4/5 ★ – bokonon764's review of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (dumb name) is the first mainline Crash game since 08’s Mind Over Mutant, and a return to the series roots. I was super excited when this game came out and had a lot of fun with it. I’ve got gripes, as I always do... but overall, Crash 4 is a solid and challenging platformer. This is my second time playing through Crash 4; I played it on PS4 the first time, on Switch this time. I gotta say, playing it on Switch with the TV or music on was a better way to play this game; something about replaying levels multiple times feels better when it’s not the only thing I’m focusing on. The replaying of levels becomes something of an annoyance in Crash 4, as levels must be played several times over to clear them completely. More on that later. So a hole has been ripped in the multiverse or something; they really don’t play around with the multiverse idea in a huge way, it’s honestly kind of a waste. The game is called It’s About Time, but it’s actually about alternate universes? And time? Also the double entendre? Whatever, it’s a Crash game, you go to all different environs, Cortex is there, it’s a fun concept, but not why anyone comes to the party. Crash 4 is a return to form, a revisiting of the glory days of Crash. It’s no surprise following the massive success of the N. Sane Trilogy remakes that Toys For Bob would release a game that essentially takes from each of the three original games, while adding a bit here and there. Some of the new additions are great, some are not…overall, the platforming mechanics are sound, which is what’s most important. The level select map is similar to the first Crash game, making each set levels of a like environment. I kinda think this is a step backwards from Crash 2 and Warped’s warp rooms, which keep level variety changing throughout the game; although, Crash 4 has more types of levels, which is refreshing. This is a very difficult game, in more ways than one. There are some truly diabolical platforming challenges: the hardest in the series, no question. To complement this, Crash 4 features the tightest platforming mechanics of the series. The classic spin and slide, the belly flop, and double jump are immediately available; this holy selection of moves is undeniably great. There’s a sort of snap to the movements that the original trilogy had that just can’t be beat, but they get close here. The double jump has been overhauled for the better, in that each bounce on a crate resets the jump; a second jump can be used after spinning. These ideas were implemented in Wrath of Cortex, but they’re fine tuned here. Crash 4 also introduces rope swinging and rail grinding to the series…and I’ll never understand why. Power ups are back, but in the form of masks that are only available for portions of the levels. I absolutely loved this choice; kept things fresh. In addition to letting players switch freely between Crash and Coco, Crash 4 has new playable characters! Tawna, Neo Cortex, and Dingodile are playable. Cortex plays like ass, like why the fuck did they put Cortex in the game as a playable character, and then make him so difficult to control. Tawna is fine. Dingodile levels fuckin rule. I wish there were more. This game asks you to replay levels waaaay too much. It’s in the new gem system that the replays stem from: each level has six gems. 3 for collecting Wumpa fruit, 1 for smashing all boxes, 1 hidden gem, and 1 for dying under 4 times. Then there’s the relics; sapphire, gold and platinum. Then there’s the “N. Sanely Perfect” relic, one you can get from collecting all boxes and no deaths. This takes a maximum of two playthroughs of a level, more if you’re like me. Many more if you’re like me. If that wasn’t enough, about a third of the way through the game, you unlock “N. Verted” versions of levels. It’s the same level, inverted horizontally, and through a visual filter. It’s so much overkill, and really just makes the game so much more frustrating. Granted, none of the extra stuff is required to beat the game; it’s all optional. But then again, the whole game is optional if you think about it. Whatever though: completionists, beware. Full completion of this game is a Herculean task that I do not have the patience for. Players have to get all boxes in a level, and sheer number of boxes, some numbering in over 500. Some of the boxes are hidden in the most ridiculous places, The absurd length of the levels doesn’t work well with its time trials and no death runs. You essentially have to do two no death runs; one hitting all the boxes, and one going as fast as you fucking can. I think this is the Crash 4’s biggest flaw; or perhaps, it was just a major annoyance for me because it made completion too hard for me. Either way, i think it’s applying difficulty in the wrong areas. So instead, my goal this playthrough was to beat every Flashback Tape. These are unlockable bonus levels that feature the games most difficult platforming challenges. I maybe beat all but four of them on my initial playthrough, but this time around, I got them all. Crash 4 really shines in these challenges. If the title is any indication, the wordplay has gone off the rails in this entry in the Crash franchise. It’s always been there, but it’s constant and silly here. I think the title is dumb: the It’s About Time part is only sort of dumb, but the 4 part bothers me. Wrath of Cortex is Crash 4. I understand ignoring Twinsanity and those Mutant games, but Wrath of Cortex wasn’t a huge departure for the series, and though it was plagued with tech issues, it’s not a bad game; I just recently started playing that as well. With everything I’ve listed here, there is so much content in this game. A variety of level environments, a healthy-sized cast of characters, throwbacks to the original trilogy, extra challenges…so with so much content, why in the blue fuck is Tiny Tiger not in this fucking game? It’s fucking ludicrous. While on the subject, they could have crammed in so much more. Pura, Ripper Roo, Pinstripe Potoroo, all absent. I guess Crunch has sort of been written out, so that’s a shame. Hell, they even put a level set in what seems to be Nitros Oxides home planet, but no appearance from him. I always appreciate a big payoff with a comeback game, and in my opinion, Crash 4 did not deliver in that regard. The music is pretty weak. It isn’t bad, it’s just kinda blasé. Each area features music that matches its area, nothing too crazy, it just lack the personality of the OT, Wrath of Cortex, Twinsanity…very paint by numbers. The art design is hit or miss for me. Tawna’s redesign is especially out of place. This isn’t to off putting, because Tawna never really had a strong design or big role in the series to begin with, but she looks like a character from another series here. It’s hard to accurately describe the difference in the OT design and the Crash 4 design. It’s cartoonish in both iterations, but something about the models are off. This is especially noticeable with N. Gin, a stock villain that’s been around since Cortex Strikes Back. Now he’s like a rock musician or something… I don’t know, not a fan. On the contrary, Crash, Coco and Dingodile look great; I love the new mask characters. Clearing levels grants you skins for Crash and Coco, and they’re a lot of fun, if you’re a fan of cosmetics. Goddam, this was a long one. I really can’t give this game anything less than 4/5 stars, even though I have a lot of issues with it; a lot of the issues have to do with expectations I have being a long time fan of the series. With Crash Bandicoot being an Xbox game now, this may be the last new Crash game I play. Gotta tip my hat to Toys For Bob, they really put a lot into this game.