Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy review
As N. Sane as ever!
In a generation that’s been jam-packed with revivals and remasters, there have been very few that have been met with the same level of anticipation and excitement that the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy has received since it was first announced back at E3 2016. With original Crash developer Naughty Dog out of the picture, and Vicarious Visions leading the remaster’s development with the support of publisher Activision, it remained to be seen just how accurately the games would be replicated.
As the name suggests, the N. Sane Trilogy breathed new life into the first three Crash games, including Crash Bandicoot, Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back, and Crash Bandicoot: Warped, which were originally released on Sony’s first PlayStation console. Ever since he first spun his way into our hearts back in 1996, Crash has been one of Sony’s more prominent mascots, contending against the likes of Nintendo’s Super Mario and Sega’s Sonic the Hedgehog, putting together a formidable legacy in his own right along the way.
It was fortunate to see that both Activision and Vicarious Visions saw fit to preserve as many of Crash’s old charms as possible. The trilogy’s story arcs play out just as any fan of the originals would remember, with a fresh coat of paint, improved voices and more vibrant sounds to boot. Crash embarks on his classic quests to stop the nefarious plans of Dr. Neo Cortex, collecting a lion’s share of crystals, gems and Wumpa fruit along the way. For a unique take on playing the games, the N. Sane Trilogy also invites players to use Coco, Crash’s highly intelligent sister, in place of her brother, although this doesn’t doesn’t affect gameplay in any mechanical sense.
For what it’s worth, the Crash series has never looked as good as it does this time around. Colours are a lot more vibrant than what longtime fans would remember, adding more character and life to over 100 classic levels. Each remastered stage not only looks a lot cleaner than the original, but a whole lot sharper, often making it easier to navigate various platforming sections. A humorous cutscene that plays after the game is loaded perfectly demonstrates the stunning graphical changes that simple items such as crates have undergone; not to mention Crash himself, who looks about as goofy as you’d expect.
These visual enhancements add a lot of value to the trilogy’s various animations and cutscenes, all of which come across quite naturally. Every flip, leap and tumble is a smooth watch, especially given each game’s very stable high frame rate. Enemies fly away just as hilariously as ever when Crash is able to hit them, only occasionally getting stuck on a barrier and ruining the fun. Better still, watching Crash get torched, sliced, squashed, zapped or any other wacky death animation is as hilarious as any fan would expect; with that being said, nothing will beat watching 30+ boxes get dropped on Crash’s head at the end of a Crash Bandicoot level, should the player leave so many behind undestroyed.
Perhaps just as stunning are the game’s sounds, which perfectly match up to the N. Sane Trilogy’s high visual standards. The soundtrack alone is a lot more lively this time around, yet accurate enough to deliver some strong nostalgic sensations, and is further complemented by various quirky sound effects. Character voices have also undergone a bit of a change, which mostly come across as an improvement on the voices within the original trilogy. Lex Lang, who has only voiced Dr. Cortex since Crash Twinsanity, does a fine job with the original scripts, but similar praise cannot be given to the sound effects for bosses and minions alike, whose voices lacked the kind of life that they possessed in the original games.
Players should find that the N. Sane Trilogy’s gameplay doesn’t differ too extremely from the originals, but there are a small few noticeable differences. Crash Bandicoot now allows players to make use of the analog stick, but also suffers from having to share the same movement mechanics as the later games. As properly established in the original Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Crash requires a buildup of momentum in order to properly traverse over certain gaps, which didn’t always translate well in the first two Crash remasters. Even the slightest miscalculation can leave a player stuck in front of the same gap for an unreasonable amount of time, giving the impression that the game is more difficult than it’s actually intended to be.
Regrettably, animal and vehicle handling didn’t seem to get much of a touch up during the remastering process. Levels such as Hog Wild and Bear It feel mechanically preserved exactly as they were so many years ago, which conflicts significantly with the up-to-date obstacle textures that Crash is expected to overcome. It often felt as though each animal and vehicle was far too slow in their response times to properly keep up with the pace that these levels set, causing the inevitable trial and error process to be all the more frustrating.
Despite such mechanical concerns, overcoming the challenges that the N. Sane Trilogy sets before players is as satisfying as ever. Breaking every box is no small feat, and obtaining every collectable is a process that only the most committed and skilled players can successfully undertake. Though each game is implicitly tougher in its remastered format, they serve as worthy challenges to those who are picking up the games for the first time or are seeking to recapture old glories through a nostalgic experience.
Our verdict:
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy offers a fine experience for players both new and old to the series, recapturing the best and worst of the original trilogy. Though each game meets and exceeds both audio and visual standards, they unfortunately fall somewhat short of being mechanically up to par; despite this, the trilogy comes highly recommend for a nice little nostalgia trip.
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