Crash Bandicoot 4 on PC truly is platform gaming at its best
As much as I love platformers, I’ve never played a Crash Bandicoot game (that’s what happens when you grow up without a PlayStation, sorry). Given this lapse in my experience, I was eager to give Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time a go. Across several different dimensions I got to play as Crash, Coco, Tawna, Dingodile, and Neo Cortex. While the first two play very much the same, the last three all have their own unique move sets to utilize, changing up the way you approach enemies and obstacles.
Toys For Bob did an excellent job at bringing Crash Bandicoot back for everyone to enjoy. That signature difficulty is still there, and while I swore at my television more than a few times, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
At a glance
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
The Good
- Varied level design
- Five playable characters
- N. Verted, Modern, and Retro modes
- Quantum Mask gameplay
- Fun boss battles
- Difficult but rewarding
The Bad
- Some enemies add nothing to the gameplay
- Frustrating platforming in certain sections
Disclaimer: This review was made possible by a review code provided by Activision. The company did not see the contents of the review before publishing.
Crash Bandicoot 4 What I like
Source: Windows Central
Category | GameNameXXX |
---|---|
Title | Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time |
Developer | Toys For Bob |
Publisher | Activision |
Genre | Platformer |
Xbox Version | Xbox One X |
Game Size | 24.9GB |
Play Time | 8 hours |
Players | Single-player, multiplayer |
Xbox Game Pass | No |
Launch Price | $60 |
The Quantum Masks are the best new additions.
It’s hard to say whether the dimensions gradually increase in difficulty the further along you are, at least in my opinion, but the levels within a dimension do. For example, other than the starting world on N. Sanity Island, I didn’t feel that any one, in particular, was overwhelmingly difficult compared to the others (except maybe the last level, but that’s a different story). What struck me time and time again was that it was easier for me to beat a level if I sped through it, which is the opposite of what you’d expect.
Source: Windows Central
Toys For Bob included a Modern gameplay mode in addition to its Retro mode, making it much more accessible to people. Retro mode plays just like you remember it, with a finite amount of lives. Once you run out, you start the level over completely. In Modern mode, players have an unlimited number of lives and always respawn from the most recent checkpoint. I played the entire game in Modern mode with no remorse. Let me die a few hundred times until I get it right. I like a good challenge, but I’m not masochistic.
Crash Bandicoot 4 What I don’t like
Source: Windows Central
I also wasn’t a huge fan of Neo Cortex’s abilities, mainly his ray gun being used to transform enemies into platforms. It’s useful for platforming purposes, obviously, but isn’t much fun otherwise when aiming in this game isn’t the best.
Crash Bandicoot 4 Should you buy it?
Source: Windows Central
Fans of the Crash Bandicoot series will definitely want to pick this one up. And if you’ve never played before because you were worried you couldn’t beat it, give Modern mode a try this time around. Crash is back and better than ever, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this series.
Crash is back
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Travel across dimensions
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a reminder of how good platformers can be when in the right hands. Taking you through several diverse dimensions with their own unique challenges, Crash Bandicoot 4 combines responsive controls and a gorgeous art style to create an exciting adventure. Do I remember the story? Not too much, but the gameplay is where Crash shines. A new Modern mode in addition to its Retro mode makes it even more accessible for everyone.
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