Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is a three-dimensional platformer belonging to one of the most popular cycles of this category. The game was developed by Toys for Bob studio, the authors of Spyro Reignited Trilogy.

Plot

In terms of the plot, the game continues the original trilogy. The game takes us back to the end of Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped, erasing all subsequent parts from the plot canon.

After the events of the third part trio of villains, namely Neo Cortex, Dr. N. Tropy and Uka Uka, was trapped on a distant planet. The villains spent decades trying to escape from this prison, but eventually succeeded in tearing a huge hole in the space-time continuum. The player's task is to stop them from taking over the entire universe.

Mechanics

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is an extension of the solutions from previous parts of the series. So we get a three-dimensional platformer, in which we have to travel through colorful maps, collect items, avoid traps and other threats and eliminate enemies, mainly by jumping on their heads or hitting them while shooting pirouettes.

The game has complex platforming mechanics. Players can, among other things, run on walls, swing on ropes and slide on railings. Moreover, during the adventures we collect quantum masks, offering the power to bend reality and manipulate time. These allow, for example, to summon additional environmental elements to the map to help with exploration.

The game does not offer full freedom to explore the world. The levels look different, but they all have the form of a tunnel leading us mostly along a linear road from start to finish. The gameplay is varied by fights with bosses and occasional sections modelled on two-dimensional platformers.

During the game, the player can lead Crash, his younger sister Coco and several other characters, including Neo Cortex. Also playable for the first time in the series' history is Dingodile, who previously served as a boss.

Game modes

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time was developed primarily with single player in mind, but the campaign can be played with a second player thanks to the swap gameplay option provided by the developers. All this with the use of one controller, which after death is passed to another person. There is also a special multiplayer mode called Battle of the Bandits, in which, in a similar way, we compete with other players in front of the same TV, trying to achieve the best time results.

Apart from the standard campaign, there are also additional game modes, which provide e.g. map mirroring and changes in graphic style and gameplay. As a result, levels can be played through multiple times, each time receiving a fresh experience.

Technical aspects

The game has an attractive 3D graphic design made in a strongly cartoon style. The authors have opted for a fresh graphic style that differs from those of the previous series, but retains the specific atmosphere of the brand.