Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

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Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
It's about time – for a brand-wumping new adventure!
Protagonist(s): Crash Bandicoot Coco Bandicoot Genre(s): Platform Platform(s): PlayStation 4 Xbox One Nintendo Switch PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X/S Microsoft Windows Release Date: PlayStation 4, Xbox One October 2, 2020 Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S March 12, 2021 Microsoft Windows March 26, 2021 Engine: Unreal Engine 4 Developer(s): Toys for Bob Publisher(s): Activision Country: United States Canada China Series: Crash Bandicoot Predecessor: Crash Bandicoot: Warped (canonically) Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (by release date) Successor: Crash Team Rumble (by release date)

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is a platform game developed by Toys for Bob and published by Activision, initially released for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is the eighth main installment in the series. The game takes place after the events of Crash Bandicoot: Warped.

Versions of the game for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S were released on March 12, 2021, and the Microsoft Windows version was released on March 26, 2021.

Plot

After their defeat at the hands of Crash in Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Uka Uka, N.Tropy and Neo Cortex open a hole in the fabric of space and time that causes the multiverse to be shattered and opens the gates to many dimensions.

Why It's About Time to Travel

1. Rather than continuing with Crash: Mind Over Mutant or starting from scratch, the game continues right after Warped (though, The Wrath of Cortex also continues from Warped, but that story isn't enough), explaining how Dr. Neo Cortex and Dr. Nefarious Tropy escape from their dimensional prison. This is a proper canon to Crash Bandicoot: Warped, unlike The Wrath of Cortex.
2. Challenging gameplay without feeling frustrating.
3. You can play as Crash and Coco and you can switch between them anytime you want, even for bosses.
4. Three new playable characters with their own levels.
   • Tawna Bandicoot, with her hook shot that can hit enemies or far objects while also reaching far places.
   • Dingodile, with his air cannon that can suck up any crate and throw TNT crates that you suck up, it also allows him to hover for a short time.
   • Dr. Neo Cortex uses his ray gun to transform enemies into platforms/bouncers, and has a dash move. His levels are usually more puzzle based.
5. The game manages to keep the core essence of Crash Bandicoot in tact with all five playable characters. Never is one level or one character too drastically different from what made the series so beloved.
6. Creative bosses that are fun and require thinking.
7. Absolutely beautiful graphics and visuals, they are so appealing that literally a lot of people would look at them many times, thanks to how Toys for Bob made the graphics beautiful for a Crash Bandicoot game, and besides, it feels like you are playing an animated series or an animated movie.
8. The game is more story based and uses dimensional levels to advance the story. The Dimensional Map makes level progression more linear, thus advancing the plot more naturally.
9. The characters themselves are all great. Never has a Crash game felt so lively and full of energy and charm with their animations, voice acting, and general personality.
10. Hilarious moments in the game, such as Aku-Aku waking up Crash when the latter is sleeping while an unknown portal suddenly sees Wumpa Island and a fourth wall gag in which Lani-Loli thought Crash and Coco had beaten Cortex more than 3 times.
11. You can switch between Modern Mode and Retro Mode anytime; Modern Mode is where you play the game with unlimited lives, and Retro mode is where you play the game with limited lives like the old games.
12. The game introduces the Quantum Masks that give Crash and Coco power ups and they're usually limited to make it more challenging.
    • Lani-Loli is the mask of Phase, he makes certain objects appear while making other objects disappear.
    • Akano is the mask of Dark Matter, he gives you the ability to spin endlessly while also float.
    • Kupuna-Wa is the mask of Time, she gives you the ability to slow time, that way you can move on fast objects or even walk on nitro crates.
    • Ika-Ika is the mask of Gravity, he switches gravity and makes you flip the direction of gravity as long as you're standing on the floor (or under a ceiling). You can also flip once in mid-air allowing for insane distances and shortcuts.
13. Levels are longer now, but they don't outstay their welcome.
14. Over 100 levels in the game, that's way more than all 3 games in the N. Sane Trilogy combined!
    • Some levels are extremely memorable, notably the level "Off Beat" which features colorful enemies, a toe tapping score, and a Mardi Gras aesthetic that 's not very common in games.
    • Each level now has 6 gems in them: you get 3 for collecting 40%, 60%, and 80% of the level's Wumpa Fruit, 1 for breaking every crate, 1 for completing the level with fewer than 3 deaths, and 1 gem that's hidden in the level. The same rules apply the N.Verted variants of the levels, making it a total of 12 gems per level.
      • Since Wumpa Fruit now reward you for collecting them, they will now gravitate towards the character when they are near, thus it is no longer possible to spin them away by accident.
15. Multiple skins are unlockable in the game, including Classic Crash and Classic Coco and designs based on Crash's unreleased design Willy the Wombat.
16. N. Verted levels, where you replay levels but mirrored and with a twist depending on the map (example: the pirate-themed levels are grey but every move you do adds colors). These also have their own gems in them, giving a reason to play them.
17. Colored Gems are like in Crash Bandicoot 2, where they're well hidden and require some real thinking to find.
18. Tons of references and Easter eggs to the old games, even the Titans games.
    • The game even has a cute Easter egg to Skylanders and Spyro, as both had games developed by Toys for Bob
19. Flashback tapes, they are optional levels that are unlocked by collecting tapes without dying, and these are 2.5D levels that act as prequel to the original Crash Bandicoot. It also finally delves into the origins of Coco Bandicoot.
20. The Jet Board from Crash 2 returns but now you can boost anytime you want.
21. Amazing soundtrack with some of the tracks inspired by the Trilogy, making it feel that the game was actually made by Naughty Dog, and the best part about this is the entire soundtrack is available for free on Youtube.
22. Some levels have cool design references based on the old games, without feeling like a clone.
    • The final boss is even a huge nod to the final boss in Wrath of Cortex.
23. Crash and Coco can now run on walls, rail grind and swing on ropes and they're well handled despite their frequent inclusion in platform games.
24. Three endings, the first requires you to defeat the final boss, the 2nd requires you to get 100% and the final requires you to reach 106%.
25. Whenever you jump, your character will have a glowing circle to show you where you'll land. If you don't like this however, you can still turn it off in the Options menu.
26. A cool multiplayer mode where you challenge others in amount of crates to break or time trial, can be played either coop or comp, and you need only one controller.
27. Like the racing games in the series, time trials now have ghosts for you to help you in the game, and they can be turned on/off whenever you want.
28. You can finally restart a level anytime instead of such feature being exclusive to time trials, like in older games.
29. Unlike many of the post-Naughty Dog games where they used several gimmicks to try and keep the series but sadly didn't do very well due to then being poorly developed or just horribly executed, many of the new things added in this game that expand the gameplay of the series are very welcomed additions and aren't badly butchered since Toys for Bob knew how much games such as Wrath of Cortex didn't get well with the amount of gimmicks they implemented and decided to make the new additions feel fresh and inventive for the series while at the same time staying true to the original Naughty Dog Trilogy from the 1990s that were released on the original PlayStation. It is a true and proper highlight for this game, as it makes this title the most original and well crafted post-Naughty Dog Crash game in the series to date and helps to make it feel like a proper evolution for the series rather than trying to play it safe at best.
30. The game was released on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S and is part of the free upgrade for both systems, and unlike other Activision game, you buy it once and no need to buy premium/ultimate edition, the only Activision game to do so.
31. This game explains the origins of Crash Bandicoot, even before the very first game came out, which is revealed in the Flashback levels and the ending where Crash accidentally breaks the power source causing Cortex's Crash test to fail.

Bad Qualities

1. The game can be extremely hard sometimes, especially the Cortex Castle/Seeing Double level; the fact that the game has an achievement/trophy that needs you to get all platinum relics already shows.
   • Even the crate gems are hard to get, since Toys for Bob decided to be really devious by hiding crates from view, which can be frustrating when you discover that you missed a crate or a few at the end of the level.
   • Some of the more questionable design choices from old Crash games are back in full force, and are even worse here. Best example being the N. Sanely Perfect Relics; to get these, you must get all the boxes without dying (excluding bonus round deaths which does not increase the death counter); this works like the gems in the original Crash Bandicoot on PS1 but harder since it is difficult to avoid death in later levels as it is. Fortunately you don't need to do this in N.Verted levels nor Flashback tapes.
   • The secret in Toxic Tunnels has no checkpoints in it, which is a nightmare since in the other levels that have colored gem platforms, these acted as checkpoints after you ride them, but that doesn't happen here. The N. Sanely Perfect relic becomes perfectionist hell in this level.
2. Most levels of Tawna, Dingodile and Cortex are split into 2 parts, first part you play as Tawna, Dingodile and Cortex, while the other part you play as Crash or Coco and the 2nd part is recycled from another level, which is questionable and makes it shorter to play with the new characters.
   • This also forces you to repeat certain hard moments in the game, such as the gauntlet in Cortex Castle.
3. Only 4 colored gems this time, which is disappointing since colored gems are fun to find this time.
4. Some fans might be disappointed that some voice actors such as Debi Derryberry aren't in the game; the new voice actors are great, however.
5. N. Brio's boss fight is basically recycling of his boss fight from Crash 1, while it has few differences however, such as utilizing 'Akano in Brio's monster form, but it's still the same.
6. The Food Run's N. Verted style is water physics. Meaning you go significantly slower and there's a distorted water effect.
   • This is at its worst in the Rush Hour stage, which is already the longest in the whole game. A long but good stage now becomes a low and tedious slog.
7. The time trials were made needlessly complicated with the Triple Spin. A good idea on paper to spice up the formula, but a bit too cumbersome, especially with all the other things you need to avoid.
   • The base version of the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch run at an unstable, uncap framerate with the fps hovering around 30-45fps depending on location. The latter ran even worse, with the resolution being set at 900p. This is somewhat mitigated on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X as both versions run as close to 60fps as possible, although its not perfect and on larger levels, the framerate will drop below 60. Thankfully, the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions that were released on March 12, 2021, (also a free upgrade for players who purchased either version) run at native 4K resolution and at a solid 60fps.Similarly, the versions that are basically not the PS5 or Xbox Series versions (and by extent, the PC version) had somewhat long loading times (while not as bad as the original PS2 version of The Wrath of Cortex), lasting up to 30 seconds. Even worse, there's a loading screen everytime you restart the level (especially if you died and/or missed the boxes required to reach due to certain levels with well-hidden/hard-to-find locations and auto-scrolling sections containing rail grinds and bears) with the same amount, unlike Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled which uses partial load times when restarting the track nor coded as dying in time trials instantly go back to the start of the level from its predecessors and N. Sane Trilogy.
8. 106% completion can be draining for many players. Unlike the previous games, you're not missing any critical information by not doing it, but going for it is the bulk of what the game has to offer, and because of how challenging it is with the hidden boxes, hidden gems, perfection relics, and time trials, it will be a stressful task.
9. The story has a couple of cringeworthy moments like a scene where Crash twerks.
10. There is a minor plot hole in the intro of this game, if Cortex and N. Tropy were babies in Warped, how do they revert back to their normal selves?

Reception

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time received "generally favorable" reviews on all platforms, according to review aggregator Metacritic. The level design was met with a mixed response; some considered it diverse and well-paced, while others deemed it monotonous and "sadistic". The rail-grinding sections were criticized for their camera perspectives (which were said to obscure incoming obstacles) and sluggish controls. The Quantum Masks were generally welcomed for adding variety to the series' established mechanics. However, the physics for the Akano mechanic were criticized as awkward and ill-suited for precise platforming.

The increased roster of playable characters was also welcomed for their unique and enjoyable gameplay styles, though aiming with the characters was said to be difficult due to the lack of a targeting reticle. Some were perplexed by the structure of returning to Crash and Coco's perspective halfway through a new character's level to repeat a past level. The difficulty level was regarded as challenging and often frustrating, with Goslin and Steven Green of Nintendo World Report claiming that the game's approach to challenge was outdated. The game's final level, which involves using a series of Quantum Masks in rapid succession, was given particular notice, with some players having accumulated a death count numbering in the hundreds. The inclusion of the Modern playstyle setting, which grants an indefinite amount of lives, was appreciated for slightly mitigating the difficulty.

The visuals were praised for their bright and vibrant colors, varied and detailed environments, expressive character designs and animations, and Saturday-morning cartoon-styled cutscenes. Josh Wise of VideoGamer.com, however, disliked the game's "synthetic" art direction in comparison to the rougher and sparser look of the original games.

The soundtrack was positively received for its upbeat and catchy nature and emulation of Josh Mancell's work on the original trilogy.

Sales

In the United States, the game finished as the 11th best-selling game of September; despite being released in October, October 2–4 is considered by the NPD Group to be a part of the last week of September. It rose to tenth place in the October 2020 NPD charts. The game sold 402,000 units digitally in its first month, a lower figure than those of the recent remastered titles; by comparison, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy sold 520,000 digital units within the last day of June 2017, and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled sold 552,000 throughout June 2019. SuperData Research speculated that the recent remasters resulted in a lessened demand for the new title, and observed that its particular release period was more crowded than that of its predecessors. However, they noted that the game's first-month earnings were the highest for a contemporary Crash Bandicoot title due to its higher price tag. Following the release of the PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Switch versions of the game, the game rose to No. 15 on the NPD monthly sales charts from No. 65 the previous month. On March 30, 2021, NPD Group analyst Mat Piscatella observed that console sales for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time were being sustained by the success of the mobile runner game Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!, as well as the game's launch on the Switch and continued digital promotion.

The game made #1 in the UK physical sales charts, selling 1,000 copies more than Star Wars: Squadrons, but physical sales were 80% less than Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. The game made No. 2 in the UK digital charts. In Japan, the PlayStation 4 version sold 10,437 physical copies within its first week of release, making it the fifth best-selling retail game of the week in the country. The Switch version was released in Japan the following year and sold 2,288 copies during its first week, and was the 20th best-selling retail game in the country during that week. The game topped sales charts for the week of September 28 – October 4, 2020 in Australia, New Zealand, Italy, and France, with just three days' worth of sales. In Switzerland, it was the second best-selling game during its first week of release.

Awards and nominations

The game was nominated for Best Family Game in The Game Awards 2020, but lost to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It was also nominated for Outstanding Control Precision, Outstanding Family Game (Franchise), and Outstanding Sound Effects in the 20th NAVGTR Awards, but lost to Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and The Last of Us Part II respectively. GameSpot named the game one of the best of 2020 by score, and GameRevolution voted it the tenth best game of 2020.

Tips

• It's best if you don't bother breaking crates for gems until you played all the levels at least once (and their N. Verted versions as well), that way you may understand the levels more.
• Dingodile's gun can suck up any crate, including nitro crates, so be careful.
• The new circular shadow in the game will help you a lot when you jump, especially when floating with Akano.
• Do not bother with the relics until you beat the game at least once, as it will unlock a Triple Spin (press the primary (spin) button within the animation is finished) and a better version of Spin Slide (secondary (duck/slide) and then primary buttons) ability that will help you go faster.
  • It is recommended to set the jump and secondary as shoulder buttons (L1 and R1/LB and RB) which makes it useful instead of pressing two face buttons within the thumbs.
  • An Akano exploit can do the same by pressing the third jump and Mask Power simultaneously allows for faster momentum as shown in levels requiring Akano such as Give It a Spin dev time.
• Neo Cortex can transform enemies into platforms/bouncers, but he can also return them back to normal again, so use that in case you turned enemies into platforms/bouncers in the wrong position.
• Each of the four levels containing the colored gems have subtle hints on how to obtain them, look carefully on the carvings within the environments.
• If you find a hidden gem in a level, don't expect it to be in the same place in its N.Verted variant.
• The right analog stick/mouse can be used to look a little bit around you, use that to your advantage to find hidden crates.
• Bonus rounds act as checkpoints even if you died in them, use that to your advantage. It does lose an Aku-Aku mask as the problem for N. Sanely Perfect Relic runs.
• You can slide jump a TNT crate from the top after landing for the countdown. This is useful with platform containing crates of TNTs.
• Akano has a higher jump by doing a crouch jump, and then press the jump button and Mask Power simultaneously. This is helpful for those stuck on Draggin' On bonus section.
• If you mistime falling platforms, fast dropping metal crates or time crates, you can cancel Kupuna-Wa's slowdown power after using it at anytime by pressing the same button to redo her power.
• You can use Jumping Metal Crate cancel by pressing the spin button before landing. This is essential when doing Flashback Tapes and Toxic Tunnel's bonus section (due to a nitro crate goes above when jumping and require adjusting yourself).

Trivia

• The game's subtitle Is About Time is a reference to the game focusing on time travelling and it is the first main game in the series since 2008's Crash: Mind Over Mutant.
• The game was dedicated to the memory of Aku Aku's original voice actor, Mel Winkler, who passed away earlier in the same year.
• The reason why Vicarious Visions wasn't at the helm for this game is because they were working on Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2.
• Maurice LaMarche and Jess Harnell could not provide the voices of N. Brio and Crash respectively due to them working on the Animaniacs reboot. They are voiced by Roger Craig Smith and Scott Whyte instead.
• The game is also called Crash Bandicoot 4 in Japan too, even though Wrath of Cortex was also known by that title. This is because the game ignores the rest of the games that were released before this entry (Wrath of Cortex, Twinsanity, Crash of the Titans, Crash: Mind Over Mutant, and all the spin-offs).
• This is the first game in the series where the Japanese cover doesn't use the Japanese Crash design.
• It is the first game in the series since 1999's Crash Team Racing that Coco was not voiced by Debi Derryberry. She is now voiced by Eden Riegel, previously the voice of Jane Austen in Saints Row IV and Gat Out of Hell, Sherry Birkin in Resident Evil 6 and Operation Raccoon City, and Marie from Persona 4 Golden.
• The background music that plays during the Flashback Levels is the original soundtrack from the PS1 games, minus the third game. Could be seen as a saving throw for players who were disappointed that it wasn't in the N.Sane Trilogy.
• This is the first Crash game to include foul language, especially Dingodile's use of the word "bugger" and "bastards", among other mild swears. This is why the game carries a PEGI 12 rating in Europe.
• According to the opening cinematic, Cortex and N. Tropy have attempted to escape their prison 22 times, which also happens to be the number of years that have passed since Crash Bandicoot: Warped was released.
• The physical game comes with a Crash themed tote bag when bought on Amazon.

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