Let’s Talk About Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

After the Success of the Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy it was obvious that Crash would eventually return for a new game, after the Spyro and Crash Team Racing remakes that is. The thing is though with Crash’s history post Naughty Dog being bumpier than a roller coaster designed by a Parkinson's patient I was curious what route they would take in terms of a sequel. Would they pick up from where the last Crash game left off? As it turns out, no. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About time is a soft reboot of the series that ignores everything past the original trilogy, acting as the true direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot Warped. Think Terminator Dark Fate only it doesn’t piss on the franchise's history and lore. Crash Bandicoot 4 strives to be a return to the series roots while also building on what came before it with new ideas of its own. In short, this is the Crash Bandicoot 4 we always wanted but never really got. It's a lofty goal to try to live up to some of the greatest platformers of all time but the real question is, does it succeed. Well let’s find out.

The story picks up right where Crash Bandicoot Warped left off. Cortex and N. Tropy have finally escaped from the dimensional prison by ripping a hole in the fabric of reality. This causes reality to become all twisted and mangled, causing different realities to collide. Crash and Coco become aware of this when they find Lani-Loli, one of the four Quantum Masks that controls time and space. So now Crash and Coco must find the four Quantum Masks and put a stop to the two evil scientists plans once again. That’s the basic plot of the game but there is a little bit more to it. There are additional side stories that happen alongside the main story. An alternate version of Tawna Bandicoot appears that helps Crash and Coco from behind the scenes and Dingodile ends up getting caught up in all this when he slips into a dimensional rift when his diner blows up.

Crash Bandicoot 4 puts a bit more emphasis on the story than any of the previous games, well the canon ones anyway. There are way more cutscenes this time around and the story itself has a few twists and turns that make things more interesting along the way. Like with previous games though, Crash Bandicoot 4 knows not to let the story get in the way of the gameplay. While there are more cutscenes they don’t go on to long, they’re quick and to the point. The writing in the game is solid with a lot of great character moments and a lot of it is genuinely funny. It also has loads of fanservice that long time Crash fans should love. One thing I like is that the game brings back the bad guys talking to you from Warped but instead of doing it before each level it happens while you're playing through it, so it doesn’t get in the way of the action.

There is a lot I like about the story. N. Tropy is the best he’s ever been in this game, it’s nice to see him get more character development since he’s been somewhat neglected and while I can’t say much about him without getting into spoilers, I will say that I like what they ended up doing with him. Tawna is great as well. It’s nice to see her back even if it’s an alternate reality version and her new characterization is badass. Honestly, every character was great in this though with Crash himself, it feels like they took away his 90’s era attitude and made him more, “cute” for lack of a better word. Honestly though, I’m happy with this. Crash is just so damn lovable in this game and I think this does help make him a little more timeless.

The story is great for what it needed to be, it’s the best Crash story yet in my opinion, but there is one issue I do have with it and it’s the Quantum Masks. Not because they’re bad characters or lacking in any characterization because they aren’t. Each of them has a distinctive personality trait and they are fun characters in their own right. My issue is that we don’t see enough of them. Outside of Lani-Loli they don’t get that much screen time outside of their introductory cutscene and while they are fun characters they do off as one note and a lot of that is due to their lack of character development. Also, Aku-Aku doesn’t get much screen time either which is odd since this game is tributed to his original voice actor. Outside of that the story is quite entertaining.

Now in terms of visuals, Crash Bandicoot 4 goes for a different art style to the N-Sane Trilogy and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled. I’m surprised that they changed the art style so quickly especially given how many people loved how the previous games looked. Granted that could be because this is developed by Toys for Bob and not Vicarious Visions but Nitro Fueled wasn’t done by Vicarious Visions either and that kept the same art style. Mind you this would only be an issue if the style change was an objective downgrade from the previous titles and in many ways the new style is an objective upgrade.

Crash Bandicoot was always a character that took heavy inspiration from the golden era of animation and nowhere is that more obvious than this very game. This is the best the characters have ever looked. The animations are so expressive and employ the principles of animation expertly. The new redesigns are great as well, changing up the characters just enough while keeping everything that made them recognizable. Toys for Bob really know how to animate their characters and Crash 4 is them at their absolute peak. Then there’s the levels. The N-Sane Trilogy was a great looking remake, but it was obvious it was based on games built for older hardware. The levels had a good level of detail but there was only so much it could do. Crash 4 has no such limitation and it shows. These levels are dripping with so much detail, there are these little touches peppered throughout the levels that make them feel more alive. The level themes are also a little more creative than before, even the ones that are reused are so much more colourful and lively this time around. Just compare the future levels in Warped to the ones in this game and the improvements become all the clearer. This is a brilliant looking game.

Then there’s the music. While I don’t find much of it memorable it’s still a really good soundtrack. It manages to capture the feel of the original trilogy while also adding its own unique spin on it. My favourite level in the game is even set to the beat of the music, I wish more platformers would do that by the way, it’s a criminally underutilized gimmick. The sound in general is quite excellent across the board. I am shocked that this series is using the same sound effects it used in the first game and they still sound great even now. Then there’s the voice acting which is pretty damn good as well. It needed to be too because there’s a lot more of it. A lot of the same actors return from previous games and they do an excellent job as always with Lex Lang once again stealing the show as Cortex. At this point Lex Lang is to Cortex what Mike Pollock is to Eggman, he is so good at the role I cannot imagine anyone else playing him. The presentation is fantastic across the board and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better-looking or sounding platformer released this generation.

But great presentation doesn’t mean much if you don’t have the gameplay to back it up and thankfully Crash Bandicoot 4 delivers on this, for the most part. Crash Bandicoot 4 bases itself heavily on the original trilogy, taking different aspects from all three while adding new elements all its own. And when I say it takes elements from all three games in the original trilogy, I meant it. Right from the get-go the game makes this clear by returning to the progression structure of the very first Crash Bandicoot game. So, the world map makes its grand return. I’m happy with this change, while I enjoyed the warp rooms in Crash 2 and Warped, especially since it allowed you to choose the order in which you tackled the levels, I did prefer the sense of progression that Crash Bandicoot 1 had. This is also true for Crash Bandicoot 4 and one thing they have done that I like is separate the various level themes into its own separate world. While this does mean the game lacks the variety of Crash 2 and Warped since you aren’t switching between themes it makes up for that by making the levels within each theme as varied as possible.

In previous Crash games the different themes often had similar mechanics and ideas within each level that theme had. Take Warped for instance, every China level involved riding a tiger, every Arabian level had flying carpets and hanging on grates, every dinosaur level featured a chase level, you get the idea. But in Crash Bandicoot 4 the levels within a specific theme can be quite varied. Take the New Orleans world for example, the very first level is set during Mardi-Gras and the next has you travel through the bayou, both levels feel quite different and yet they take place in the same world. That Mardi-Gras level is legit one of the best levels in the series, it’s so good. Even the chase and ride levels that Crash is famous for are no longer stuck to a single theme, making the times when they do show up more surprising. This is how you do variety in a platformer and it doesn’t stop there. But let's put a pin in that for now. Let's talk controls and move-set.

Crash controls like an absolute dream in this game. He's so much smoother than before. There's also something about his jumping that feels more, rhythmic for want of a better term. Jumping is something you do in platformers a lot so it’s important that any platformer worth its salt makes the jumping feel as good as possible and Crash Bandicoot 4 delivers on that front. The platforming is very satisfying in this game and it’s all down to how good Crash feels to play.

The move-set stays mostly the same. Crash has kept the double jump from Warped though all the other new moves he learned do not see a return here. While I don’t miss the bazooka, super slam or Crash Dash I do miss the Death Tornado Spin as it was one of the more enjoyable moves to pull off. There is a reason it was removed but I will get to that a little later. What's really disappointing though is that the slide spin jump has been completely axed, that was such a fun move to do. I get the double jump makes it irrelevant, but I still loved using it. Fortunately, for all the moves they removed they added several more.

Crash has added some parkour moves to his repertoire and can now run along certain walls, swing on ropes and even grind on rails. All these feel-like natural additions and they’re integrated into the game a lot better than the new moves Warped gave you. I should also mention that the slide has seen a slight tweak. Now you can slide off ledges and double jump to gain extra distance. If you’ve ever played Donkey Kong Country this should remind you of the roll jump maneuver you could do in those games. You don’t get as much distance with the slide jump this time, but this technique does make up for that.

Oh, and remember he Quantum Masks? Well they aren’t just there for decoration you know; they’re power ups Crash can use at certain points of the level. This is something the series never really had before, unless you count Aku-Aku but that wasn’t really the same thing, and they do help add an extra layer of variety to the levels the appear in. The first mask you get is Lani-Loli and his power lets you phase platforms and objects in and out of existence. The second is Akano which allows you to activate a super spin that destroys everything and lowers your descent, basically it’s a supped-up version of the Death Tornado Spin which is why that move is not in the game. Then there’s my favourite of the bunch, Kapuna-Wa who lets you slow down time for a few second. The final mask is Ika-Ika who allows you to flip gravity and walk on the ceiling. I do like what these masks add to the game, but they aren’t created equal. I find Akano and Ika-Ika work a lot better in 2D than they do in 3D and Akano gives you less control when spinning which I’m not a fan of. Still I wouldn’t call any of them bad and the variety they add is much appreciated.

Now I have already discussed variety before when it comes to the level themes but one thing I am happy to see is Crash 4 takes the philosophy that Crash 2 had when it comes to variety over Warped. That being that the variety should come from the levels themselves and not added gimmicks like vehicles. The game does shake things up with different types of levels like the ride and chase levels and they’re still as fun here as they were in the older game. Thing is though there aren’t that many of them this time around. There are only about three of these levels each and 2 of them are repeats. The wave rider returns from Crash Bandicoot 2 and is the only vehicle to see a comeback. It's just as fun as it was back then but it also isn’t used that often which is a good thing in my opinion. There is one new vehicle added in the form of the rollerball. This was actually something that was added in Wrath of Cortex so it’s weird to see it come back. Thing is it only appears in two levels and one of those is a repeat, Crash 4 doesn’t use vehicle sections much which is something this series desperately needed. One problem a lot of the later Crash game suffered from was an overuse of vehicle sections. I get wanting to add variety but not only did these distract from the core platforming, a lot of them were terrible. I’m glad Crash Bandicoot ditches a lot of the different gameplay styles to focus instead on the core gameplay.

Crash Bandicoot 4 does have different playstyles, however, in the form of three different playable characters. Before we get into that I should mention that Coco is also a playable character and acts the same as she did in the N-Sane Trilogy, she’s basically just a palette swap for Crash so it’s just a matter of who you think looks better. Now in terms of characters with different playstyles we have Tawn, Dingodile and Cortex. Tawn lacks a slide but she does have a grappling hook that can get boxes and enemies at a distance and she can wall jump. Dingodile has traded in his trademark flame-thrower for a suction cannon that can suck up boxes and TNT barrels as well as allow him to hover in the air for a brief time. Cortex can’t double jump but he has a midair dash and his ray gun lets him turn enemies into platforms or bouncy platforms for extra height. Cortex is my least favourite of the three. He's more puzzle focused than the others and his ray gun is difficult to aim properly, aiming in general is difficult for all three of them but it’s worst with Cortex. But even then I wouldn’t call Cortex bad, he’s still fun to play just not as much as the others. Dingodile is alright but the best of the bunch is easily Tawna. She's the most acrobatic of the three and her levels are the most platforming heavy.

But let’s say you don’t like these other characters too much and just want to play as Crash. Well you can do that. Outside of their introductory level and some other levels near the end of the game you don’t have to play as them since all their other levels are completely optional. You don’t even play as them for the entirety of the levels anyway. You play one half as the character and the other half is a level you already played but with altered box placements. Remember those repeats I mentioned earlier, this is what I was referring to. This does come off as padding but the new box placements do make the level feel different so I don’t mind it too much.

But I think it’s time we talk about this games content. Before we do though I want to just say this, when you’re just playing the game normally and just going through the levels without worrying about the collectibles, Crash Bandicoot 4 is the best Crash game. Toys for Bob have taken the tried and true Crash formula and updated it for modern sensibilities without taking away what made the previous games so good. Levels are longer, they’re a lot more dynamic with the switching between 3D and 2D sections being much smoother, there’s more unique set pieces to make each level stand out, this is some of the finest level design Crash has ever had. At least when playing the game casually, because going for 100% completion turns Crash Bandicoot 4 into an entirely different game.

So Crash isn’t a stranger to collectibles. Previous games had crystals and gems but in Crash 4 you only have gems to worry about the gems. Now the older games would only have about 2 gems per level, Crash 4 has 6. 6 gems in every stage. Now the first three gems you get for collecting 80% of the Wumpa Fruit in the level, these aren’t too bad to get. You also get a gem for getting through a level within 3 death. This one isn’t that bad either so it can be a little tricky depending on the level. This is a Crash game after all, so it does supply a decent challenge. At the beginning of the game you can choose between a modern or retro mode, retro has the traditional lives system while modern removes lives entirely. Since I think lives are an outdated concept I recommend you play on modern mode, something the game itself does, but it is nice to at least have the option.

So far everything doesn’t seem too bad does it? Well that is about to change because now we have to talk about the hidden gems and the box gems. Hidden gems are exactly what they sound like, there’s one gem hidden in the level and all you have to do is find it. This is easier said than done because these gems can be extremely well hidden. Some of these are so obtuse I think most gamers won’t be able to find them without using a guide. The same is true for the coloured gems. Yeah those are back and they’re just as obnoxious to find, especially the blue gem which is an absolute pain to get.

But all of that is nothing, nothing, compared to the box gems. Remember Cold Hard Crash? Well considering it’s one of the most hated levels in the original trilogy I'm guessing a lot of you do. Cold Hard Crash is infamous for numerous reasons but chief among them is that one box that was placed out of sight that everyone missed on their first playthrough. Crash Bandicoot 4 is filled with these kinds of boxes. There are boxes that blend into the background, boxes placed off camera, boxes obscured by background elements, unless you are extremely thorough when going through these stages you are not getting that box gem. It's obnoxious, I have never missed boxes nearly as much as I have in this game. Honestly, getting the box gem was a chore and trying to get it brings the game to a screeching halt.

Now you do get something for getting all the gems. Getting enough gems in a level will unlock new skins for Crash or Coco and some of these are awesome, there’s even a low poly skin for both characters. Now there is an easier way to get these skins and that’s by doing the N-Verted version of a level. These are mirrored versions of a level with a different art style and they also have 6 gems to collect. If you want the skin for the level, it’s easier to do both versions of a level, hell you need to do that in later levels. Now I like the idea of the N-Verted levels but in practice they don’t change enough to justify their existence. Some of them do introduce new elements that change how you approach the levels but most of them are just the exact same level just with a weird filter over everything and new placements for the hidden gems.

This is true for the boss fights as well because they are quite literally the exact same fight. Now the bosses themselves are fantastic, some of the best in the series in fact, but playing them twice does come across as padding. And that’s how I feel about the N-Verted levels in general, they aren’t bad but the feel like filler. And believe it or not we’re not done with the side content.

One type of level you can unlock are the flashback levels that take place before the first Crash Bandicoot game. These are strictly 2D levels and are some of the better levels in the game, as well as some of the most challenging, but getting them can be a pain. To unlock flashbacks levels, you need to find flashback tapes and the only way to get them is to get to them in the level by not dying once. The problem? Well you know how games get harder the longer you get into them. Toys for Bob took it a bit too literally here because the tapes get placed farther into a level the longer you go on. This makes the last few tapes a nightmare to get because you have to playthrough the entire level just to get them.

Here is some advice, don’t try to get everything on your first run through. Do a run to get all the boxes then do a no death run. You'll have an easier time doing this. Oh, wait a moment, scratch that advice because you need to get all the boxes and not die to get the new N-Sanely perfect relics. Remember getting the gems in Crash 1? It's basically that and just as obnoxious. I thought we were past this kind of bullshit.

But wait, there’s more. The time trials also make a return from Warped, I hated them then and I hate them now. I know a lot of people like these but I'm not a fan, I always thought these were unnecessary and that opinion has only doubled here. Look at all the stuff the game has you do, collecting all the games, completing the N-Verted levels and get all the gems in them, completing the flashback level which themselves have platinum medals for breaking all the boxes, getting the N-Sanely perfect relics and doing the time trials. You think that’s enough? I don’t mind a game having a lot to do but this is just too much. Here's the thing though, you only need to get all the gems and get platinum in all the flashback levels to get the bonus 100% ending. Everything else goes towards 106% and just unlocks a small tease for the next game. I’m not going for that; it just doesn’t seem worth it. Honestly, it feels like the game is throwing in as much content as it is to justify it £54.99 price point. I’m glad to see a big budget 3D platformer again but you don’t need to make it a full price game if it doesn’t need to be.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a game of two halves. On the one half you have one of the best platformers ever made and the other you have an aggravatingly tedious experience that wears out its welcome. So where does that leave the game as a whole? Well despite all my bitching about the 100% completion requirements, I still loved my time with Crash Bandicoot 4. Going for 100% may be a nightmare but that doesn’t take away all the good things the game does. In terms of my own personal power ranking I would put it just below Crash Bandicoot 2, that one is still my favourite but Crash 4 is damn close. You know what though, it might become my favourite if you give me enough time with it.

Earlier this year I reviewed Streets of Rage 4 and, while it was mostly positive, I came away from it a little underwhelmed. Well since that review, I have played it more and have been slowly growing a newfound appreciation for it. I get similar vibes with Crash 4, oh and the irony that both are numbered 4 is not lost on me. As it stands, I like the game a lot but give me another playthrough or two and I'll probably grow to love it. Until next time, remember to stay safe and have fun.