Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

 Switch
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 84 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 84
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 84
  3. Negative: 11 out of 84
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  1. Tiank
    May 31, 2021
    7
    Pros:
    - feels like a decent continuation of the original games
    - story is quite funny - you can play as 3 different characters for a few levels - plenty of levels - N.Verted mode levels look really cool - performance on Switch is great Cons: - gets frustratingly hard near the end - too much going on the screen sometimes, causing confusion - too expensive, not worth the full    Pros:
    - feels like a decent continuation of the original games
    - story is quite funny
    - you can play as 3 different characters for a few levels
    - plenty of levels
    - N.Verted mode levels look really cool
    - performance on Switch is great

    Cons:
    - gets frustratingly hard near the end
    - too much going on the screen sometimes, causing confusion
    - too expensive, not worth the full price

    I was incredibly hyped at the beginning, loved how smooth the gameplay was and I had great fun for the first 10 hours. At first, I was trying to max each level after completing it, but and one point I decided to finish the game first and then go back to the difficult levels to max them. However, the difficulty of the last levels discouraged me. I ended up finishing the game, and leaving it, not feeling motivated to max everything. Reached around 70% completion, and I had fun for most of it.

    I would recommend it, but only on sale; sadly it's not worth the full price.    … Expand
  2. miniroo
    May 8, 2021
    7
    Let me start this review off by saying that I think that Crash 4 is an enjoyable game, especially for casual gamers. While it doesn't have a truly engaging story, it has plenty of levels to enjoy that looks great, sounds great and offer a decent challenge most of the time. The levels also have fun gimmicks like slowing down time, making boxes appear/disappear on command and rail grindingLet me start this review off by saying that I think that Crash 4 is an enjoyable game, especially for casual gamers. While it doesn't have a truly engaging story, it has plenty of levels to enjoy that looks great, sounds great and offer a decent challenge most of the time. The levels also have fun gimmicks like slowing down time, making boxes appear/disappear on command and rail grinding sections that will make playing through the considerably long levels more enjoyable. Overall, if you only want to get through the base game without collecting everything, you have a pretty nice package here that should last you around 10-15 hours.

    However, if you're the type of gamer that likes to experience everything that a game has to offer, like me, then that nice little package starts to stink of **** Each level offers a lot of replay value, some good but mostly bad. You have the good, like completing time trials, collecting all crates and making it through the level without dying. Then you have the bad like collecting a set percentage of Wumpa fruit (which is not all that different than collecting all crates and feels like extra padding to artificially lengthen your play time) and finding hidden gems. What could be bad about finding hidden gems, something that normally enhances one's game experience with exploration (like Mario or the older Crash games for example)?

    Well it seems Toys for Bob went out of their way to make finding these gems as obnoxious as possible. While a few of these gems are genuinely well hidden with good visual cues, most are placed in spots that don't make sense or are flat out off the screen. Players with lots of patience may be able to find these gems on their own, but most will likely have to rely on a strategy guide to find them (myself included), which really hurts the experience by taking away the satisfaction of finding said gems on your own with well thought out visual cues.

    The last thing I want to focus on are the levels, and specifically their pacing. These levels are LONG, like I mentioned earlier, and significantly more so than the older Crash games. While this should normally be a good thing, it isn't for this game. Failing a time trial or dying more than 3 times (if you're trying to get the gem for low deaths) means having to restart a level all over, which can take 10 to 15 minutes to complete in real life. This is especially demoralizing if you run into these unfortunate circumstances near the end of a level (made worse by the long load time when you hit the restart button).

    In conclusion, Crash 4 is enjoyable ONLY IF you play through the base game. Trying to get `100% (or 106% for this game) quickly sours the game experience with artificial difficulty (made worse with the inverted levels, which are primarily reskins of the original level with barely noticeable changes to enemies and crate placements). I only recommend this game if you only want to play through the main story or if you really want the satisfaction of fully completing the game with the nsane 106% requirements.    … Expand
  3. SuperClaudio64
    Aug 10, 2022
    7
    Crash 4 ha il potenziale per essere il miglior gioco della serie, ha un ottima grafica, un buon numero di collezionabili e un sacco di riferimenti a titoli del passato. Tuttavia la difficoltà per completarlo al 100 o 106% lo rendono un gioco frustrante e stupidamente masochista, sia nella lunghezza dei livelli che nel enorme quantità di ostacoli che ignorano Aku Aku e uccidonoCrash 4 ha il potenziale per essere il miglior gioco della serie, ha un ottima grafica, un buon numero di collezionabili e un sacco di riferimenti a titoli del passato. Tuttavia la difficoltà per completarlo al 100 o 106% lo rendono un gioco frustrante e stupidamente masochista, sia nella lunghezza dei livelli che nel enorme quantità di ostacoli che ignorano Aku Aku e uccidono immediatamente il giocatore. Bel gioco se si ignorano i collezionabili, altrimenti è il peggiore dei 4 su quel aspetto, troppo esagerato nella difficoltà.… Expand
  4. ophone
    Jan 6, 2022
    6
    This game doesn't get me hooked.
    I went to the world with that reptile guy who has an Australian accent and lost the will to continue further in. Controls can be approximate, it's hard to perform precise jumps, collecting crates and fruit is tedious while the musical score is generic. But I have to admit Crash is a funny guy and the game looks pretty well for a Switch title.
    Even it not    This game doesn't get me hooked.
    I went to the world with that reptile guy who has an Australian accent and lost the will to continue further in. Controls can be approximate, it's hard to perform precise jumps, collecting crates and fruit is tedious while the musical score is generic. But I have to admit Crash is a funny guy and the game looks pretty well for a Switch title.
    Even it not being totally in 3D, there are platformers in full 3D that handle better and have a better presentation, I'm primarily thinking about the 3D Mario games.

    Sure it offers challenging sections, but in the end Crash Bandicoot 4 lacks pep, especially aurally.
    And maybe I'm not getting its humour.    … Expand
  5. Allissei
    Nov 8, 2021
    5
    Another Crash... It's good but it's very unfair in a lot of stuff
    If you aren't perfect in a lot of moments, you don't get completition

    So only buy it for a low price, play the story and NEVER try to play more than the story
  6. LukaumSK8X
    Nov 21, 2022
    7
    O visual gráfico me pareceu melhor que o One S, um pouco mais definido e sem borrão. Tem uma certa granulação nas texturas que parecem até defeito na GPU mas nada fora do comum ou que chega a atrapalhar. No geral achei bom no Switch Lite

Awards & Rankings

74
#74 Best Switch Game of 2021
51
#51 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Nintendo Force Magazine
    May 17, 2021
    85
    The perfect place for anyone to jump in if they're interested in this brand of marsupial madness. [Issue #52 – May/June 2021, p. 72]
  2. Gamers' Temple
    Apr 27, 2021
    80
    After so many mediocre sequels to the original Crash trilogy, it’s great to see Crash Bandicoot have a worthwhile game again. The difficulty may be hard, but it’s the type of difficulty that kept me trying. I never got truly frustrated at the game since the game gives you the option to play it like the original trilogy (with limited lives and restart level once all are gone) or with a new style (unlimited lives and continue from checkpoints). It’s only super hard if you try to 100% all stages, which is a good challenge for diehard players. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is every bit what a Crash sequel should be and is very comparable to the Naughty Dog installments.
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  3. LevelUp
    Apr 9, 2021
    70
    To the clinical eye of the hardcore fan, Crash Bandicoot 4 on Nintendo Switch can be considered as avoidable, however, this may well be different for those who seek the portable experience. Despite the obvious limits of this version, everything, maintains its essence in terms of design and mechanics, saving it from disaster.
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