I think it is pretty safe to say that any child of the ’90s (or any adult of that time period) that owned a Sony PlayStation has probably at least heard of Crash Bandicoot. After the release of the Crash Bandicoot N’Sane Trilogy, I had mentioned that many longtime fans including myself would love to see Crash return in a brand new mainline game. Developer Toys for Bob, the studio that developed the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, has come through with that wish.

What has ensued is nothing short of lightning striking the franchise. It feels very similar in approach to Sonic Mania, taking the franchise into what would have been a natural progression after Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. In fact, the story even picks up directly after Crash 3. Crash and Coco are relaxing after their victory over Cortex and N.Tropy when they discover that there are rifts in space-time leading to alternate universes.

Neo Cortex, N.Tropy, and the other villains are attempting to take over the multiverse and it is up to Crash, Coco, and some new allies to stop them, by collecting the four Time Masks. From here, Crash Bandicoot 4 has some similarities to what you’d expect from the franchise. You have a certain amount of crates in each level to break, you can find a hidden gem in each level, and your performance in the level gives you the opportunity to get a total of six gems counting the hidden one.

Three of these gems come from how many Wumpa fruits you collect. One comes from completing the level without dying more than three times, one comes from smashing all boxes, and then there is the hidden gem. The hidden gem in each level (occasionally replaced by a colored gem) is hidden in unique areas. Sometimes the levels themselves telegraph how you reach it and sometimes you may just stumble upon it. They aren’t easy to find and some of them actually require puzzle solving.

Gems aren’t just for completion’s sake anymore. If you get all six gems in a level, you receive a skin for either Crash or Coco. I should mention that you can play as either Crash or Coco through the main levels of the game and can swap between them at will from the level select menu.

Secret areas return from the previous Crash games, as well as Time Trials. New to the franchise though are some side levels of various types. You can collect Flashback Tapes, which show playable challenge levels during the time period where Crash and Coco were Neo Cortex’s test subjects. There are also three other playable characters you can play throughout the game, which have their own levels and contribute to the story.

I won’t spoil them, though if you’ve been following the development and trailers of Crash Bandicoot 4 you may know who they are already. They play very differently from Crash and Coco and provide a unique twist to the gameplay. I’m also going to mention here that Crash Bandicoot 4 is not an easy game. In fact, it might be one of the hardest, (if not the hardest) in the franchise.

After a certain point in the game, you can also play N.Verted mode, which is inverted versions of the levels you’ve beaten. They aren’t just mirrored though, they may look different, and the hidden gems in each of them are in a different place.

The developers at Toys for Bob have made Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time more accessible, giving two different difficulty options. Additionally, there are multiple colorblind modes, text-size options, and a few other fantastic accessibility options for people who need them. It is a great push for accessibility in a franchise that uses color for a few mechanics such as TNT and Nitro crate differentiation.

There are also multiple options for multiplayer including Pass N Play, which lets up to four people play with a single controller, taking turns on each checkpoint, death, or both. Scores are tallied at the end of levels, so you can compete with your friends for crates, deaths, etc. There’s also a multiplayer Bandicoot Battle mode, which offers things like races and other multiplayer competitive options.

I’m just going to come out and say it. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is an instant classic. The new mechanics that Toys for Bob added with the Time Masks are cool, things like grinding on rails, wall running, and the new mechanics from other playable characters are very well done. There are so many different things to do and different ways to play too.

It is also a deeply nostalgic experience. The sound effects of opening boxes with Aku-Aku in them are the same, the TNT box countdowns are the same, and there are so many familiar sights and sounds. I felt like a kid again playing Crash on my PlayStation, though I swore a lot more than I did as a sprout.

Sure, the difficulty of the game might be a deterrent to some people, but I think Toys for Bob knocked this out of the park. In fact, this makes me even more hopeful that they’ll get their hands on the Spyro franchise next. I mean, let’s be honest, who doesn’t want a new Spyro adventure?

A PlayStation 4 review copy of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time was provided by Activision for this review.

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Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

$59.99 USD

9.5

Score

9.5/10

Pros

• Tons of Content
• Accessibility Options for Colorblindness and More
• Fun New Gameplay Mechanics
• Fun Levels
• Great Voice Acting and Soundtrack

Cons

• Difficulty is a Bit High