Review
Played on: Xbox Series X (pre X/S patch)
Released: 2020
Released: 2020
Introduction
Disregarding all the mainline Crash Bandicoot platformers between the PS1 trilogy and the recent Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy remaster, read my review here, this fourth sequel was released last year, in 2020. Going on sale at Christmas, I picked the digital version up.
I've always been quite fond of this series, quirks and all. Sure, it got marketed as competition to Super Mario 64 back in the day, but for me, Crash was always about doing it's own thing. A sort of gradual blend going from 2D to the new 3D era, combined with the attitude and coolness of Sonic the Hedgehog, thrown in a jungle theme of Donkey Kong Country.
Let's take a look at this newest iteration and see what remains of the Crash DNA from the 90s, does it feel like a continuation of those?
Plot and setting
I'm pleased to say that continuity and references to the original trilogy are retained very well, both in story and characters. They further expand the Crash universe with new characters too. Combined with the Pixar styled look of the characters, much like how Nintendo have been doing in recent years with their roster, gives a really nice visual and CGI cartoon appeal.
Cutscenes are comic in presentation with over-the-top baddies and clumsy situations for Crash. Accompanied by his eye-rolling, and more sensible, little sister Coco, helping him out. A great way to let you choose the gender of the character you want to play. I found the story and presentation combined with the jungle island setting of classic Crash, to be a perfect combo. The series has really found a style it's settled into.
Along the way, you get to play other characters too. New girl Tawna, being a kicking and whip throwing, grown up, Bandicoot, has the right bad-ass attitude to join the heroes and is a cool addition. You also get to play Dingodile, a familiar armadillo, with a giant vacuum gun to suck up crates and fly across gaps with. His rowdy Australian accent is am entertaining listen. Much like Tawna, he's also very different to control compared to Crash and Coco.
Gameplay and features
Crash 4 is instantly familiar gameplay for anyone acquainted to the series previously. Unless you're on base XB1 or PS4 hardware, you get 60fps unlocked framerate, running stable on XB1X and Series X/S. Making it a big difference going from the 30fps Crash trilogy remaster. Instantly, the controls feel responsive, resulting in better timed jumps and moves.
Crash has always been a bit dodgy when it comes to determining jumps when he's is moving into the screen. Depth can be tricky to perceive, but thanks to the more responsive 60fps gameplay and a neat little circle beneath Crash, showing where he'll land, helps make Crash 5 less unfair.
Talking frustration though, while I found the first levels gradual in their difficulty curve, with neat throwbacks to classic Crash 1 levels melted into one, the difficulty increases way too fast thereafter. It's a large game, with a vast set of levels, spread across themes like ancient Japan, snowy hills, modern cities and sci-fi, but they'll be played by few as the difficulty just becomes insanity further on.
On top of this difficulty, the unlocks for characters skins have extremely high demands. Requiring you to play the levels 100%, which becomes a hard task to say the least, even early on.
Although it allows you to choose a "modern" mode, with infinite lives at checkpoints, it's just too hard for it's own good. A shame, because all the levels are wonderfully designed and a lot of players will never reach them. Considering the gameplay is the most tight and precise Crash has ever been, it's sad it goes out of it's way to break your patience with it's difficulty.
I really appreciate the variation the added bonus characters bring to their levels, however, on the other hand making me replay each level in a reverse mode just feels like a tedious chore for hardcore fans. There's a lot of content, but hidden behind a difficulty most will never unlock.
Video
Like I mentioned, it runs 60fps on the XB1X, Series X/S and PS5 thanks to an unlocked framerate, but be warned that base XB1, PS4 and even PS4 Pro can't keep up and have fluctuating framerates that can't be locked to 30. Resulting in bad pacing. Not the way you'd like to play this difficult game, relying on precision jumps.
Smoothness, latency and consistency is only for the more advanced consoles then, keep that in mind before purchase.
Resolution is dynamic and sadly maxes out on 1080p, even on the enhanced versions. Although, with a high framerate and a colourful CGI cartoony look, the resolution isn't such a loss. It does it's job well, but once I again I question the shift to using Unreal Engine 4, especially for smaller budgets, they always seem to end up with lower end resolutions and little optimising for the more powerful consoles.
The absence of HDR is a strange choice, luckily my Series X runs Auto HDR to help me out. But a weird choice not to have HDR in such a colourful and vibrant game. The remaster trilogy had it.
The large size of levels, effect details and lovely lighting really brings out the Crash universe in a pretty game, overall I'm very pleased with the visuals.
Update: This game was patched to take advantage of the Xbox Series X, with the resolution set to 4K, while retaining the 60fps. Sadly, I found framerate drops happening at this high resolution, regardless of my VRR TV, so an option to set it to 1080p again would be welcome.
Audio
Another instantly familiar aspect of the game is the music and sound. The use of classic Crash Bandicoot themes combined with new, in the same style, melodies charmingly playing in the background. Often themed to the environments you're in and true to the franchise music style.
For sounds we have the classic TNT countdowns, Wumpa fruit chomping and Crash sounds like spinning, falling and so on. It's familiar, yet a welcome appeal to the series. I like some the characters small noises and death sounds as you spin them away too.
Summary
I really enjoyed playing Crash 4, as long as I managed the difficulty. The large and colourful levels, with that distinct Crash Bandicoot vibe, is great to look at and play through. The variety in level designs, their number and locations is very impressive. I also like the way Crash moves and feels, especially in 60fps.
Sadly, the difficulty kills my enthusiasm in the long run and I end up not seeing the end credits as a result. The dedication and skill, to even come close to 100%, is just brutal and unnecessary. A hit, and then sadly, a miss.
Recommended warmly, with a strong warning of the insane difficulty!
