Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time on PlayStation 5 is without question an improvement upon last gen. If for any reason you owned the game on PlayStation 4, there’s no excuse not to experience how absolutely crisp and clean the game is on updated hardware. The core experience remains difficult, fun, and nostalgic, hitting all the right notes a classic Crash game would. Is there a chance for a Crash 5? Let’s just hope it’s a matter of time.

At its heart, this is the same Crash Bandicoot 4 that we loved last year when it came to PS4. The improved loading times alone are enough to make the PS5 version stand out, and the enhanced visuals are an added treat, seeing Crash in native 4K at 60 fps. Additional PS5 features round out the package, but as I played, it was mostly just the improved loading that really stuck out to me as the defining feature of this next-gen port.

Crash Bandicoot 4 on PS5 is pretty much unchanged from PS4, still offering excellent gameplay, but this time with mouth-watering 4K visuals. DualSense use is slight but noticeable; however, useful Game Help guides and Activity Cards make the upgrade well worth checking out for those still collecting secrets.

A lot of effort went into creating distinctive worlds, and they help the game constantly feel fresh and fun. Really, that could be the tagline for Crash 4: fresh and fun. It may be based on a franchise that started a few decades and generations ago, but this new entry feels resolutely modern. It’s a wonderful addition to a series that you’re sure to enjoy, regardless of whether you’ve been waiting for it for many years, or you’re coming to Crash Bandicoot for the first time.

The Next (Current?) Gen patch of Crash 4: It's About Time ups the resolution to a majestic 4K, guaranteeing stable 60fps in every situation. Plus, it's completely free.

Crash Bandicoot 4 It’s About Time is still the best Crash Bandicoot has ever been, and deserves to be played if you have any interest in platformers or loved the originals way back when. The PS5 upgrade gives it a thin but noticeable lick of paint to stand alongside the next-generation, and a reason to dive back in.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time arrives on PlayStation 5, with many graphic and technical improvements.

Crash Bandicoot is starting off his 25th anniversary celebration in style with an upgraded version of what was already a stellar game. The number of changes may be fairly minimal overall, but there is no reason not to experience Crash at his very best on new generation hardware with Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

Even if the PS5 edition isn't a game-changer, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is still a delightfully charming title. The environments are bright and colorful, the characters are filled with emotion, the music is bright, and the overall experience just as charming as Crash Bandicoot was so many years ago.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time may not be the biggest upgrade over its last-generation release, but for a game that just came out a year prior, it does what it needs to do and presents the best console version of an already well-polished game for players to enjoy.

The PS5 provides crisp 4K visuals and insanely fast load times. It's worth a play for Crash fans and those that haven't had the joy of taking control of everyone's favourite Bandicoot.

Lively, varied and sometimes quite challenging: Crash Bandicoot 4 builds on the N.Sane Trilogy - on current systems even more vibrant and a little more beautiful.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is a great game. Although its difficulty can be frustrating and some lengthy sequences are tedious, the world design is crisp and filled with humour, the levels overflow with creativity and most importantly, completing a level is satisfying. The plot is thin, but the cartoony vibes provoke a great mix of nostalgia and charm. The PlayStation 5 upgrade significantly improves load times and takes the game's visuals to another level. Crash fans have much to love in this long-awaited sequel. Although newcomers to the series may be turned off by how punishing the game can be, this title is an adventure worth embarking on.

A very pretty and slick platformer that runs beautifully on PS5. Use of the console’s unique features are limited, but it’s still well worth playing. [Issue#187, p.80]

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time carries the torch for the series, providing a worthy follow-up to Crash and Coco’s adventures. The trial and error gameplay isn’t for everyone, but those eager for a challenge will enjoy doing so with the next-gen prowess of the PlayStation 5.

The only obvious upgrade for Crash Bandicoot 4 is the decreased load times, but they are shortened enough to say that the PS5 version is better than the PS4. While many gamers may not care about slight visual enhancements, they will definitely appreciate the time they are saved by playing Crash 4 on the PS5. It would have been awesome for the game to utilize the PS5's hardware a little better, but it's still the same great adventure - just a little faster, which is certainly an improvement, even if it's ultimately a pretty minor one.

On PS5 specifically, developer Toys for Bob has also added some DualSense haptics, but they don't contribute much to the experience. When playing as characters other than Crash or Coco--Tawna, Neo Cortex, and Dingodile--some moves now come with a very weak haptic response. Using Tawna's grappling hook, for example, elicits a very, very mild trigger shake. Moving from space to space on the Dimensional Map also has a little bit of trigger feedback in addition to a rumble. The haptics really don't add anything, though it isn't as if they felt missing from the original release.

The epic is just more beautiful and smoother than the original one, sometimes giving the impression of being in front of a real animated film, especially in front of the carefully animated cutscenes. On PlayStation 5, adaptive triggers add a little extra to the immersion.

Crash Bandicoot fans got what they asked for last year with a proper follow-up that honored the legacy of Naughty Dog’s classic trilogy. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time embraced the mechanics that made the franchise such a hit while adding its own unique spin. The move to PS5 and Xbox Series X|S maintains the same essence that made the game so enjoyable last year, but it now looks and runs better. The visuals are cleaner and the frame rate runs at a solid 60fps. DualSense support is lackluster compared to other titles, but the smart use of Activity Cards makes up for it. With a free upgrade available for current owners, and the ability to import saves from the cloud, hopping back into Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is simple, or start a whole new adventure for the first time. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time was the return to form the franchise needed and it’s looking good on next-gen.