Try Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time Demo – More Challenging
Crash Bandicoot has always been a series that is loved by its fans. The platformer game that became Naughty Dog’s initial debut to make his name on the PlayStation has successfully won millions of pairs of eyes to play it. Had become the main mascot of Sony’s console, Crash Bandicoot comes as another series like Crash Bash, Twinsanity, to one of the most popular, Crash Team Racing.
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Even though it has a lot of spin-off series, but actually Crash Bandicoot have only three main series: Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back, and Warped. All three have unique world settings with their respective themes that are related to the story of the red hedgehog.
Unfortunately, Sony sold the franchise and was eventually bought by Activision. Since then, Activision has only published its console series on PlayStation 2 and mobile in 2008. They continued with a spin-off series but no longer on home consoles due to the company’s changing focus.
But not until they finally revitalized it with N. Sane Trilogy in 2017 for PlayStation 4 and 2018 for PC, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. Activision also re-presents its racing game, Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One in 2019.
The popularity of the main series has indeed been cured by N. Sane Trilogy, but who would have thought that they would also make a sequel. Yes, this time Activision collaborated with Toys for Bob to work on the fourth iteration with the title It’s About Time. In its announcement, publisher Call of Duty The actor explained that this time the game would be about controlling time with a mask that became his new strength.
Toys for Bob itself is not a new developer, they have experience working on it Star Control in 1990 until it was finally acquired by Activision. They also help with the work Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy for Nintendo Switch. In other words, they have a strong enough vision to expand their iterations. However, of course, all need to be proven by trying it directly, instead of just watching the trailer that has surfaced.
We are one of the lucky Indonesian media to taste the demo version of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. And so far, quite challenging and frustrating.
In the “project marigold” demo that Activision gave us, we tried out the three levels on offer: Snow Way Out, Dino Dash, and Snow Way Out: Cortex Timeline. The three levels are designed to be very challenging and some are nearly impossible to beat. But we managed to try all the levels, despite having to die and repeat it many times.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time also offers two main gameplay modes: Modern and Classic. Modern will give unlimited life. Instead of giving a life count, Toys for Bob gives a death count. While Classic will come with limited lives like the previous iteration.
Quantum Mask, The Time Stop Mask
Just like the title says, It’s About Time present a time-stopping mask, namely the Quantum Mask and several boxes that can only be passed by utilizing the mask’s power. Your timing and agility will be tested at each platforming level. This mask will appear many times, even during the bonus stage.
Just like the previous iteration, Crash can do double jumps, rotating movements to destroy boxes, to body-slams. But the thing that frustrates us when playing it is his double jump.
Unlike the previous series, Crash’s double jump does not provide a large additional distance. This ability will slow Crash’s movement to choose where he should land. Our natural mind that always thought double jump could get through two platforming hurdles at once made us make the same mistakes over and over again. It makes us frustrated even though the level on display looks quite easy.
Sometimes there are several levels that require three special abilities: timing, agility, to precision. There is platforming that requires you to use a Quantum Mask as well as beat your opponent when you finish jumping from one place to another.
The absence of an implied tutorial also makes us often frustrated to pass the level. But because what we are trying is a demo, it is quite understandable.
The Snow Way Out level features a snowy platforming stage with several challenges, such as undead pirates throwing swordfish and spiked balls, to chunks of ice that must be conquered. The chunks of ice will become footholds or become slippery surfaces that test the accuracy of the jump and the timing of the landing. Some of the ice can also be crushed when stepped on. Really give a new challenge and quick reflexes without having to think long.
Not only ice, a jumping platform like wood that will crumble if you step on it for a long time makes players think twice before going through the challenge and then being greeted by a new challenge opposite.
Play Chase with T-Rex
Dino Rush itself is the most difficult level for us because the challenges are quite unreasonable. At the beginning of the game, we were treated to a natural scenery Jurassic Park with walking dinosaurs to jump over. No exception to poisonous plants that can shoot poison when we jump on several platforms early in the game. The giant bugs passing by are also a regular challenge that can be frustrating.
Ahead of the second phase transition after the checkpoint, we were faced with a mask with the power of a hologram, namely Lani-Loli. Unlike the Quantum Mask which can stop time for a few seconds, the Lani-Loli mask will remove certain objects that are shaped like a hologram or the cool term phasing. Objects such as giant mushroom plants can also be removed with a hologram.
Unfortunately, Lani-Loli masks don’t appear as many times as Quantum Masks until we finish the level. Makes it quite a pity why it only appears so short.
Not only Lani-Loli masks and dinosaurs that must be jumped, Dino Rush also presents classic chases in the style of Crash Bandicoot. If in the first series Naughty Dog will present stones, this time Toys for Bob will present T-Rex to chase Crash. Unmitigated, the meat-eating dinosaur will be present three times to chase. We had to go through several hurdles which made us more and more frustrated at each level.
The first platforming is a fairly easy platforming, where there are nitro, holes, and plants that will slow down Crash’s movements. No exception lava craters that must be passed. The higher the frequency of our meetings with T-Rex, the more difficult the platforming portion offered.
Dino Rush levels also provide platforming levels that are very difficult because it requires memorizing the available running platform timings. Where the walking platform must be passed when he has arrived at a hill obstacle that can only be passed by sliding. Quite challenging but also very annoying. We personally hope this challenge is eliminated, considering that we ourselves had died almost 20-30 times just because it was so difficult to pass.
Play Cortex to Know Different Perspective
Unlike the classic series, for the first time Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time present a playable antagonist. Snow Way Out Level: Cortex Timeline allows players to play Dr. Neo Cortex, one of the main antagonists of the series.
Cortex is very different from Crash, he has a gun that can turn any living object in front of him into a stone or gel platform. The stone platform will act like an ordinary platform while the gel will give the ability to jump high considering that Cortex does not have a double jump like Crash.
Even without a double jump, Cortex can dash forward with his head like a rocket that launches. This ability can be used to pass several platforms that are impossible to pass without a double jump. Including platforms containing rows of nitro that are ready to explode at any moment when touched.
Snow Way Out: Cortex Timeline will give Crash’s Snow Way Out point of view from Cortex’s point of view. Where there is a scene when one of the levels is destroyed which is apparently destroyed by Cortex. After the scene appears, the game will continue by controlling Crash.
This level also makes Snow Way Out more difficult than usual. If in Crash’s point of view the level is hard enough, then in Cortex’s point of view, the level will be even more difficult. Some boxes such as TNT or additional ice platforming chunks frustrated us even more because they were impassable like Crash’s Snow Way Out. Especially with the addition of a flamethrower box which is much more challenging for us to get through it with the right timing.
Being on the Right Path
So far, we have experienced great suffering while playing the demo Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, although on the other hand we also feel the satisfying challenge that is very typical of the series. That Toys for Bob does not deviate from the path that has been standardized by Naughty Dog in its game trilogy.
The levels still don’t make sense to us making us hate ourselves for not being able to play a platformer or maybe the levels are just too difficult. Toys for Bob does a pretty good job of playing the game, but some elements such as double jump and one of the levels in Dino Rush level, we think they need a little change.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time planned to be released on October 2, 2020 later on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The demo we played will most likely change when it’s released. I personally hope that Toys for Bob will include accessibility settings when the game is released, so that those who are new to the game and playing it don’t get frustrated.
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