It’s about time for Crash Bandicoot – the orange spin-jumping and dancing marsupial – to return in a game that’s a true successor to his original trilogy, fittingly named Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, coming this fall to PlayStation 4.
Yes, we’re fur real: Crash is back, and it’s about time that our hero returns in all his platforming glory to PlayStation.
A look back in time
In 1996, Sony Computer Entertainment – now Sony Interactive Entertainment – published Crash Bandicoot, and the rest is history:
A fan favorite trilogy for the original PlayStation, the three platforming adventures featured Crash Bandicoot; a Doctor Neo Cortex experiment gone wrong. Marsupial mayhem ensued as Crash began an epic journey to save his girlfriend Tawna – and eventually the world – from the mind-controlling Cortex Vortex machine. This brash Bandicoot also faced friends and foes alike, including Neo Cortex, his mentor-in-a-mask Uka Uka, and their ally Doctor Nefarious Tropy, in his legendary platforming antics that have spanned the last 20+ years.
On October 2, this saga continues where Crash Bandicoot: Warped left off: Neo Cortex and Dr. N. Tropy are now free from their penitentiary, and it’s up to Crash, Coco, and friends to go across time and space to stop these three from not only taking over the world, but the entire multiverse.
Reborn and redrawn: Some real characters and amazing environments
Developed by Toys for Bob, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will keep the core of what a Crash Bandicoot experience is – an intense and zany 3D platforming game defined by a certain marsupial’s brash attitude.
It all began with the development team dusting off the old consoles to play the original Crash Bandicoot classics, comparing them to the recent remasters, interacting with hardcore fans within the studio, and gaining insight from the Crash community at large.
Along with keeping that nostalgic feel, Toys for Bob is also tailoring the game for past, present, and new Crash fans alike through a reimagined and updated art style, new gameplay mechanics, and the ability to switch between Modern and Retro modes (one mode tailored to those seeking that old school platforming vibe, while the other is a little more forgiving, but no less difficult to master).
You can see this reflected in the game’s reveal trailer and screenshots. Visually, Toys for Bob is introducing a fresh take on Crash, his friends, his enemies, and the landscapes around them with a new art style. While staying true to the franchise’s zany spirit, expect to see new worlds, lush vistas, and an absurd variety of enemies and hazards in a style and visual fidelity fit for the modern gaming experience.
Expect to see larger landscapes this time, too. There are points along your platforming paths that you can spot subsequent levels within the one you’re currently navigating. The environments are alive with a wacky and wonky sense of motion and energy everywhere you care to look. With such vibrancy on display, expect a whole new set of platforming tricks like wall running, rail grinding, and rope swinging to help you visit every nook, cranny, and secret spot. The result is a love letter to Crash fans by Crash fans at developer Toys for Bob.
Keeping your head in the game: Quantum Masks
Crash and Coco are still jumping, spinning, and wumping around as they are known for, but don’t think they’ve sat around for the past two decades with nary a new trick up their (lack of) sleeves!
New to Crash Bandicoot 4 are the Quantum Masks: four powerful guardians of space and time that give our heroes the power to bend the rules of reality and conquer dangerous obstacles in exciting new ways.
Out of these four masks, two are fully introduced within the launch trailer, but you may remember one from PlayStation’s It’s Time to Play video. Yes, the one back in November 2019.
Remember the mysterious mask above Coco during that kart racing scene? That was Kupuna-Wa (the Time Mask), who slows down time to allow for even more precise movements. The other mask featured in the launch trailer – Ika Ika (the Gravity Mask) – will let Crash and Coco platform upside down despite the regular laws of physics! Developer Toys for Bob are set to sprinkle these (and two additional floating face friends) along the course of dozens of levels. This results in a variety of new powers and abilities for Crash, allowing for a wider variety of challenges and difficulties as the game progresses.
Pre-orders live now – Totally Tubular Skins!
Purchasing the game digitally at PS Store will grant you the Totally Tubular Skins (available at launch), which puts Crash and Coco into some digs that show off their radical roots.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will be available for the suggested retail price in the U.S. of $59.99 on October 2, 2020.