Following the success of the N Sane Trilogy the Crash Bandicoot series finally saw a new addition to its main storyline for the first time in over a decade: Crash Bandicoot 4, It’s About Time. For some however, this is more like the 5th game with The Wrath of Cortex being their true 4th main entry game. This one seems to get forgotten or downright hated by those who do remember it. I can’t help but wonder why that is. Personally, although I did prefer the other games, I still absolutely loved this game and played it through many times over. When I heard the announcement that a new game was coming I wanted to revisit all the original games, especially this one, to see why it is so often overlooked.
Firstly, it was different. I think that is one of the largest factors to why people tend to not like it. After the rights were sold to a new developer I feel like they wanted to try some new things with the series. Different level designs, mechanics and movements seemed fitting for a game that was on an entirely new console, as the originals were all on Playstation 1. Even if it was not universally well received I really admire them for trying something different. The addition of the plane, jeep and the little ball you rolled around in like a katamari were cool to me. It took away from some of the original platforming nature of the games but it also added a new movement element and level capabilities.
The bosses were another point of contention with some saying that they just felt like mini games. Now I might feel differently about this than some but I never felt that the original bosses were all that challenging to begin with. Having the themed masks with different ways to fight your failed clone using them was interesting for me. The different settings and the way the game had you approach the fight itself with the new mechanics implemented was cool.
At its core it still very much felt like a Crash Bandicoot game. You had interesting platforming and enemies, the push to collect all the boxes and hit the secret areas through gems and to go back and master the levels through challenging time trials. The new settings felt fresh and exciting with some clear inspiration from past entries that I felt fit the new game well. One of the best things about the game and the feature I see praised most often is the soundtrack. The soundtrack is awesome, plain and simple. It’s catchy, bright and brings the levels to life even more.
For anyone who hasn’t played or even heard of this game in the series I would definitely recommend giving it a shot. It is different, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. A lot of it still feels like old crash and it has its charm to it. Used copies go for pretty cheap since its often overlooked and didn’t garner a ton of popularity even when it was new. I’m glad I dusted off my old Playstation 2 to revisit it and if you happen to have an old copy laying around yourself I would break it out and give it another try even if you don’t remember liking it much the first time around. All in all I would like to see this game get a remaster like the original trilogy did. I had a lot of fun with it and it would be really cool to see it get a fresh new skin on it like the rest did. I can’t be alone in thinking that this forgotten gem of the past deserves to be revived.
