Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time Reviews
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.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is clearly chopped down and squeezed into portable form, but where sacrifices in framerate, draw distance, pop-in, LOD and resolution have been made they're relatively minor and entirely forgivable in the overall collect-a-thon fun-fest you're able to play on your TV and on the move!
From multiple points of view, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time feels like a game that shouldn’t work. Single-player, mascot-driven, no-nonsense platformers are rare nowadays.
Let's hope it's not another 20 years until the next one. But until then...
Crash 4 is the kind of retro throwback that actually earns its spot as a successor to the original trilogy. There's the occasional bandicoot stumble, but it's a responsive, precise platformer that looks as good as it plays.
So though the Switch port of It’s About Time takes a significant step down graphics-wise, it’s a fair trade-off to ensure the game’s colourful, zany antics aren’t lost in translation. That is to say, it’s the brilliantly rich and responsive platforming that should be focused on here, rather than the dulled-down visuals – it’s certainly not enough to hinder your capacity to bash crates, munch wumpa fruit, and spin attack your way through time and space. Oodibigah!
A great game, even if it's horribly frustrating a lot of the time. While it's a wonderful follow-up to a classic series, this port makes it a bit of a tougher sell than other versions of the game.
Sigue siendo uno de los mejores títulos del año pasado y todo amante de los plataformas debería darle un tiento porque hay juego y contenido de calidad para rato.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Like the PS4 version, Crash Bandicoot 4 – It's About Time is a great platformer that is a gorgeous title and must buy for fans of the series. It does, however, feature extremely high difficulty hampered by not-perfect controls.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time honors its own name, serving as the much-deserved sequel to the original trilogy. Naturally, it has flaws, but it gets it right by perfecting the gameplay and elements for which the series became known, such as linear stages and centralized platform challenges. In addition, it also brings hints of novelty in the form of Quantum Masks and extra characters. We don't know what the future holds for the series, but if Crash 4 is any sign, we can say that we are in good hands.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Crash Bandicoot hasn't changed much, and that's - mostly - a good thing. Some more substantial additions would be more than welcome, as the new things on offer feel underused here - like the mask abilities and the extra playable character, which can only be used in very specific spots and/or levels. The replay value is once again very high, first due to the many collectables, and, second, because of the "your skill is the limit" Time Trial mode. As expected, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time remains as challenging as its older siblings. Mostly because this is…well, Crash Bandicoot, but sadly this also happens because of the much worse perspectives. Fixable by a patch? Hopefully, yes, as it lowers the fun factor quite a bit.
Crash 4 is an excellent purchase for all those PC players who really want to put themselves to the test with a tough-as-nails platformer. Toys for Bob proved once again to be a solid fit for the franchise, expertly following in the tracks of Naughty Dog while adding their own to the mix. Definitely give it a chance, and don't be discouraged by its difficulty – we've all been through it.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is an excellent free update for those who already owned the old-gen version of the title, with improved framerate and resolution and considering the low price it’s also the perfect opportunity to buy it for those who had only the next-gen consoles and hasn't had a chance to try the game on PS4 or Xbox One. The difficulty in classic mode is really hard and will give even the most experienced players a hard time while the modern one, with checkpoints, is suitable for all types of players and the amount of hours of fun guaranteed by this new chapter of Crash Bandicoot, between main and secondary levels, is really high.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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.
"Get yourself a new mask!"
Review in Finnish | Read full review
The next-gen upgrade for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time makes an already fantastic and content-rich platforming game even better.
Crash Bandicoot 4 is a raving success when it comes to producing a sequel worthy of the franchise's original trilogy. Any fan should have no hesitations in picking this up. The content on offer is huge, with tons to collect and aim for in every stage, costumes to unlock, different characters to play as, fresh gameplay that compliments the familiar, and bundles of humour and charm. This is not an easy game, however. Getting to the end is one thing, but be prepared for one of the toughest tasks in modern games if attempting to 100% every level. Despite the performance cutbacks on Switch, it runs and looks well enough, but if portable play doesn't matter to you, it might be wiser to opt for one of the other versions.
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.
Overall, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a challenging game that’s going to be enjoyed by a lot of people, but it might not please everyone. It’s difficult, sure, but there’s a ton of content here with a lot of replayability. Have I enjoyed everything the game has to offer? Absolutely not, but I will keep coming back to it until I have.
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.
Review in Italian | Read full review