Crash Bandicoot™ 4: It’s About Time
" Vibrant action platformer with tight mechanics and creative levels but tedious collectibles "
Crash Bandicoot™ 4: It’s About Time Review
Crash Bandicoot™ 4: It’s About Time is widely regarded as a solid and entertaining continuation of the classic platformer series, blending nostalgia with new mechanics and vibrant visuals. Players appreciate its challenging gameplay, tight controls, and varied level design that introduces fresh abilities and characters while maintaining the core box-breaking and fruit-collecting formula.
However, the game is often described as punishingly difficult, particularly regarding 100% completion, with many players finding the abundance of collectibles and hidden items tedious and frustrating. Some criticize the design choices that feel deliberately tricky rather than fair, alongside occasional technical issues like crashes and questionable accessibility options. The story and humor receive mixed reactions, with some feeling the tone and character portrayals are off compared to earlier entries.
Overall, it’s a visually appealing, challenging platformer that will delight fans but may overwhelm newcomers or those seeking a more casual experience.
Highlights
Players praise the tight and upgraded platforming mechanics that demand skillful moves, enhancing the classic Crash experience.
The game’s art style and graphics are celebrated for their vibrant, colorful, and detailed design, capturing a modern cartoon feel.
The storyline is a fun, self-aware continuation of the original trilogy’s narrative, featuring familiar villains and nostalgic references.
Many commend the large, varied levels and the inclusion of new characters and gameplay twists that keep the experience fresh.
Criticisms
Common criticisms focus on the excessive difficulty and tedious collectathon elements, which can frustrate players, especially during 100% completion.
The game’s design sometimes feels unfair or deliberately tricky, leading to repeated deaths and annoyance.
Some players find the story and character portrayals less polished, with humor that can feel forced or overdone.
Technical issues such as crashes and lack of polish in accessibility options also detract from the experience.
Additionally, the large number of collectibles is seen as padding that diminishes pacing and enjoyment.
Pros
- • Tight and responsive platforming mechanics elevate classic gameplay.
- • Vibrant, colorful, and detailed art style with modern cartoon aesthetics.
- • Varied and large levels with creative design and new gameplay elements.
- • Engaging continuation of the original trilogy’s storyline with humor.
- • New characters and abilities add freshness without losing series identity.
- • Smooth performance even on less powerful hardware.
- • Nostalgic references and fanservice for longtime Crash fans.
Cons
- • Excessive collectibles make 100% completion tedious and frustrating.
- • Difficulty spikes sometimes feel unfair and punishing rather than fun.
- • Certain design decisions lead to repetitive deaths and annoyance.
- • Story and humor occasionally feel forced or off compared to originals.
- • Accessibility options are limited and lack important visibility features.
- • Some technical issues include crashes and bugs in later stages.
- • Collectathon padding detracts from pacing and overall enjoyment.
Rating Criteria
It’s About Time - the critically-acclaimed Crash Bandicoot™ 4: It's About Time is now on Steam!