Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

It's About Time places players in control of five playable characters as they traverse multiple levels, each filled with enemies, crates, Wumpa fruit and hazards, with the objective being to get from the start point to the goal as with the original trilogy.[7] The game features two different game modes for players to engage in: Retro Mode, which focuses on the use of limited lives that require players to find additional ones during levels and forces them to restart a level should they run out; and Modern Mode, which replaces lives with a death counter that keeps track on each death in a level by its respective playable character. In addition, certain levels feature two separate variations, each of which features their own layout of hazards, enemies and objects – main story and "alternate timeline".

Main story levels focus on players controlling Crash and Coco, both of whom use identical movesets such as spinning and sliding, alongside new moves to the series such as wall running. In these levels, the characters are aided further by special masks, each of which is rescued during the story and who offers their powers – each level features at least one such mask being available to help traverse obstacles during certain segments, appearing before the player enters and leaving when the segment is traversed. Each mask has a specific property that dictates how it can help players overcome obstacles – for example, phasing objects in and out of existence.[8] Alternate timeline levels focus on players controlling one of three other playable characters during these levels: Doctor Neo Cortex, Dingodile, and Tawna. Each character features their own unique playstyle and moves to overcoming obstacles and completing their levels. Cortex makes use of a raygun that not only can be used to attack, but which can be used to transform enemies into platforms – solid, bouncy and gaseous – along with being able to perform a forward dash. Dingodile primarily makes use of a vacuum gun, which can be used to suck up and fire enemies and objects. Tawna, while maintaining some moves used by Crash and Coco, makes use of a grappling hook to hit objects from long distances.[9][10]

Levels feature a variety of gems that can be collected – alongside smashing all the crates in a level, gems can be found in hidden in the scenery, from collecting three increasingly significant amounts of Wumpa fruit during a playthrough, and from not dying too many times. Collecting all the gems in a level unlocks one of 28 skins that Crash and Coco can use, and which players can switch between at any time during the game.[11] Players can also collect VHS tapes in levels that unlock bonus Flashback levels, taking place before and after the events of the original game.[12] Levels can be replayed via a world map – akin to that of the first game – in order to complete any remaining gem challenges, undertake time trials – focusing on reaching the goal in the quickest time, with aid of special crates – or completing them in N. Verted mode, a mirrored version with unique properties, such as taking place underwater or being a blank canvas that needs to be painted.

The game also features both local cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes. In Bandicoot Battle, players compete against other players in time trials. It has two distinct modes: Checkpoint Race, in which player must reach a checkpoint and complete a level with their fastest speed, and Crate Combo, which tasks players to smash as many crates as possible while being timed. The cooperative multiplayer mode is called "Pass N. Play Mode", in which players take turn to complete the game's campaign. All multiplayer modes can accommodate up to four players.[13]

The game is a follow-up to the N. Sane Trilogy, forgoing the original fourth main title The Wrath of Cortex.[4] Following their defeat at the hands of Crash Bandicoot in Crash Bandicoot: Warped, Uka Uka attempts to liberate himself and Doctors Neo Cortex and Nefarious Tropy from their prison in the past. His latest effort rips open a hole in the fabric of space and time, and causes him to pass out. Cortex and N. Tropy swiftly escape, abandoning Uka Uka, and discover that the rift they use links their universe to the rest of the multiverse, and decide to make use of it to conquer all dimensions. To ensure success, the pair create the Rift Generator, a generator capable of opening other space-time rifts and recruit aid from Doctors N. Gin and Nitrus Brio to provide an army in anticipation of their enemies' interference. Aku Aku, Uka Uka's twin brother, senses the disturbance in space and time and quickly rushes Crash to N. Sanity Island's main peak. Upon arriving, he comes across Lani-Loli, whom Aku Aku recognizes as one of the Quantum Masks – four ancient witch doctor masks that have great power over space and time, and who would only appear if something has opened up the multiverse. Lani spots a rift and suspects there is trouble, leading to Crash and his sister Coco agreeing to follow him across the multiverse and find the other Quantum Masks, while combating the chaos Cortex is creating.

During their adventures, the pair meet an alternate version of Tawna, Crash's old girlfriend, who offers her help while undertaking an adventure of her own. At the same time, Dingodile, who recently retired from villainy to run his own restaurant, finds himself caught up in the chaos when his business is burned down by a rival restaurant and he is sucked into another dimension by a spacial disruption.[3][4] While Dingodile does not interact with Crash's adventure at first, his actions inadvertently assist Crash and Coco at various points in space and time. Crash and Coco find two more of the Quantum Masks, named Akano and Kupuna-Wa, and defeat N. Gin and N. Brio. After facing and defeating Cortex, N. Tropy betrays him and reveals that he and his new partner (later revealed to be a female version of N. Tropy from Tawna's universe) are going to remake the multiverse and subsequently erase Cortex, Crash, Coco and the Masks from existence. A furious Cortex agrees to team up with the bandicoots and the three rescue the last Quantum Mask, Ika-Ika, and eventually meet up with Dingodile and Tawna. Together, the team successfully track down and defeat the two N. Tropies and the Quantum Masks destroy the Rift Generator, sealing all the space-time disruptions.

However, after taking a celebratory trip to a futuristic city, Cortex betrays the group and steals Kupuna-Wa, using her to travel back in time to 1996, before the events of his first bid for world domination in an attempt to avert Crash's creation. Ultimately, he is unsuccessful in both convincing his past self to abandon the experiment and killing the present Crash, Coco and Aku Aku, who followed him from the future. As the Quantum Masks banish him to the end of the universe, the past Cortex proceeds with the experiment, preparing to brainwash the past Crash with the Cortex Vortex; the present Crash accidentally destroys the Vortex's power source, causing it to malfunction and reject his past self, thereby ensuring his own creation. Dingodile rebuilds and reopens his diner, Cortex relaxes on a beach and enjoys the peace and quiet, and Crash, Coco, Tawna, Aku Aku and the Quantum Masks play video games at their home on N. Sanity Island. Following an epilogue narrated by Crash detailing the fates and whereabouts of the game's characters, Cortex's relaxation is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Uka Uka.

The game was teased on June 18, 2020, when several reporters were sent a jigsaw puzzle that revealed a new, mysterious mask character. The following day, a Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee filed a rating for the game, revealing the title, box art, a short plot synopsis and the game's developer, Toys for Bob.[14] Powered by Unreal Engine 4, it was announced during the Summer Game Fest on June 22.[15][16]

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time was written by Mandy Benanav and features a score composed by Walter Mair.[17][18] The game was dedicated to the memory of Aku Aku's original voice actor Mel Winkler, who died earlier in the same year.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time received "generally favorable" reviews on both platforms, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[19][20]

Writing for IGN, Jonathan Dornbush gave the game an 8/10 calling the quantum masks and the powers they bestow on the player "one of the very best new ideas" saying that they felt "smartly integrated" into the "challenge and flow" of Crash 4. He also praised how well the enemies, level design and Crash's moveset blended together. He, however, disliked the new "fire-spewing" crates saying that they don't add much complexity to the platforming as well as make the player wait for them to cool down before they can be broken. In the verdict section of his review, Dornbush found Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time to be respectful of the series that came before it as well as "giving it the modern update it needed" with the addition of new gameplay elements, deeper characters and a "beautiful look."[28]

In his review for Game Informer, Ben Reeves enjoyed the more responsive controls, saying he "loved bounding from one precarious platform to the next", but noted that the game's precise platforming required practice and that the "thrill of mastering" some of Crash 4's more challenging parts is tempered by some of the game's "deadliest pitfalls", which "come out of the blue". Reeves, like Dornbush, enjoyed the new masks, saying that he was "impressed" with how the masks "add new wrinkles" to the gameplay that feels true to the spirit of the franchise. He ultimately gave Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time a score of 8.5 out of 10.[23]

Reviewing the game for Eurogamer, Chris Tapsell called the game "plenty faithful" to the series, including the difficulty, which he called "tough as nails". Although Tapsell noted some initial skepticism at the removal of the lives system present in the original trilogy, saying that risking it all for "a few more Wumpa fruit" that "might, just, tip you over the edge", but ultimately found that while Modern Mode "removes that layer of the game" he enjoyed the extra difficulty that came with that, saying that Crash 4 may be tougher than the original Crash games. He also called the ability to play as Cortex "a nice twist", citing his "tricky" platforming and his "difficult to master" dash move citing its momentary window coming out of the dash where the player can adjust for over- or undershooting the target, saying that mastering this is "crucial" but "feels pretty great" when pulled off correctly. Ending the review, Tapsell called the original trilogy "finicky" but also "wonderfully, intoxicatingly moreish", qualities he found Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time had in spades.[33]

It was nominated for the category of Best Family game at The Game Awards 2020.[34]

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Notes

References

• Official website
• Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time at MobyGames
• Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time on IMDb