Crash 4: It’s About Time

So I beat Crash 4 yesterday, and it just makes me so disappointed that this game is so difficult. It has so much content that is much more challenging than the base game that the great majority of players won’t experience much of what the game has to offer. It’s a real shame. Even for those “casual” fans of the franchise, you’ll still have to deal with very wonky controls during the few animal-riding segments (and another specific part near the end of the game I won’t spoil) and a majority of levels that are often too long with too few Checkpoints.The multiplayer modes are genuinely cool, but you can really only play them with other skilled players because outside the first world, everyone will die repeatedly and where is the fun in that??This is hands down the most difficult Crash game in the series. I can’t tell if the new additions to this entry bode well or poorly for the future of the series (ex: level box make-ups differing between regular and time trial gameplay modes, N.Sanely Perfect relics), but at least I can say I made it through this one and am still eager to see what the next Crash game might be like.

Crash 4 is an amazing successor to the N Sane Trilogy, following up with the same style of 3D platforming elevated through great story telling and new gameplay mechanics. If you have any doubts about the price, I guarantee it is worth every penny if you are a fan of the Crash Bandicoot series. The game, however, holds no punches when it comes to difficulty. Long gone are the days of thinking Cold Hard Crash from Crash 2 or Slippery Climb and High Road from Crash 1 were among the most difficult levels. At least 75% of the levels in this game are more difficult than the entirety of the N Sane Trilogy. There are even some bonus rounds in this game, that are probably akin to the difficulty of Stormy Descent, and I am not exaggerating that. This was a Crash game made out of the love, specifically for veterans of the series, to truly showcase how much they can push the limits of the gameplay. The linear style of gameplay returns although much more open with a wider field of view. This is much appreciated because you can really see the level of intricate detail Toys for Bob must have painstakingly done for this game. The addition of new characters is also a welcome change that offers a good change of pace from the Crash/Coco levels, although the Crash levels are still my favorite. Tawna and Dingodile levels are quite fun as well, while Cortex is more methodical and slow paced. Not my cup of tea per say, but I do appreciate the change of pace. Bosses in this game are the best in the franchise’s history. I haven’t gotten around to trying the N Verted Mode yet, but it does look challenging and offer extra replayability to an already long game. Thinking about 100% completing the game with all gems, platinum relics, N Sanely perfect relics, and Flashback platinums is going to be one hell of a challenge that even a seasoned veteran like myself is already sweating thinking about. But I am glad that they have gone the extra length to make this game truly special for the people who have waited for a game like this to come out for so many years! Bravo Toys for Bob, I am so glad that there are people out there who worked so hard to make this game exist, it truly a gem in my eyes. With that being said, it isn’t perfect. The vehicle segments operate a bit clunky and the loading screens are pretty bad on a PS4 slim. Hopefully loading times will be resolved in a future patch or maybe on the PS5, who knows. With all that being said, I would rate this game a 9/10, and definitely in my top 3 favorite Crash games.

If you liked the original 3 games and their remakes then you will like this game.

I’m actually a bit astounded by how much of the spirit of the originals is intact. The controls take some getting used to, they’re slightly floatier than the old games, but the collision detection and camera are much friendlier than the N Sanity remastered trilogy, the game is significantly harder than the original 3 games on the PlayStation 1, but for the most part the challenge level feels fair on Modern (recommended) mode. The amount of content in the game so far (I’m not even close to done) is rather shocking. The new playable characters get their own stages, the new mask abilities are a lot of fun, the “flashback” challenge stages are extremely challenging and are a great test of your dexterity and jumping puzzle solving skills. I’m sincerely hoping Crash 5 lands just as beautifully in a few years.