They all have unique mechanics and a different focus in the design of their levels. Some levels will see you playing as characters other than Crash and Coco, like an alternate dimension version of Tawna, a retired Dingodile, and even Cortex. The unlockable Flashback levels, which you gain access to by collecting a tape in some levels without dying, are very fun and it is a challenge to figure out how to break every box and still make it to the end. Every level introduces a mechanic and fully explores it by the end, even if overall I felt levels were just a bit too long. That being said, it is a ton of fun to have Crash 4 beat you up and take your lunch money. There were even a few obstacles, especially in bonus stages, that took me a while to figure out what I even needed to do, let alone actually putting that into practice. It expects you to have essentially mastered your moveset around a third of the way through and doesn’t pull any punches from then on. Even if you’re a veteran of the series having done all the relic challenges and collected every colored gem (both of which return here), I highly recommend playing on Modern your first time around. Thankfully, you can play the game in two modes: Modern, which simply counts how many times you die, and Retro, which uses the classic lives system where if you run out you start the level over. It feels like a natural evolution and gets extremely difficult later on I died about 25 times in one of the final levels and took so long the music stopped looping. The levels themselves follow the design trends in the original trilogy, while expanding on them with various mechanics such as the Quantum Masks’ powers of slowing time or flipping gravity. Every world has three to four levels in it, so while you’ll never stick with a single theme for very long there is quite a lot to come back and do. Each level also has an N Verted version which is mirrored along with another visual effect, depending on the world, and contains even more gems to collect. While I do miss the freedom of choosing levels in any order and the atmosphere of previous hub areas, the Dimensional Map presented here is visually interesting and lets you choose when to tackle optional levels. The game also ditches the warp rooms of 2 and 3 in favor of more linear progression on a world map like the first game. Unlike previous games, you only need to reach the end of a level to progress, there are no crystals to collect. Finally, every level has a single gem hidden somewhere to collect. You can earn the first three gems by collecting 40%, 60%, and 80% of the Wumpa Fruit in the level respectively, another by breaking every single crate, and one more by dying three times or less. Each stage has six objectives to accomplish to earn gems, which unlock costumes. While you never acquire any new moves for the duo, the lack of upgrades makes it possible to collect everything in your first run of almost every level. Crash and Coco (who you can switch between at any time on the Dimensional Map) feel very responsive to control and come equipped with the double jump and slam from the start. While we’re comparing Crash 4 to the Trilogy, those who played that game (or games, as it were) will feel right at home here – it controls almost exactly the same. Sane Trilogy and I think makes for a much better looking game character models especially just fit better in their environments. It leans less towards realism than the N. The new visual style is more of a Saturday Morning Cartoon vibe and it fits the game perfectly as well. Coco is a highlight, being the speaking half of the siblings, and her new voice actress really captures her smart yet silly personality. It never takes itself too seriously and practically every joke sticks the landing. While I don’t think anyone is looking for a deep story in a Crash Bandicoot game, I have to say I really enjoyed the dialogue in cutscenes. The Bandicoots then set off across time and space to stop Cortex once again. Upon investigation, they find one of the four Quantum Masks recently awakened after Cortex stole the other three. Sanity when there is a sudden disturbance at the mountain’s peak. Meanwhile, Crash and Coco are relaxing on their home island of N. Trophy and Uka Uka suddenly succeed in opening a portal back home. Cortex has given up on any hope of returning to his time, N. It’s About Time picks up about a decade after the end of Warped, with villains Cortex, N. Sane Trilogy, a remake of the original three games, Toys For Bob takes the helm for the next numbered installment, twenty two years later. After the success of the Vicarious Visions developed N. Crash and Coco have had a bit of a rough time ever since Crash Team Racing, the last game developed by series creators Naughty Dog. After over a decade without a release, Crash is back, for real this time.Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time seeks to reestablish the brand as a series of quality platformers.
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