Just as in his first adventure, Croc runs around, jumps over pits and lava beds, picks up gems and uses power-ups to perform special actions. Fortunately, Argonaut fixed many of the annoying control problems present in the first game. Croc turns around with ease this time, instead of constantly running in a circle when the player tries to move in the other direction. Jumps feel a bit easier to control, and the Dual Shock controller works nicely with the game, though the digital pad also provides acceptable performance. Keeping Croc running in a straight line is also easier in the sequel.

The camera also cooperates much better in the sequel than it did in the first Croc, though this largely results from the limited control over the camera the player exercises. Whereas the first game let the player change the camera's position on the fly, Croc 2 forces the player to collect a power-up to even move the camera around while standing still, and the game offers no ability to rotate the it as Croc moves. Despite the lack of flexibility, the end result of fewer camera glitches ultimately offsets this restriction.

As for the actual gameplay aspect, the relatively low number of enemies in each level means most of the challenge results from overcoming the environment. Croc needs to make accurate jumps, locate hidden keys and other items and perform other classic platform actions. A few levels offer alternative gameplay styles, such as racing other characters. Platform fans should feel right at home with the classic, if predictable, play style. Even with the improved control, Croc 2's challenge level feels higher than that of the first one. In the original Croc game, as long as Croc possessed at least one gem, he would survive any damage from an enemy or obstacle. Now the gems do not control health; rather, Croc now must maintain a separate life meter. Since heart power-ups do not appear nearly as often as gems do, the player needs to be far more careful in order to survive.

Like most of the game's other features, the graphics do look much nicer in Croc 2 than in the first one. The characters and landscapes both appear much cleaner in the sequel with a less-grainy, smoother overall appearance. The game displays only minor draw-in, certainly nowhere near enough to pose a problem. Indeed, the limited draw-in looks much better than fog (which luckily doesn't exist in the game) would. The colorful backgrounds and creatures create a bright, happy-feeling game, and the cute sound effects and cheery music enhance the overall atmosphere.