My very first console I ever owned was the original Playstation. For the longest time, I didn’t own any games for it except for the demo disc that came with the console. It was an orange and black disc that had about nine different demos. The demo for Crash Bandicoot 2 was the highlight of the bunch. I would play the demo endlessly, enjoying the playful and goofy charm from Crash, the upbeat and incredibly catchy tunes, to even the cartoonish look of the game. I loved everything about it and even though I could only replay the same two levels over and over…that’s exactly what I did. A few months later, my parents bought me the actual game and it immediately became the reason why I loved Playstation in my early years as a gamer.
The Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy brings you all three original titles in full HD remastered glory. Vicarious Visions did an outstanding job recreating the entire series onto modern day hardware. Every level is exactly the same as it was in the original titles, but with a major upgrade in graphics. Crash’s fur, animations, and the environment all looked like it was taken straight out of a Pixar film. The polish here is really outstanding.
Check out the sweet gameplay down below:
So, we know the game looks great but is there anything else to this remaster besides a facelift? Well, not much. There are leaderboards for each level (yes, every single level throughout all three games) for completing the level the fastest. You can compare your completion time against your friends to see who is the fastest shorts-wearing marsupial and let the trash talk begin. Another newly added feature is the ability to play as Crash’s sister Coco. She plays exactly like her brother Crash, so it’s literally just a skin but still cool nonetheless. Also, having an auto save feature was a nice addition. If you ever played the classic games, you probably remember losing data because you forgot to go to the computer and manually save your game. I know this is a pretty standard feature for most modern games, but it’s nice to see them take the extra step and add it in.
The game controls exactly like the original. In my eyes, this is equally good as it is bad. The Crash series wasn’t exactly the best platformer but it was fun. The controls always seemed a bit off with timing, Crash always seemed a tad slow to react to jump commands and spin attacks, and all of that is present here. Now, for purists, this is great news! The original formula is untouched and feels just like it did in the 90s. But when you compare it to some more modern platformers, you start to see its age in the controls. That being said, the game is still incredibly fun and holds up quite well! I couldn’t stop playing it and the addition of trophies just makes it all much sweeter.
Whether you’re a nostalgic-hungry OG looking to re-play these classic titles on your PS4 or a young whipper snapper that hasn’t had the chance to experience this series, the Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy is a worthy pick-up. It sets the bar for remastered titles, sticking to the original formula and added just a few modern features to enhance the experience. Priced at $39.99, it truly is a great deal for anyone looking to re-live some gaming memories, or experience some new ones for the first time.
Will you be picking up the Crash Bandicoot N Sane Trilogy, why or why not? Are you an original fan of the series or a fresh newcomer? Let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear what you guys think!
