In the golden era of the original PlayStation, the Crash Bandicoot series was riding high. The original trilogy, consisting of Crash Bandicoot (1996), Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back (1997) and Crash Bandicoot: Warped (1998), was a huge hit with fans for its bold visuals, varied gameplay, and pure fun factor.
The recent release of the Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy, followed by Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled, demonstrated that faith in the Bandicoot survived some questionable later releases in the main series. Now a true sequel, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, is on its way this October. While a lot of long-time fans just can’t wait, there’s also a lot to be nervous about. Let’s take a look!
10 EXCITED: It’s The First Main Series Release In Years
First and foremost, it has to be acknowledged that a genuine mainline sequel is coming out. As much as everyone appreciated the remakes (and the calls for madcap party game Crash Bash to get the same treatment continue), a new, numbered entry in the series is a dream come true.
For many, Warped was the last ‘pure’ entry in the series, with things going quickly downhill after that. The fact that It’s About Time is specifically labeled Crash Bandicoot 4 demonstrates the game’s commitment to going back to the roots of what made the franchise great, which is fantastic.
9 WORRIED: Is It Still Relevant, Or Just For Nostalgia’s Sake?
As mentioned, Crash Bandicoot’s PS1 heyday brought some of the most beloved platformers in PlayStation history. Nevertheless, the original trilogy is definitely a product of its time.
The genre has come along in leaps and bounds in the years since, with the likes of Super Mario Odyssey offering huge and involved environments to freely explore. As much as most are thrilled to see Crash return in a brand-new game, it’s going to need to be a lot more expansive and ambitious to stand up against its contemporary competitors.
8 EXCITED: It Has A Lot Of Potential
In the cheeky reveal trailer, It’s About Time seems to sarcastically retcon everything that followed Warped out of existence (with Crash and Coco pointedly insisting that they’ve only defeated Cortex three times).
Those, as they say, are fightin’ words. The message is clear: This new entry is going to be a return to form for the series. That’s a heck of a promise, but judging by the little fans have seen of the game so far, it’s going to be a bold, beautiful, and engaging platformer that just might deliver on it.
7 WORRIED: The Weight Of Expectation
So, yes. Toys for Bob and Beenox are working to bring long-time fans a sequel worthy of the name, which is always admirable. The issue, though, is that making snarky jokes about the rest of the series will only fan the flames and increase the hype even more.
Naturally, that’s just the point, but there is always the risk that fans will not embrace a new take on a beloved franchise when it is not exactly how they’d hoped it would be. Gamers don’t tend to take disappointment well, and it would be tragic if It’s About Time collapsed under the weight of its own hype.
6 EXCITED: It’s Trying New Things
One reason why developers may be reluctant to revive classic franchises is that it’s such a tricky thing to pull off. While players want a game that remains faithful to the series they remember, they also don’t want a safe re-tread of them. Evolution versus revolution is a tough, tough tightrope to walk.
From the footage that’s been released so far, the team seems to be on the right track. The classic crates and so forth are present and correct, and the time trial clock has also been spotted at the start of a stage. On top of this, though, the content has highlighted elaborate, multi-layered level design, new characters, a new type of crate, and a rail-sliding ability for Crash, among other things.
5 WORRIED: Will Too Much Be Changed?
This is where that whole balancing act comes into play. Nobody wants to wait all this time for a new Crash game to finally be announced, only for it to play identically to the others.
By the same token, if It’s About Time felt nothing like the original trilogy, players would be rightly outraged. The developers seem to have done a great job to keep that bright, bold, and silly aesthetic alive and well, but looking and feeling like the games of old are two different things. Trailers so far have highlighted the new characters, new abilities, and so on, but hopefully, these elements supplement the gameplay fans hold so dear, rather than replace it.
4 EXCITED: It Could Mark A New Era For The Series
The classic series entries were products of their time that could easily be completed in a few short hours apiece by experienced players. Nowadays, the genre offers a lot more bang for players’ bucks.
It’s up to this new game, then, to prove that Crash Bandicoot still has what it takes to compete with the best platformers of today. If It’s About Time is a hit that pleases old fans while enamoring a generation of new ones, it could be just the start of an enormous series revival.
3 WORRIED: It Could Also Ruin The Bandicoot’s Reputation For Good
The video game industry is a fickle one, and it’s often hard to predict which way things will go. There’s a lot at stake with the new title, which could dictate Crash’s whole future. If It’s About Time performs well, the franchise could indeed become a hot property again. Just look at the super-popular Final Fantasy series, which would never have come about if the original hadn’t taken off (last-ditch effort as it was).
On the other hand, the unfortunate flipside has to be considered too. If the level design isn’t up to par or new characters are introduced who fans just can’t bring themselves to like, Crash may never get another shot. Heck, it took him far too long to get this one.
2 EXCITED: We Might Also See The Return Of Crash Bash And The Rest
While the later games were a mixed bag, to say the least, some fans are too harsh on them. Crash Bash, for instance, was a curious little party game that saw characters from the franchise competing in a variety of minigames. Think of it as Mario Party with equally wacky contests, though without the board game aspect and a lot of TNT thrown in instead.
Some members of the fanbase are calling for a remake, though the team would have to see further evidence that the series carries renewed weight for this to happen. Besides that, who knows? Perhaps tweaked remakes that fix some of the issues with Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex, Crash of the Titans, and other such entries could be a possibility too? This would really help Crash’s reputation, increasing the stakes for It’s About Time yet further.
1 WORRIED: It Might Take Inspiration From The Wrong Games
Now, it’s true that the team has gone to great lengths to differentiate the upcoming game from the series’ later missteps. Nevertheless, this particular fear about the new game still needs to be addressed.
As the series went on, Crash’s adventures became increasingly complex. With new elements to keep track of, power-ups to consider, quality of life improvements, new features…the new game has a lot to cherry-pick its inspiration from, but what if it does take a leaf from the wrong books? To avoid the same criticism that some Crash titles were subjected to, It’s About Time needs to tighten the level design and keep it varied and innovative, while not skimping on the overall running time. There’d better be a solid suite of creative boss fights too!
NEXT: Crash Bandicoot: 5 Video Game Villains He Can Beat In A Fight (& 5 He Can’t)
