It’s About Time Next-Gen Review
In 2020, the Crash Bandicoot franchise made its long-awaited return in the form of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Developed by Toys for Bob, Crash Bandicoot 4 has been hailed by many as a return to Crash’s glory days, delivering challenging platform gameplay, captivating graphics, and new abilities for Crash and Coco to use on their adventure . Now the game has jumped to the next generation consoles, and as expected, Crash Bandicoot 4 next generation is the superior way to experience the game. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time on next-gen consoles is literally the same game that launched last year in terms of content, meaning those who played the original release won’t have any new levels to complete or challenges to overcome. Rather than adding content to the game, the next-gen version of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time focuses primarily on improving performance, and it certainly achieves that goal. Whether one is playing Crash Bandicoot 4 on PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X, they will notice that it can usually maintain 4K resolution at 60 frames per second. It’s a slight improvement over playing the game on a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, but those who played the game on a standard PlayStation 4 or Xbox One will probably appreciate the improvement more. Crash Bandicoot 4’s graphics have always been impressive, but the game looks better on newer consoles.
The developers haven’t completely rebuilt the graphics from the ground-up for Crash Bandicoot 4 on PS5 and Xbox Series X, but it’s still a noticeable upgrade. Now, there are some levels that seem to struggle to keep the game at a steady 60 fps, though it generally performs better than its last-gen counterpart. While the better graphics are appreciated, the biggest upgrade fans will notice is how much faster the game loads. Crash Bandicoot 4 is a challenging game, especially when players are trying to complete bonus objectives and get 100% completion. Crash Bandicoot 4 players will die a lot, but the next-gen version makes sure they’re back in action soon. The load times on the original release weren’t terrible by any means, but they’re basically non-existent when playing on PS5 or Xbox Series X. Basically, Crash Bandicoot 4 on next-gen consoles is the same game that fans will remember from late years, but with better graphics, more reliable performance, and almost no load time. This means players are in for one of the better platforming games of the last decade, with plenty of fun, inventive levels and a fun storyline to keep players engaged in the action from start to finish.
Crash Bandicoot 4’s story remains a highlight of the experience, as it smartly advances the franchise while also including many familiar faces from its past. Dr. Neo Cortex is probably the MVP of the story, as he has some of the most entertaining cut-scenes and funniest lines of dialogue, though there’s a lot to be said for Tawna as well. Even better, players get the chance to play as characters like Cortex, Tawna, and even old baddie Dingodile in some levels, so these characters shine in Crash 4 in ways they never could. in old games. Levels with Cortex, Tawna, and Dingodile help keep Crash Bandicoot 4 fresh from start to finish. The levels with Crash and Coco are standard Crash Bandicoot platforming fare, with a mix of side-scrolling and 3D challenges. Cortex’s levels are all about turning enemies into platforms to help him get through the stage, while Tawna’s grappling hook gives him more functionality compared to Crash and Coco. Dingodile’s stages combine third-person shooting gameplay with platforming, as he can suck up enemies with his vacuum gun and then use them as projectiles. The gameplay of Crash Bandicoot 4 has a lot of variety and will keep players entertained. Since Crash Bandicoot 4 was such a great game to begin with, it’s great that the experience was preserved for the next-gen version, but it should be noted that the next-gen version also retains flaws from the original release.
Crash Bandicoot 4’s co-op and multiplayer is still a weak experience. Pass n Play co-op mode does nothing but outline characters in neon colors when players can just pass the controller back and forth in single-player instead without having to look at ugly bright lines. Multiplayer combat is still not exhausting, and it’s hard to see how anyone could bother spending all that much time in any of the available multiplayer modes. It just has players repeat levels they’ve already completed in single-player, but with added modifiers to make it a competition, which isn’t all that compelling. The game also maintains obscene requirements for players to unlock the secret endings of Crash Bandicoot 4. For those who may not know, unlocking the secret endings of Crash Bandicoot 4 requires of players to speed through stages without dying, among other difficult tasks, and while it’s certainly possible to do, it’s an extreme challenge that most people will probably give up on. It’s a shame that the game’s secret endings are locked like this, as they feature key story beats that set up the Crash Bandicoot 5 game. Anyone interested is better off looking for the endings on YouTube. These are minor complaints in the grand scheme of things, as most people don’t jump into a Crash Bandicoot game to play its multiplayer and at least the secret endings are easily accessible online for to those impatient to achieve 106 % completion. If someone gets their hands on a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X console, they can’t go wrong with Crash Bandicoot 4, as it’s a massive platforming game and one of the best in the genre. Those who already own the last-gen version of the game will be happy to know that, unlike other Activision titles, the Crash Bandicoot 4 next-gen upgrade is free, so there’s no reason not to give it a try. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is out now for PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X, with a PC port coming on March 26. Today Technology was given an Xbox Series X code for review this.