
The four villages also provide opportunities to introduce different challenges and characters. The Guardians are particularly memorable, with Soveena the Squid, Cannon Boat Keith and Flavio the Thermal Fish each bringing their own personality to the adventure. Soveena’s obsession with Ginger Soda is a wonderfully silly character detail, while a pirate captain commanding skeleton crewmates sounds like exactly the sort of ridiculous villainous encounter a Croc game should contain. These characters help give the world a sense of fun and provide welcome variety as Croc works his way towards Baron Dante.
The platforming remains the heart of the experience, however. Players still need to judge jumps, explore their surroundings and make good use of Croc’s abilities to overcome obstacles. The larger structure means there is more to discover, but it also places greater importance on understanding where to go and what each mission requires. There is a satisfying sense of progression as new areas become available and previously inaccessible objectives can finally be completed.
A Remaster That Understands Its Roots
For a game originally released in 1999, presentation and control improvements are particularly important. The original Croc 2 was an ambitious sequel, but the era’s limitations could sometimes make navigating its three-dimensional environments more frustrating than necessary. Camera handling and movement were among the areas where older platformers could struggle, especially when players needed to make precise jumps or judge distances from awkward angles. The remaster’s updated camera options and modern control scheme are therefore among its most welcome improvements.
Dual analogue movement and free camera rotation make a substantial difference to how the game feels. Being able to adjust your view and better judge the environment removes much of the unnecessary friction associated with older 3D platformers. Players who prefer a more traditional experience can still use classic control options, a thoughtful inclusion for anyone who wants to revisit the game as they remember it. It is a good example of how a remaster can respect its original audience while making the experience more accessible to newcomers.
The visual improvements also help bring the colourful world back to life. The original game’s blocky environments and character designs have a particular late 1990s charm, and it is important that a modern release does not polish away everything that made them distinctive. The updated presentation provides clearer textures, improved draw distances and enhanced lighting, allowing the different villages and their surroundings to look more vibrant. It retains the playful visual identity of the original while giving the environments a welcome boost in clarity.
Performance improvements are equally important. A platform game relies on responsive movement, particularly when players are negotiating more demanding jumps or navigating sequences that require accurate timing. A smoother experience makes those moments considerably more enjoyable and helps ensure that the remaster feels like a proper modern release rather than simply an old game running on newer hardware. The overall aim is to make the original adventure more comfortable to play without losing its personality, and that is precisely what a good remaster should be trying to achieve.
The soundtrack is another important part of Croc’s appeal. Justin Scharvona’s cheerful compositions help establish the game’s playful atmosphere, with acoustic guitar, accordion and percussion providing a distinctly nostalgic sound. The familiar vocal clips and squeaky Gobbo noises are also part of the experience, adding plenty of character to the world. It would be difficult to imagine Croc without those recognisable sounds, and retaining them helps preserve the connection with the original release.
The Croc2pedia: A Treasure Trove for Fans
Perhaps the most interesting addition for long-time fans is the Croc2pedia. Rather than offering a few promotional images or a basic collection of concept artwork, this digital museum provides a much deeper look at the game’s development. It brings together production documents, marketing materials, promotional merchandise, animation tests, and galleries featuring characters, environments, and items that did not make it into the finished game. There are also interviews with members of the original Argonaut team, the remaster developers, and producers.
This is exactly the sort of extra content that can make a remaster feel like a genuine celebration of a classic. Games are often remembered for the finished experience, but there is a fascinating story behind how they were created, particularly during an era when 3D platforming was still developing. Seeing early designs, unused ideas, and behind-the-scenes material offers a glimpse into the creative process that brought Croc’s second adventure to life. For anyone with an interest in game development, it could prove just as enjoyable as revisiting the game itself.
The Croc2pedia also gives the remaster a sense of historical value. It is not simply about making an old game look sharper and run more smoothly; it is about preserving the work and ideas that went into its creation. That level of care is particularly welcome for a title that may not always receive the same attention as some of the more famous platforming franchises of its generation. It helps make this release feel like a proper return rather than a quick attempt to cash in on nostalgia.
Verdict
Croc 2: Kingdom of the Gobbos is a charming return for one of gaming’s most likeable little mascots. Its larger world, four distinctive villages, expanded moveset and varied activities make it a more ambitious adventure than the original, while the search for Croc’s birth parents gives the story a welcome personal touch. There is a lovely sense of discovery throughout, and the colourful cast of Gobbos and Guardians gives the world plenty of personality.
The remaster’s modern camera and control options are particularly important, removing some of the frustrations associated with the original release while retaining the feel of a late 1990s platformer. The visual improvements and smoother performance make the adventure more comfortable to revisit, and the familiar soundtrack helps preserve the nostalgia that fans will be hoping to find. The Croc2pedia is the icing on the cake, offering a generous collection of development material that gives the release genuine appeal beyond the game itself.
There are still moments when the larger structure and occasional backtracking can test your patience, and not every vehicle sequence or challenge will be equally memorable. However, these are relatively minor complaints in an adventure that offers so much variety and personality. More importantly, it never loses sight of what made Croc appealing in the first place: a cheerful character, an imaginative world and a simple sense of fun that does not need to be wrapped in unnecessary complexity.
For returning fans, this is a lovely opportunity to revisit an underappreciated platforming adventure with the benefit of modern improvements. For newcomers, it is a chance to discover a colourful piece of gaming history that still has plenty to offer. Croc may have been away for a while, but Kingdom of the Gobbos is a reminder that some adventures deserve to be enjoyed all over again.
