Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

There's no doubting Crash's place in history, but this restoration shows its age a little too much at times. One for reliving, rather than creating, memories. [September 2017, p.79]

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a reverent and imperfect resurrection of an icon. This furry oddball creature could have been left in the past, but I'm pleased that he was revived for a new generation. I say this in full awareness of the fact that Vicarious Visions could have done more in the technical and gameplay departments. Here we have two great games, and one that could have been great if given the update it truly needed. They look stunning, too, but resolution, framerates, and load times are all at an average standard when at least one of the three should be better. And yet, whether you find yourself zooming down a desert highway, running from a gigantic bear, or just bouncing over a bridge of crates, you can't help but smile and know that, at the end of the day, Crash is still a whole lot of fun.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is bittersweet. Having the unmissable marsupial back is a great throwback the 3D platformers of the late 90s, but for all of the nostalgia, the trilogy highlights some of the genre's weakest elements. A must play for original fans, and one new players should take with a pinch of salt.

I had fun going back to Crash Bandicoot, even if I found myself wanting to toss my controller at certain points and that notorious sky bridge level is still one of the absolute worst pieces of interactive crap you could ever suffer.

The Crash Bandicoot N-Sane Trilogy has been remastered beautifully and truthfully to the original releases, with a few minor extras and improvements that are welcome. Despite that, the controls and gameplay feel outdated, and despite the Crash PS4 trilogy doing well to stir pangs of nostalgia, the games don’t hold up to 2017 standards of excellence.

Vicarious Visions dresses Crash up with a swanky new outfit that looks and sounds superb in the N.Sane Trilogy, but this dogged commitment to recreating the franchise’s authenticity comes at the expense of some much-needed modernization.

Naughty Dog has been done proud. These games demonstrate how innovative the developer was even decades ago with its unique approach to camera-work, level design and overall tone. It is Vicarious Visions that's at fault for this collection's pitfall. Its decision to leave gameplay largely untouched is questionable, but the overall lack of polish on the package itself is inexcusable.

It's gorgeous, and a clear labour of love, but the controls might drive you, err, N.Sane.

No matter what you think of the original games these are an excellent trio of remasters, that will please existing fans and help to create new ones.

Crash Bandicoot fans can rest easy, Vicarious Visions didn't deface Naughty Dog's work. The three games look better than they ever have and play just as good as they used to. The NSane Trilogy is both fun and challenging and offers a good time to longtime fans of the original PlayStation's unofficial mascot. That said, people who didn't enjoy Crash Bandicoot games back in the 90s won't fall in love with the franchise thanks to this compilation.

I’m sure these games are great for anyone who grew up with them, but I honestly don’t get why.

Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy proves that some games should remain as they once was. Vicarious Visions did everything in their power to deliver a pleasant Crash Bandicoot remaster, and while they did a pretty good job in terms of visuals, N Sane trilogy’s gameplay and controls are poor and outdated.

The original Crash Bandicoot is better remembered for what it was and what it meant than what it is.

There’s a golden glow around memories that gets brighter with age, but it also tends to distract from old frustrations. If you’re ready for a quick trip — and I mean quick — down memory lane, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy doesn’t disappoint. Vicarious Visions’ faithfulness to the series satisfies some nostalgic cravings, but once the novelty wears off, the cracks can’t help but show.

It's no big surprise to say that the N. Sane trilogy is another pleasant form of fan service from Sony, which does seem keen on this kind of thing when you remember it’s doing the same with Final Fantasy 7 and Shenmue 3. And the intended audience will love it...If you don't fall into this group, though, I don't think you should take the plunge now. Probably best to find something that was developed a bit more recently.