A month out from release and we’re still getting huge reveals!
During this morning’s Gamescom Opening Night Live stream, Geoff Keighley gave us a fresh glimpse at some of the new challenges awaiting everyone’s favourite mutant marsupial.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time promises to be a return to series’ roots and as many remembered upon release of the N. Sane Trilogy, Crash was unforgiving as hell back in the day. Marketing for this latest instalment so far has really played up all the ways in which Toys for Bob have modernised the franchise, making it play closer to how you remembered it being, rather than the cold, extra-life stealing reality it actually was. So it’s refreshing to see the team acknowledge that yes, Crash 4 will still have its fair share of platforming challenges in this latest sneak peek at the game.
During this new snippet showcased during Gamescom, we were treated to a glimpse at how they would reinvent the series’ classic “death routes”. These were additional pathways unlocked in Crash 2 & 3 when players made it through a portion of the level without losing a life, here seeing a return in the form of “Flashback Tapes”. Hereupon getting to a designated spot in the level without dying nets players the opportunity to play through a special VHS tape detailing Crash’s escape from the mad Doctor that captured him prior to the original game.
It’s another clever example of how Toys for Bob have spiced up a staple of the franchise in such a way that newcomers, perhaps uninterested in chasing down every single collectible, will be encouraged to tackle new challenges under the promise of filling in Crash’s backstory.
Although I was a little concerned the game might have lost some of its trademark difficulty, I was pleasantly surprised to see the developers showcase that Crash 4 would certainly have plenty of challenges awaiting long-time fans at launch.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is releasing October 2nd for PlayStation and Xbox.