The recent announcement of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time it was definitely a big surprise for all fans of the famous peramele. In fact, the game represents a great return to origins for the series, which will again be able to count on classic and much-loved mechanics, obviously updated with all the news of the case. But moving on to a more general view, the title of Toys for bob could have a important meaning also for the same genre to which it belongs, especially if we consider it together with the other productions announced last month during the presentation of PlayStation 5. Let's see why.
An underrated genre
In a medium now populated more by genres such as FPS, action adventure or open world, the platformer is finding less and less space, especially with regard to triple A productions. Even speaking of indie, in any case, it is difficult to find pure and classic platform games, given that it is now a type of gameplay that is well suited to be included in other macro genres, like that of metroidvania for example. However, among the independent works that have tried to embrace the most typical dynamics of 3D platformers in recent years, we can remember the interesting Yooka-Laylee, whose goal is to breathe an atmosphere similar to that of the classic Banjo-Kazooie. We could then cite A Hat in Time by Gears for Breakfast or Super Lucky's Tale by Playful Corp.
As for the triple A, or in any case the non-independent titles, the question is even more complex, especially considering the way platformers are now perceived by the public. If over 20 years ago they were in fact not only present in large quantities on the market, but also considered as games that are always worthy of note, today the discourse has changed radically. More and more often I happen to read around the web comments and opinions that unfairly belittle this genre, inexplicably seen as something minor, secondary to "bigger" productions such as open worlds. Crash Bandicoot 4 itself, despite being part of a famous and beloved saga, has come under criticism regarding the price at which it is sold, and the motivation behind such disapproval has often been the very nature of the game.
In fact, nowadays we look too much at the graphic power, the complexity and quantity of game mechanics and, despite it the platform can potentially have depth and quality that should not be underestimated, we end up starting biased, considering for example that it is not a genre suitable for next-gen consoles. Yet we have been able to see how the new Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, although it also combines other gameplay dynamics with the platform, is one of the titles that seems to best exploit the unique potential of PlayStation 5. In short, apart from the Nintendo works, whose platform titles are now historical and therefore still enjoy the respect they deserve (although not all of them), there is a sort of "detachment" from this type of product in the air. However, the hope that they will recover in this sense still exists, and this thanks to a possible inclination in the future towards their rebirth.
From Sackboy to Crash: the possible revenge of the platformers
Unfortunately, these are just feelings and hypotheses at the moment, however in June we really saw a lot more attention than usual for platformers. The event dedicated to PlayStation 5, in addition to being the scene of the announcement of the aforementioned chapter of Ratchet & Clank, also showed other interesting goodies. In fact, it can be said that the presentation of the Sony console was quite balanced in terms of types of games, with many titles with a realistic and modern style but also many more related to the cartoon one.
Among the other platformers we could see in fact Sackboy: A Big Adventure which, unlike previous Little Big Planet games, features a fully three-dimensional world and appears to contain a truly classic experience of its kind. In addition, the interesting has been seen Astro's Playroom, a title that will exploit the possibilities of PS5's DualSense and which, among other things, is a "sequel" to the game that has shown that even within virtual reality, platformers have a lot to say.
The announcement of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, which arrived a few weeks after the reveal of PS5, was therefore the icing on the cake of a month that showed how triple A platformers still exist and can once again establish themselves in the videogame medium. Furthermore, everything seems to be a demonstration of how software houses still focus on this genre today and perhaps want it to be reborn and become as it was years ago, with many different experiments and the desire to create new experiences with all the possibilities that new technologies offer. This, however, at the moment remains just a hope, and only time will be able to tell us if these are isolated cases or if the desire to give the platform the visibility it deserves has really returned.
