Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time - Preview of the highly anticipated reboot

More than 10 years after the release of the last chapter, the saga of Crash Bandicoot is ready to return to our screens through an unprecedented reboot, which this time will be handled by the software house Toys for bob. We are not talking about one of the many spin-offs, which in many cases have led users to move away from the brand due to various denatures of the classic formula, but a real official episode after the original Naughty Dog trilogy. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is in fact the direct sequel to Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, as it will retrace the narrative starting from the end of the latter. After several leaks, the game was officially presented during the event Developer Showcase of Game Summer Fest, through a trailer that showed us several details. So let's see together what it is, discovering what we could expect from the new chapter, which as confirmed will make its debut on the day of October 2 2020 su Xbox One e PlayStation 4.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and the leap of 3 generations 

Although our beloved marsupial doesn't seem particularly changed, they have passed well since his last main adventure 21 years, and they have followed well three videogame generations, where the world of platformers has obviously seen an exponential evolution, overcoming peaks that at the time it would not have been possible to reach due to technical limitations. However, the developer wants to fully take from the original works - starting from the solid narrative foundations laid in the 90s - in order to structure a new plot that is more modern and suitable for our times.

The history of peramele will start again right where we left off, with the Dr. Neo Cortex, Dr. N. Tropy e Uka Uka got stuck on an unknown planet. Tens of years have passed, but the three have finally managed to create a hole in space-time to return to their homeland. Their job remains to dominate the multiverse, but Crash Bandicoot and his sister Coco will do what they can to stop him. We obviously do not know how the subsequent events will take place, but it is clear from the beginning that Toys for Bob did not want to distort the original works of the 90s with Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

The same concept also remains for the gameplay, which has been deepened in many official game sequences, which will obviously make up the final adventure. We were able to admire some playful sessions very similar to what was offered by the dawn of the saga, before this took further paths with the genre of the Titans and the various spin-offs. The 3D platforming gameplay remained unchanged in the concept, with the pinpoint accuracy that continues to be essential to be able to complete the levels. However, to patch up the criticisms posed for the recent Crash Bandicoot N'Sane Trilogy, the formula has been decidedly updated and calibrated to keep up with the times.

A platformer revolutionized?

The revolution starts from a decidedly more fluid and dynamic platforming system, between double jumps and not indifferent speeds, which also interfaces with really unexpected additions. The classic mask of Aku Aku will in fact be accompanied by variants designed to clearly diversify the gameplay, through temporary upgrades that will be essential to overcome certain game sequences. It appears that this is a total of four Quantum Masks, but for now we have only been able to ascertain the presence of the time-bound mask - useful for slowing down the passage of seconds - and the one related to severity, which allows you to walk through the levels alternating between walks on the ceiling and more classic sequences. The very possibilities of Crash have increased dramatically, as we have also been able to attend adrenaline-pumping sessions wall running and rope swinging, definitely to be explored and apparently able to bring a necessary breath of fresh air. In any case, we will be able to have fun in our adventures also with Coco Bandicoot, just like with the recent trilogy of remakes by license plate Vicarious Visions, but as has been made clear in the trailers we will have the opportunity to play as the evil Dr. Neo Cortex.

On the visual level, the game offers graphics - obviously cartoony - truly spectacular, very inspired and certainly perfect on current generation consoles, with the hope that the title will also be able to debut on PlayStation 5 e Xbox Series X. From the lighting, to the dynamic animations present in each of the scenarios, passing to every move of the characters, it seems that from this point of view the developer has already taken the right path to intrigue users with this new chapter. In short, the credentials for an adventure in step with the times are all there, but we have yet to find out if the game will have even more surprises to offer, noting that all the additions are finally pleasant pads in hand. The brand can finally get closer to younger players even with a contemporary work, which will have to flex its muscles against various giants of today's sector already established, to be the winner. Toys for Bob has decided to take full advantage of the brand identity, from the graphics level to the gameplay, but will it manage to satisfy long-time fans and bring new audiences into the crazy universe of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time? We can't wait to find out, see you on October 2nd!