https://www.cybersport.ru/games/articles/khochesh-zhit-umei-vertetsya-obzor-crash-bandicoot-4-it-s-about-time

Crash himself was less fortunate: after the trilogy and a successful karting game, several more parts came out, but none of them could achieve the same success. The series was pushed into the back box in 2008 and its existence was remembered only in 2017, when a remake of the original trilogy was released. Gamers were delighted, and the same team took on the “fourth” part of Crash Bandicoot, which is a direct sequel to those same games from Naughty Dog.

Day N

Neo Cortex and Nefarius Tropi, the bandicoot’s sworn enemies, find a way to escape the temporary trap. This leads to the destabilization of the multiverse and the release of four quantum masks, and, as always, the fearless Crash and his sister Coco have to disentangle everything.

The plot line, as usual, is needed for at least some motivation of the hero and the insertion of gags into rare videos. But it cannot be said that the story is overly simple: it also contains a place for unexpected (by local standards, of course) twists. At the same time, the authors have enough self-irony: for example, in the dialogue between Coco and one of the quantum masks, an eternal confrontation with Neo Cortex emerges. When asked how many times the bandicoots have already managed to defeat him, Koko claims that there are only three. But the mask “for some reason” is sure that it is more.

It is also worth noting the rethinking of some of the characters: for example, Crash Tavne’s beloved in It’s About Time is a playable character that departs from the usual formula of “lady in trouble”. This time she herself repeatedly helps Crash out of difficult situations, and the gameplay for her has unique features. Another playable rookie is Dingodil, formerly one of the series’ antagonists and now owning his own diner. Flamethrower, by the way, he left in the past, replacing it with something like a very powerful vacuum cleaner.

New toys

Crash 4 does everything to make gamers feel at home on the go: Crash starts on the beach and moves inland through very familiar locations. The techniques in the arsenal are the same: jump (normal and double), spinning, squatting and their combinations. All levels can be passed not only for Crash, but also for Coco – just press one button on the global map. Her skills are no different from those of her brother.

The levels themselves, as in the previous parts of the series, are linear segments with many enemies and traps and require a refined reaction from the player. Among the small changes in the usual formula, one can name, for example, fire boxes: they can burn anyone if you approach them at the wrong time. The innovation, to be honest, is quite controversial, since in some places harmful boxes slow down the gameplay.

The formula changes with the advent of quantum masks, which give the heroes new opportunities. As mentioned above, there are four of them: one is capable of changing reality by removing or adding various objects, the other gives enhanced (and, more importantly, very long) rotation, the third slows down time, and the fourth “switches” gravity. It is the masks that bring that very pinch of new sensations from the settled formula, without changing the essence of the gameplay.

They are introduced gradually and very naturally: players are unlikely to have problems understanding how they work. However, you can spend a lot of time honing the skills of using them. The same rotation is useful in certain situations (for example, when long distance flights are required), but much more difficult to control than normal movement. And slowing down at an unfortunate moment can cause more problems than good. It’s better to keep silent about changing gravity and running upside down.

Replenishment of the brigade

In addition to Crash and Coco, there are three playable rookies. The previously mentioned Tavna has its own unique moveset: for example, she does not know how to crouch, instead of rotating she hits in a straight line from her leg, but she has a harpoon cannon that allows her to reach hard-to-reach boxes, attack enemies or be attracted to various platforms.

The second newcomer is Dingodil. The vacuum cleaner in his arsenal is a universal piece: it allows you to collect wumpa fruits and suck boxes, as well as cover short distances using the “blowing” function. In addition, Dingodil can attack with his tail and throw drawn barrels or boxes of dynamite – he himself jokes that “do not jump on them.”

Finally, the third newcomer is Cortex: the villain is armed with a laser that turns opponents into platforms (solid, bouncing or gas – so as not to interfere), and also knows how to make a dash in a jump – a rather useful skill that regularly helps out in difficult situations.

Levels for new characters are built differently than for the main couple, and also usually reveal certain points from the main storyline. Often, at the Crash or Coco levels, they are faced with the fact that they are being helped by someone who remains behind the scenes, and it is in the levels for new heroes that you can understand how this happened and who is the “culprit” of the events.

Boiling point

What does not take away from the game, so it’s hardcore. The start screen greets the player with a choice of difficulty. The difference is minimal: in the classic, limited lives are given, after which you will have to start the level all over again, and not from the checkpoint, and in the modern game it will simply count the number of deaths, returning to the last save point.

And you have to die a lot. Fortunately, the developers understand the frustration and are willing to lend a helping hand. After about five deaths in a row, the hero is reborn with the Aku-Aku mask, which gives immunity against one attack. A couple of times I noticed how ordinary boxes changed to new checkpoints, which, undoubtedly, was also a plus.

The “slippery edge” problem, which players noticed back in N. Sane Trilogy, remains: characters can still “roll” off the edge if they are unsuccessfully placed or even less successfully land after a jump. This is especially acute when using the rotation mask: with it, control is already more complicated, but the edges bring even more chaos and often cause accidental and ridiculous death.

At times, the game requires literal memorization of a hardcore level from the 1990s: you can perfectly run almost all the way to the next checkpoint, but one tiny mistake can break everything – and throw it back. Git Gud as they say. There is simply no other way.

Masochism as a lifestyle

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