the mythical marsupial returns with an adventure faithful to his carefree classic style.
We told it after the presentation of the new Ratchet & Clank for Playstation 5: the platform heroes of yesteryear return, and not with updated or revamped versions for the new platforms, but with games that scrupulously respect the mechanics and aesthetics of their classics, which in some cases date from the late nineties. This is the case of ‘Crash Bandicoot’, a 3D platform game for the first Playstation that coincided in time with the great revolution of the genre, ‘Super Mario 64’, and that now receives a sequel for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One next 2 October 2020.
The first ‘Crash Bandicoot’ was far less sophisticated than Nintendo’s plumber’s 3D foray, but it supplemented it with speed, garish colors and simple, bomb-proof mechanics, with fixed camera and a splendid fauna of characters. The character saw his adventures diversify into other genres, such as the splendid kart game ‘Crash Team Racing’ in 1996, but the original trilogy, developed by the now-billionaires Naughty Dog, remains the most beloved by fans. The recent remake of the first three games for the current consoles in 2017 and 2018 is proof that Crash is still very much alive.
In fact, it is the team that developed that remake trilogy (and also that of another myth of the genre, Spyro, in ‘Spyro Reignited Trilogy’, as well as that of Crash’s trilogy on wheels), Toys for Bob, who have been in charge of this fourth official marsupial adventure. In it, the story line developed until the third title, ‘Warped’ will be continued: the villains Neo Cortex, Dr N. Tropy and Uka Uka manage to escape from the planet where they have been stranded and plan to dominate the multiverse. To do this, they are made with the Quantum Masks, which Crash and his friends will have to gather to restore order to the multiverse.
New game, classic mechanics
Paul Yan, co-studio head of Toys for Bob, has stated in the context of the virtual Summer Game Fest that They wanted to go back to the style of the original classic trilogy, which was the true critical and public success of the franchise. Yan claims that they have injected new styles of play into the series, which mostly come from the mysterious Quantum Masks, guardians of space and time. There are four, and two have been seen in the trailer: Time, which slows down the action to overcome overly frantic obstacles; and Gravity, which allows bandicoots like Crash or Coco to move upside down. The other two masks and their powers, for the moment, remain undisclosed.
The possibility of controlling Neo Cortex will also open up new game possibilities, being able to turn enemies into platforms on which to lean or even use them as trampolines that allow reaching normally inaccessible areas. Yan guarantees that although this game will be “somewhat more open and less linear” than the classic installments, will continue to base his style on a “rhythmic, almost musical quality, and on the importance of timing” when addressing the levels. An old / new challenge for new players and for tall gamers, which corroborates the definitive return of the genre in its most classic sense.
