Crash is back!!! For the first time in many years we have finally received a whole new Crash Bandicoot game. This is somewhat of a soft reboot, taking place after Crash Warped, where Cortex and N. Tropy have escaped the past but in doing so have torn dimensional rifts that could cause destruction on a large scale. It’s up to Crash, Coco and a new cast of characters to stop the two scientists from bring forth certain doom of dimension-shattering proportions.
With the success of the N. Sane Trilogy and how they perfectly captured the originals, I was very excited for a brand new game that has long been rumored, ever since the N. Sane Trilogy was made. Crash 4 was a huge risk since this was a new game from the ground up, and is essentially the flagship game that was to invite new players to the world of Crash Bandicoot, as well as welcome back veterans like myself. But this game truly met with a lot of my expectations as well as exceeded some in various ways.
The game captures the spirit of the original trilogy but has a lot of additions that make it refreshing and fun as well as challenging. The game combines a lot of elements from some of the best Crash games, putting them into this one while also adding on new elements to challenge the player.
So let’s start with the story. As far as narrative goes this isn’t as bare bones as the original trilogy and has a lot more meat on it, similar to Twinsanity where it’s a more detailed story yet retains the heart and humor the series is best known for. This is a very self-aware game that pokes fun at previous installments, while also making fun of itself.
Voice acting is great across the board, all the characters are charming and lovable and their designs add to the charm. Even the new characters are very likable and are written pretty well despite initial concerns I had.
As for the play style itself, it is very much like basic Crash platforming, with things like double jump, slide, spin and so on. However there are a number of new mechanics added for Crash that come with the new Quantum Masks.
Each mask you find through the game gives you certain abilities that help you tackle challenging puzzles and obstacles. These include phasing, dark matter twister, time slow down and inversion. Each one has a learning curve to them, especially when you try to get those darn crates. They are even used against the bosses in this game, which are a blast to go against yet can still give quite a fight.
And much like the previous Crash games this is an absolute grind, completion gems and relics being some of the main collectibles. Gems are earned for smashing crates, collecting certain amounts of Wumpa fruit, dying less than 3 times in the level and finding hidden gems. The good thing is that you don’t have to get everything in one go, you can always come back and replay levels that you missed a gem in and focus on the ones you are missing, making it way less a pain to get them. Because when you play blind you are pretty much guaranteed to die a lot in this game if you try going for everything in one go on the first playthrough.
Another feature this game introduces is Timelines where you get to play as either Tawna, Dingodile or Cortex in an alternate version of one of the previous levels you played, which reveal strange occurrences that you may have noticed in your playthrough as Crash.
Each character has their own unique skill set, which also means more challenges based on that skill. All characters were fun to play but I will say that Dingodile is by far my favorite for his play style and his unfiltered dialogue.
From a visual standpoint this is a fantastic looking game, with colorful and unique environments that match with the type of dimension. From the apocalyptic desert wastelands to pirate coves to prehistoric jungles… there is a whole array of environments to play on with such great detail and a lot of replay value. The same could also be said for the music, with each tune matching with the theme of every level. The level design is spectacular overall, combining all the major elements of previous crash games while also adding in new additions that can increase the difficulty.
The game can get frustrating at times with its trial and error gimmick, and if you play on retro mode where you have lives to lose you may end up getting a Game Over lots of times, so I recommend starting on the other mode, since you get infinite lives and tamer check points.
You will be tempted to rage quit certain levels, especially with some of the later ones, because how much harder they become. Some of these levels even become dangerously close to some of the hardest platforming levels in Crash 1, resulting in a lot of deaths that can really boil your blood. The final level before the final boss in particular is probably the most merciless gauntlet in the whole game. One that even rivals the infamous Stormy Ascent from Crash 1 in terms of difficulty and precise timing. I think I died about 200+ times on it before finally beating it but god it was beyond irritating.
Despite that, though, this is by far the best sequel to Crash that we have had in years. Older fans will love it and it is great for newer fans too. It’s a serious blast and definitely worth your time. I’m going to give Crash 4: It’s About Time an A.
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