Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 854 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 635 out of 854
  2. Mixed: 104 out of 854
  3. Negative: 115 out of 854
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  1. Killerpummkin
    Aug 10, 2023
    7
    It is a good game, but the difficulty of this game is annoying, much harder than any other crash.
  2. JogadorSincero
    Jul 14, 2023
    6
    O don't like it , I played for a long time but it just doesn't feel good , excelent graphics but if don't are a fan or child this game is not for you
  3. Davidnotavailab
    Jul 1, 2023
    6
    I dont get how anybody likes this so much yeah it has some fun stuff to it but its not at all like classic crash games takes everything that made those games good and throws it into the trash can making it one of the most generic and boring platformers i ve played in a while wow
  4. PacoBN23
    Apr 30, 2023
    6
    Lo abandoné porque no creo que esté a la altura de la trilogía original. Si bien es cierto que el esfuerzo y dedicación del equipo de desarrollo se nota y se agradece, el juego es demasiado complicado e injusto, destacando algunos niveles que por culpa de las nuevas máscaras se hace muy frustrante.
  5. arshia781
    Apr 12, 2023
    6
    This is a good game, this game has no flaws.
    It can almost be said that this game is one of the hardest crash bandicoot made.
    For this reason, I give yellow points because there are much better games and compared to them, this game cannot receive green points from me.
  6. DevenTool
    Feb 26, 2023
    7
    This game is great for anyone that is looking for a challenging game. It is one of the most beautiful crash games ever. The problem with this is that most levels have hidden boxes and gems that will take ages to find in a singular level the only way to get them is wasting time looking at every single corner, every single spot. in every single levels and the only way to find them is byThis game is great for anyone that is looking for a challenging game. It is one of the most beautiful crash games ever. The problem with this is that most levels have hidden boxes and gems that will take ages to find in a singular level the only way to get them is wasting time looking at every single corner, every single spot. in every single levels and the only way to find them is by searching the internet, it makes levels with no hidden boxes feel one of the best levels. also most of the game is focused on 106% completion 90% of your time in this game will be to 100% levels. if you have anger issues or you dont like challeging games then dont buy it… Expand
  7. hrubi
    Dec 19, 2022
    6
    I love the Crash series and this started good too but I almost hate the game to the end due to the track design. The boss battles were great as usual, but f.e. in the last stage before the last boss I died 91 times. In the last 3 dimensions my average death rate was 25-30 times, I was very very frustrating. The mask design is epic but to the end it was too much for me.
    The story is    I love the Crash series and this started good too but I almost hate the game to the end due to the track design. The boss battles were great as usual, but f.e. in the last stage before the last boss I died 91 times. In the last 3 dimensions my average death rate was 25-30 times, I was very very frustrating. The mask design is epic but to the end it was too much for me.
    The story is average, characters are cool, the graphics is perfect, but the unbalance difficulty is took away the enjoyment of the game.    … Expand
  8. basic123
    Oct 18, 2022
    7
    The game itself is well made but the difficulty can get really frustrating sometimes. I never actually finished it.
  9. theamateur
    Oct 15, 2022
    6
    Crash Bandicoot 4 was a thank-you to both retro and newer fans alike. The amount of content it shows for those who care to look for it is something I wish we saw more in video games. My issues with Crash however stopped me from seeing the game as the energetic, yet simple adventure that others seemed to view it as. In an attempt to play it safe and provide a formulaic yet definitive crashCrash Bandicoot 4 was a thank-you to both retro and newer fans alike. The amount of content it shows for those who care to look for it is something I wish we saw more in video games. My issues with Crash however stopped me from seeing the game as the energetic, yet simple adventure that others seemed to view it as. In an attempt to play it safe and provide a formulaic yet definitive crash experience for all to enjoy, it failed to grab me at any moment with its stages or story.
    Although pretty, levels rarely ever contain something to genuinely impress me. More than anything it can feel like an obstacle course that's gratifying in small doses but generally either frustrates me or made me feel nothing. As I pushed through the story hoping for an instance I can experience some classic video game enjoyment but the moment never came. The levels' low connection to the story made the problem of the game feeling like a checklist more apparent, which would be ok if the experience was more rewarding.
    Overall, not for me. The game no doubt had effort and love put in with good intentions but its hassle-like gameplay and low reward for input made me put it down after hours of trying to grab its hook.    … Expand
  10. Kostas_Spirou
    Jul 17, 2022
    6
    A decent attempt to bring Crash Bandicoot back for another adventure.
    Unfortunately though, the game plays just like the older games, it's outdated and has some rough edges regarding the gameplay.
    It's not bad by any means, infact it's quite enjoyable, and there are some additional new gameplay mechanics, but it does nothing new, and nothing about it is special. The Quantum Masks are    A decent attempt to bring Crash Bandicoot back for another adventure.
    Unfortunately though, the game plays just like the older games, it's outdated and has some rough edges regarding the gameplay.

    It's not bad by any means, infact it's quite enjoyable, and there are some additional new gameplay mechanics, but it does nothing new, and nothing about it is special.

    The Quantum Masks are very creative, each one of them has its own unique ability, and they're very fun to use.

    The multiple playable characters are all great, Tawna is by far the best character, she has the best levels, her moveset is very smooth and her tools are well implemented. Dingodile is fun aswell, being able to shoot things and fly feels good.

    Most levels are fine, but some of them are just straight up frustrating, mechanics not working correctly, movement being clunky, weird hitboxes and just overall unfair.

    The boss fights are... whatever, some of them are lame while others are artificially difficult, what a letdown.

    And finally I just want to talk a little bit about the new art style, long story short, it's ugly, the animations are awkward, and most characters look off (there are some exceptions though, personally I think the new Tawna looks fantastic and pretty badass).

    This one is a weird case, I like Crash Bandicoot, but the gameplay was cool many years ago, now it's just not on par with other modern platformers, it feels and plays the same after all these years.

    Also, no split-screen couch co-op? No actual multiplayer? Really?
    Well, that was disappointing.

    Final Rating: "Decent" ~ 6/10.    … Expand
  11. RoTerN
    Jul 7, 2022
    5
    Really toxic game. Its very colorful ok nice visuals but why they make it evil difficult? They lost the fun part of the game.. U need to put a lots of effort to just finish the stages later on in the game. If u want to take all gems and the runs u must spit real blood on gamepad. Realy why?? For what reason? I am very disappointed......
  12. C0QUINH0
    May 5, 2022
    7
    “Crash bandicoot 4 is a ok game.

    +
    • The game has good graphics.
    • The history is very good.
    • You can play with villains!

    -
    • The game is VERY hard.
    • The futuristic world is very bad and simple.
    • The game is EXPENSIVE!!!
  13. AntiMXT
    May 2, 2022
    7
    It's another Crash game although this time it sacrifices fun for artificial elongation through repetition. No longer is it about making it through difficult passages by the skin of your teeth and feeling a sense of accomplishment instead it's memorizing long sections that are taught to you through death and frustration. If level completion is based on perfection you'd want to make sureIt's another Crash game although this time it sacrifices fun for artificial elongation through repetition. No longer is it about making it through difficult passages by the skin of your teeth and feeling a sense of accomplishment instead it's memorizing long sections that are taught to you through death and frustration. If level completion is based on perfection you'd want to make sure your controls and hit-box mechanics are spot-on, sadly they are not.… Expand
  14. sebastianali
    Mar 12, 2022
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Its About Time, sin duda alguna, es un buen juego. Sin embargo, para ser la cuarta entrega canónica luego de mucho tiempo, deja bastante que desear, a tal punto que al menos para mi, no considero que este a la altura. Hablemos del diseño de niveles, estos son bastante creativos la verdad, y es de los puntos mas fuertes del juego. Las mascaras cuanticas tambien ayudan bastante a esto, al menos en algunas ocasiones, ya que en otros niveles alentan bastante la experiencia y honestamente prefiero mucho mas los poderes del Warped. Tambien mascaras como Ika Ika a veces se bugean pero son raras las ocasiones.
    En cuanto a los jefes creo que fueron muy decepcionantes (salvo N Gin), junto con la historia, misma que contradice o no explica muchos elementos de la trilogia original, asi como no explotar nada de los viajes interdimensionales quedandose muy a medias en este sentido. La historia parecio hecha a las apuradas, y si bien en cierta parte "Crash nunca se caracterizo por tener una gran importancia en la historia", minimamente hubieran aclarado los huecos que habia dejado ND como que habia pasado con la Tawna original, o la historia de Aku Aku y Uka Uka, en lugar de dejar mas dudas y preguntas. Los nuevos personajes parecieron metidos con calzador, y no aportan nada a la trama, lo mismo con personajes como Dingodile, que podran ser divertidos y lo que quieran pero no aportan nada. De hecho, otra vez tenemos el problema de los juegos de PS2. Ridiculizan bastante a los personajes. La tetralogia original nunca fue de humor absurdo, de hecho, siempre iban al grano en la gran mayoria de ocasiones. El humor era algo mucho mas sutil dado en muy pocas ocasiones como las animaciones de algunos personajes y ya. Para ser una secuela de Warped, este cambio de tono estilo Twinsanity no cuadra para nada. Y el humor en si... juzgandolo como tal... es muy malo, yo soy un cinefilo y puedo decir que practicamente copiaron y pegaron las mismas bromas de malas peliculas y series de animacion en Crash 4. Incluso juegos como Twinsanity tienen mejor comedia! Y eso es mucho decir la verdad... Y el final es super anticlimatico y no aporta nada, todas las escenas de Cortex y Tawna se sienten muy forzadas. Hubiera preferido una historia mas sencilla que funcionara, con conceptos interesantes de transfondo como en la tetralogia, mas que una historia que aspirara a demasiado, pero que al final les saliera muy mal.
    Y ahora siguiendo con la jugabilidad, este juego es muy dificil, demasiado. Cosa que no seria malo si no fuera por las buenas razones, ya que el juego tiene problemas de perspectiva y los controles suelen ser bastante torpes a la hora de aterrizar o saltar. Y el 106%... Madre mia. Facilmente el Crash mas dificil jamas hecho. Y esto es generalmente por mal diseño. Muchas de las cajas suelen estar en lugares demasiado ocultos, los niveles de vehículos tienen controles muy cuestionables (incluso peores que los del WOC), ademas de exigirte demasiado ya sea con las reliquias de platino o las n sanamente perfectas, sumado a la perspectiva que es muy mala la verdad lo que te provocara muertes injustas en varias ocasiones. La complejizacion de los niveles sin mejorar la jugabilidad base hizo que en parte Crash 4 se sienta mas torpe de jugar. Porque claro, tener una camara fija en un mundo mas abierto no ayuda para nada... Y no, ignorar el contenido secundario solo porque "no me gusta", no quitara que este mal diseñado, ademas de que es obligatorio para conseguir el final verdadero por lo que sigue siendo obligatorio conseguirlo. La trilogía original nunca fue tan difícil al contrario de lo que se suele creer! ND quito Stormy Ascent del primer Crash por ser demasiado dificil ademas de reducir bastante la dificultad en general y el diseño complicado en Crash 2 y 3, asi que porque hacer Crash 4 tan dificil y encima injusto? Pareciera mas una flanderizacion de los anteriores juegos.
    Y hablando de cosas mas menores, la banda sonora y el multijugador... son horribles, asi de simple.
    Crash 4 no es malo, pero carece de la simplicidad y accesibilidad que hacían a los juegos originales tan buenos incluso ahora y ademas de no innovar tanto jugable como gráficamente (porque seamos honestos, Crash 4 no innova en nada, recicla muchas ideas de anteriores entregas, y esta lejos de verse como un juego nextgen). En general considero que es muy decepcionante, siendo una experiencia soporifera que se vuelve monotona rapidamente, sintiendose como un plataformero genérico en puntos, estando muy por debajo de la magnificencia de los juegos originales, o incluso del entretenimiento mixto pero variado que ofrecían los juegos de la era de PS2/GBA entre ellos el Crash Bandicoot 4 original, por mucho que eso pueda ofender a algunos. Se nota que Toys For Bob no entendió que hizo a la saga grande en un principio, y quedaba claro que esta tarea de hacer una secuela de un juego prácticamente considerado excelente les quedaba demasiado grande. Una pena.    … Expand
  15. KarakMan
    Feb 28, 2022
    7
    Great game, but it's difficult and I couldn't finish it, because I died 40 times at the first boss.
  16. 21dputnam
    Feb 26, 2022
    6
    Don't get me wrong, I loved the game as a casual runner. But a when you decide to get the optional routes, which is the path of every single Crash game. It's the worst to complete. I think Toys For Bobs would have the more time and money if they:

    1. Remove the N. Verted stages so that you'll won't have to replay the entire game again, but with a different art style and a mirror mode.    Don't get me wrong, I loved the game as a casual runner. But a when you decide to get the optional routes, which is the path of every single Crash game. It's the worst to complete. I think Toys For Bobs would have the more time and money if they:

    1. Remove the N. Verted stages so that you'll won't have to replay the entire game again, but with a different art style and a mirror mode.

    2. The Second half of the alternate character stages so that you won't retread the same level you did over 20 minutes ago.

    3. Remove the Three Lives or Less Gem to save you another level replay.

    4. The Flashback tapes because of it's higher difficulty.

    5. The N. Sanely Relics because the levels aren't made for this relic.    … Expand
  17. Dr_Unk
    Feb 6, 2022
    7
    There were some good additions added, and there was one not-so-good addition added. The new masks, The new characters (minus one), the rewind tapes, and the gem criteria were all good additions to the game. The one big problem I had with the game was it was very overwhelming. And that's coming from a completionist. 6 gems from each level, then each level has 6 inverted gems as well,There were some good additions added, and there was one not-so-good addition added. The new masks, The new characters (minus one), the rewind tapes, and the gem criteria were all good additions to the game. The one big problem I had with the game was it was very overwhelming. And that's coming from a completionist. 6 gems from each level, then each level has 6 inverted gems as well, then you got the time trial relics (which you need all platinum to get a trophy), the tapes, and the badges of each level that say you got all of the boxes without dying in the level. Add in the fact that you had to play some of those levels as Dr. Neo Cortex (worst playable character in the game). the game also seems to need some more work done to it. After a gravity section, I jumped on a trampoline box and I ended up dying because I jumped too high. another time, I slid off a TNT box to get to another box below it and as soon as the slide was done, the game says I fell into a pit. I would consider this the third-best game in the series, but not the best.… Expand
  18. aandrade81
    Nov 13, 2021
    7
    É um bom jogo, mas a dificuldade desse jogo chega a irritar, ele é muito mais difícil do que qualquer outro crash.
  19. makemenuconfig
    Oct 31, 2021
    5
    Don't waste your time trying to 100% this game. Just play it normally without worrying about collecting all the boxes or gems. The gameplay is fine I guess. Some parts can get frustratingly insensitive. For a basic platformer it is ok. Also don't expect anything from the story or characters, it is very basic and cliche; I'd say skip everything and jump to the gameplay.
  20. JayWarped
    Jul 18, 2021
    6
    Very mixed bag with moments of brilliance.

    - Gameplay: It's serviceable, level design is decent. Crate placement is poor. They are often hidden out of view for no reason or have poor visibility and this hinders completion, but the generous use of hidden pathways is welcome. Puzzles are often overtuned for 'perfection' which will require the player's suicide often if they miss    Very mixed bag with moments of brilliance.

    - Gameplay: It's serviceable, level design is decent. Crate placement is poor. They are often hidden out of view for no reason or have poor visibility and this hinders completion, but the generous use of hidden pathways is welcome.

    Puzzles are often overtuned for 'perfection' which will require the player's suicide often if they miss something for completion, which combined with the unfamiliar quantum mask mechanics does slow the pacing to a crawl very often. Movement is okay. Crash is heavy and slide jumping doesn't provide extra speed like the originals, but gravity is spot-on (and crates don't slide past Crash's body when they should break, which is nice).

    Sound design: The game's strongest aspect if I'm honest. Best in class (especially those armored crate shattering sounds...) The SFX are grade-A, but the music is not. Very forgettable tunes this time around.

    - Story: The plot and premise are very strong which I think sets an unrealistic precedent for Toys for Bob who are very new to Crash, when tasked with writing the Bandicoot's next adventure.

    It takes a while to get going but it's fine for a story to be a late bloomer. The climax of the game is handled beautifully I think, with absolutely absurd setpieces and level designs popping up, and the return to normalcy and nostalgia at the end to reign in all the insanity was masterful and shows great restraint. Excellent structure.

    The character writing is very poor, however. If you bought this game expecting Crash Bandicoot's usual comedic edge, you will be sorely dissappointed. This game is not funny. In fact, the characters are dry and morose. Everyone acts distant towards Crash who should be the star of the show. He ends up feeling more like a leper. Coco doesn't entertain her brother's antics and prefers to be above them, and she doesn't laugh at his jokes. They don't have the same bond as before. Tawna and Crash aren't shown to have a bond either and i think this was even MORE important to highlight as their first new adventure. He's just left in his own little box, and is ignored by everyone except Cortex, who he hugs near the end... which he has good reason for doing, honestly it's very sad.

    Fans will notice just how many villains are missing in this adventure, mainly Tiny who was present in the Timetwister during Crash 3, and his absence is felt in every cutscene as we see Dingodile roam freely. Many will also cite Uka Uka's disappearance early in the story as a negative, but I think it's pivotal in keeping Cortex and N. Tropy's performances front and center, and their motivations pure, and they do not disappoint. Dingodile doesn't either.

    However there are quite a few things about this new Tawna that do, and I must address them more because the game simply doesn't...
    This was a golden opportunity to establish how disenfranchised Tawna is as a character, and the story doesn't address her lack of screentime with the cast prior. It treats her like she was always there and... most fans know she wasn't. Tawna wasn't always there. We don't 'know' who Tawna is, actually and never have. It's very tonedeaf. Here however, she's stubborn, brooding, and realistic looking. She feels very foreign, at the beginning, and STILL feels very foreign at the end, which I don't think was the intended effect. This character internalizes the rejection and shame that Tawna from before should, and I think that shows history there, but she's clearly NOT the Tawna from before, and it doesn't feel appropriate here. This doesn't 'feel' like Tawna, and her performance wasn't terribly likable either.

    This game is an easy 8 or 9 out of 10, were it not for the shortcomings with the cast and puzzles, but I think it's solid for Toys for Bob's first attempt.    … Expand
  21. AmirGamer1998
    Jul 10, 2021
    5
    One of the weakest series of crash games is very hard and far from previous versions
  22. jack2059
    Jul 10, 2021
    5
    If you were looking for the family friendly nice game of old Crash, this is not it.
    Im shocked to sit playing a crash game and just thinking that its really not very good. The challenge level has flown well above what the previous games had, and not in a good way.
    The camera continually feels like an enemy. There's far too many deaths to things you cant clearly see or predict. One    If you were looking for the family friendly nice game of old Crash, this is not it.
    Im shocked to sit playing a crash game and just thinking that its really not very good. The challenge level has flown well above what the previous games had, and not in a good way.

    The camera continually feels like an enemy. There's far too many deaths to things you cant clearly see or predict.

    One of the staples of the old games was the triple Aku Aku mask.
    Im not even sure it still exists. It would be useless if it does because its rare to see enemies in your path.

    When you take the fun out of a challenging game, it just leaves you with a frustrating experience.    … Expand
  23. dimlucas
    Apr 11, 2021
    7
    This main story is absolutely worth a try especially if you are a Crash fan since the Playstation 1 era. But it does not feel as rewarding as its predecessors. But once you try to go for 100% completion the game falls short in terms of both enjoyment and meritocracy. If you're used to not relying on walkthroughs you're going to have a hard time with this game.

    Past Crash games required    This main story is absolutely worth a try especially if you are a Crash fan since the Playstation 1 era. But it does not feel as rewarding as its predecessors. But once you try to go for 100% completion the game falls short in terms of both enjoyment and meritocracy. If you're used to not relying on walkthroughs you're going to have a hard time with this game.

    Past Crash games required a certain skill level that you could build while playing the game. Some levels required extensive trial and error but overall you knew what you had to do and you enjoyed every part of the grinding process. In Crash 4, there's simply so much to do that you can quickly get distracted. NVerted mode, which is a fancy way of saying that you're playing the same levels in a mirror mode, feels bloated and old. The extra characters bring enjoyment but the fact that you can only use them on certain levels seems rather restrictive. The main story is easy, but 100% completion seems impossible if you want to keep your sanity. Getting all crates at most levels is unnecessarily hard. It like playing a Dark Souls version of Crash. Also getting the colored gems required for accessing bonus platforms is laughable. It's not about skill, it;s about luck or getting in the level designer's mind. Flashback tapes are way better if you want a reasonable challenge reminiscent of the past    … Expand
  24. Beardman
    Apr 8, 2021
    7
    Crash 4 just tries to do too much and the result is a jack of all trades master of none. It's not a bad game by any means, great cut scenes, humor, and voice acting, but the most fun you'll have in crash 4 is when the level design takes obvious inspiration from the original trilogy and that only happens about 50% of the time.

    The original crash trilogy were master crafted platformers    Crash 4 just tries to do too much and the result is a jack of all trades master of none. It's not a bad game by any means, great cut scenes, humor, and voice acting, but the most fun you'll have in crash 4 is when the level design takes obvious inspiration from the original trilogy and that only happens about 50% of the time.

    The original crash trilogy were master crafted platformers (besides crash 3 was a bit on the weak side). Crash 4 is not, it's a pretty strange platformer. More like a puzzle flavored platformer rather than a fluid platformer like the original trilogy. And what I mean by that is sometimes you have to stop moving to examine an area and think about the abilities you'll need to use to progress. One character is so poorly designed that you actually have to suicide if you moved forward without using the right ability. There's several characters to play with, some of them you will hate playing with, others you will enjoy. I'll give credit where credit is due. Boss fights are actually really fun in this game, better than any other crash. But overall it's just a weaker platformer than the original trilogy. I'd still recommend it. It's worth playing, it just doesn't feel like a true successor to the crash series. They nailed the aesthetics but not the gameplay.    … Expand
  25. Xemnios
    Mar 31, 2021
    6
    The game is good but too many mechanics are awful. Finishing the levels without dying, and also having to take all the crates is sometimes really impossible. The crates are often too many and too hidden, reaching the end of the level with 599 crates out of 600 and missing one that was off the screen is unnerving
  26. ThePSButton
    Mar 26, 2021
    7
    Tengo sentimientos encontrados con Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

    Superficialmente se siente como un digno sucesor de la trilogía original, pero bajo la lupa se siente como un juego hecho por un estudio que no terminó de entender la serie que tiene en las manos. La dificultad y diseño de niveles muchas veces acaricia niveles de "fan game". Hecho sin mimo, sin cuidado, sin tomar    Tengo sentimientos encontrados con Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

    Superficialmente se siente como un digno sucesor de la trilogía original, pero bajo la lupa se siente como un juego hecho por un estudio que no terminó de entender la serie que tiene en las manos.

    La dificultad y diseño de niveles muchas veces acaricia niveles de "fan game". Hecho sin mimo, sin cuidado, sin tomar en cuenta el ritmo del nivel en turno.

    Los niveles se sienten muy largos, y es otro punto que entorpece e impide disfrutar de la dificultad del título.

    La trama es lo menos importante en un Crash Bandicoot, pero aun así me parece la más feita de los cuatro títulos.

    No hay enemigos (jefes) nuevos, puro reciclaje. No hay mucha variedad en los tipos de niveles. No hay realmente una propuesta nueva ni interés por evolucionar la fórmula.

    Las máscaras y sus mecánicas nuevas estás muy vistas y algunas no funcionan tan bien como otras.

    No le veo sentido a dividir tanto las gemas de las cajas en los niveles.

    Los niveles invertidos están bien, pero sus filtros son meramente anecdóticos y es una menera bastante artificial de meter más contenido.

    Los demás personajes jugables tampoco son tan satisfactorios de controlar. Excepto Dingodile, ese personaje es la mejor novedad del título.

    En fin, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time es un título que está bien, pero si realmente apreciabas lo que Naugty Dog creó con Crash Bandicoot, esto te parecerá un intento muy tibio por replicar la fórmula.    … Expand
  27. PikaBandicoot98
    Mar 17, 2021
    5
    This review is my opinion and contains spoilers - if you don't wish to see either of those things stop reading now. My review isn't meant to bash the game but to try and be fair. Skip to the end if you want the TLDR version. Thanks.

    Playing through this game has led to some mixed impressions on my part. Let me start off by saying that the "E 10+" rating is somewhat deceptive. While I'm    This review is my opinion and contains spoilers - if you don't wish to see either of those things stop reading now. My review isn't meant to bash the game but to try and be fair. Skip to the end if you want the TLDR version. Thanks.

    Playing through this game has led to some mixed impressions on my part. Let me start off by saying that the "E 10+" rating is somewhat deceptive. While I'm only an average Crash player this game is pretty difficult even for someone like me who has played Crash since Warped. At one point Dingodile says the word "bastards". That made me chuckle for awhile. I just wanted to include those two things for any parents of young children who are reading this review. The game might not necessarily be a good introduction to Crash for them. Anyways on to the main review.

    1) Plot - Yeah it's a Crash game. Stop Cortex from taking over the universe yada yada yada. You know the drill at this point. I love Crash games but let's face it - If you want a game with a plot you're playing the wrong series. And that's fine because Crash is about fun and has always had a loose plot.

    2) Graphics/playable characters - Very good and immersive graphics. The prehistoric levels are probably my favorite in this game and in my view some of the best in the series. The redesign of Crash and Tawna annoyed me a bit but it's nothing too major in my view. Overall beautiful graphics and fun to look at. You get to play as Crash, Coco, Dingodile, Tawna and even Cortex which is enjoyable.

    3) Soundtrack - Not a lot to say here. Pretty average honestly. The N-Gin fight and a couple of others are memorable enough. But mostly just average or forgettable.

    4) Difficulty - Oh boy here we go. This is going to take awhile. A game like Crash 1 is a good measuring stick as it's difficult but fair. Crash 2 is easier but not too easy and probably the best difficulty in the series in my opinion. Crash 3 (Warped) is my favorite Crash game but it is definitely the easiest of the three originals. I like challenge in my games but Crash 4 is over the top difficult just to complete the story. The later levels, especially Cortex's Castle, are not enjoyable in the difficulty. The levels are too long and have too many boxes that are hidden in dumb places. That's okay occasionally but not all the time and should be reserved for hidden gems. It honestly feels like some of the levels were designed by fans to make the game as frustrating as possible rather than by professional developers. I have no desire to go back and try for 105% (or whatever percent it is) with this game. In comparison the original games and the N-Sane trilogy make me want to go back for more.

    4a) Difficulty - Adding to that, the game includes a death counter instead of the traditional lives system. (This can be switched back and forth) The reason for the death counter is because you WILL die. And die a lot. The fact that the death counter is even included is a red flag for me as it seems the game is difficult just for the sake of being difficult. The maps seem crowded for the sake of being crowded a lot of the time. Crash 1 is somewhat difficult but the difficulty is fair. It seems like Toys for Bob took the whole "dark souls" comparison to heart and made this game as hard as they could. To me that's just not all that enjoyable. The game is still fun at times but too often it's just frustrating in ways that not even Crash 1 can compare. Crash 1's difficulty is challenging but does not take away from the fun of the game for me. Crash 4 does take away some of the fun. Crash 4 is still a decent game and I don't wish to bash it. But with the difficulty, some of the level designs and overall frustration it is not as good as it could be.

    5) Mechanics - Some flaws here as well. The mask powers are interesting, but they are frustrating and clunky at times. (Gravity and Spinning masks) The spinning mask has no reason to exist anyways. Why was this even included when we could have just kept the double jump followed by the death tornado spin (now removed) to clear long jumps? In this instance the old system was much better and less tedious. Also the parts of the game where you climb on the sides of walls is incredibly clunky and frustrating. I don't know how many deaths I had falling off the walls that shouldn't have been deaths. It was a lot. The Crash Dash mechanic was also removed in favor of fast spinning. Why? I don't know. Some of the platforming is also quite tedious when it doesn't need to be.

    6) Humor - Crash games generally have some humor. This one is no different. Even being older now some of the jokes made me smile. It's nice to have a game with humor that both kids and adults can enjoy.

    TLDR Conclusion - A sometimes fun game that is weighed down by its frustrating difficulty and mechanics. I would only recommend it for long time Crash fans. If you're new to the franchise just play the N-Sane trilogy instead. You'll be happy you did.    … Expand
  28. SpookyBoogie8
    Mar 16, 2021
    7
    I loved the Trilogy, I love Crash Team Racing, I loved all Crash games since I grew up with the series as a kid with PlayStation 1. This game is not bad, but it's not better than the Trilogy. It looks great, but plays really wonky. There are some new mechanics that are good on paper, but were not designed and implemented that well. The main issue is the godawful camera positioning andI loved the Trilogy, I love Crash Team Racing, I loved all Crash games since I grew up with the series as a kid with PlayStation 1. This game is not bad, but it's not better than the Trilogy. It looks great, but plays really wonky. There are some new mechanics that are good on paper, but were not designed and implemented that well. The main issue is the godawful camera positioning and weird non-orthogonal paths which make you die over and over just because you missed that 1 pixel edge, or 1 ms of directional input. You have to be impossibly precise to not die.
    The second pain point is level length and box placement. The game is not designed with smart, fun puzzles like the trilogy. It uses cheap camera tricks in levels with 300-500 **** boxes. It's frustrating as hell. And platinum? I'd say impossible. This game does not reward you for the time invested. And that's coming from someone who platinumed Demon's Souls.    … Expand
  29. Cormacd69
    Mar 7, 2021
    6
    Hugely disappointing reentry into the series. I play Crash because it is simple and enjoyable, this game is anything but. The length of the levels were horrible, the amount of collectibles you had to get in each level to complete it 100% was extremely frustrating. It might sound like I am bashing the game because I wasn't good at it, but this isn't the case, the first three games wereHugely disappointing reentry into the series. I play Crash because it is simple and enjoyable, this game is anything but. The length of the levels were horrible, the amount of collectibles you had to get in each level to complete it 100% was extremely frustrating. It might sound like I am bashing the game because I wasn't good at it, but this isn't the case, the first three games were hard but fair, this new game is ridiculous when it comes to completing levels fully. The new masks are a good idea but I don't think they are needed. However, if you enjoyed the first three games, I still think you should check this out, just because it hasn't clicked with me doesn't mean it wont for you!… Expand
  30. Bykovsky7
    Jan 26, 2021
    7
    Probably the best Crash Bandicoot game, right after Crash Team Racing.
    Although I obtained the platinum trophy in my PS4 version (along with the other 4 platinum trophies in the rest of Crash games), I must admit that the difficulty level in this game is ridiculously high. I was very close to giving up, mainly due to N.Sanely Perfect Relics and horrendously long loading times, but    Probably the best Crash Bandicoot game, right after Crash Team Racing.
    Although I obtained the platinum trophy in my PS4 version (along with the other 4 platinum trophies in the rest of Crash games), I must admit that the difficulty level in this game is ridiculously high. I was very close to giving up, mainly due to N.Sanely Perfect Relics and horrendously long loading times, but eventually, I did it. I wouldn't like to do it again, the game is too hard, even for me.
    Also, the graphics are significantly different from the previous games - now the graphics are more comics, which I didn't particularly like.

    I would give it 9/10, but I deducted two points for the difficulty level and graphics change.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best PS4 Game of 2020
21
#21 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 95 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 95
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 95
  3. Negative: 0 out of 95
  1. Riot Pixels
    Jan 26, 2021
    70
    Toys for Bob's game is a welcome addition to the original trilogy, although you will hardly remember its levels or music. Crash Bandicoot 4 is two steps below the amazing Super Mario Odyssey and Yoshi’s Crafted World.
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  2. CD-Action
    Dec 18, 2020
    95
    I honestly did not expect such a stellar game. Crash Bandicoot 4 is breathtakingly beautiful, features an amazing soundtrack full of references to the original trilogy, offers tons of content, and thrilled me to bits with its brilliant level design. What’s more, it stayed true to its gameplay roots, while introducing loads of great new mechanics. For me it’s the game of the year. I salute you, Toys For Bob! [12/2020, p.58]
  3. Gamers' Temple
    Dec 18, 2020
    90
    Crash Bandicoot 4 is a worthy addition to the Crash legacy. It captures the spirit, fun, and challenge of the original games, and adds a lot more that genuinely makes the experience even better rather than simply padding out the gameplay. The game is certainly challenging and the levels could probably use a few more checkpoints, but the number in the game is truer to the spirit of the originals than modern gaming standards. A little perseverance will get you through the game, but it’s going to take a little work if you want to be a Crash completionist. Overall it’s a great platform game that perfectly blends the old and the new into a fun new experience.
    Read full review
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