PlayStation 4 Critic Reviews

The original Crash games are classics. For years, it seemed like we'd never get a new game that's as good as they are. But now, I feel safe saying that Crash Bandicoot 4 is the new best game in the series.

Crash 4 is a cracking platform game and an excellent way to start saying goodbye to the current console generation before the inevitable switchover to PS5 and Xbox Series X.

There’s so much to Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and so much that feels like a miracle. Many sequels this far after a series’ prime can feel like they’re stuck in the past and are merely mining nostalgia. Crash 4 does do a bit of mining, but it also strikes gold in how it impeccably balances respect for the bandicoot’s history and modernity. Crash Bandicoot 4‘s stellar level design, responsive controls, deep replayability, and superb animation all come together to create such an outstanding experience that not only brings this bandicoot back to life, but also removes it from the dusty shelf where all the other taxidermied ’90s platforming mascots go to be forgotten.

The challenges and style make the latest installment in the Crash Bandicoot series instantly feel like one of the classics, but there are so many new features and abilities that the game is several steps ahead of its predecessors. It's both a throwback to the past and an innovative glimpse into the future, striking a balance that so few reboots and sequels are able to find. If you love Crash, It's About Time is as close to perfect as you can get, even if it makes you break a controller now and then.

I can’t think of a better platformer released in the past several years. Crash 4: It’s About Time is an absolute must buy and it’s truly about time that Activision returned Crash to his former glory. Hopefully we don’t have to wait another 20 years before we get another sequel.

Crash 4 will delight fans new and old with its stylized visuals, delightful sense of humor, and hard as nails platforming. While the new characters have a few control issues, the game is an absolute blast from start to finish.

Crash Bandicoot 4 is a masterpiece in almost every aspect of the experience it offers. The excellent N.Verted mode, tough Flashback levels, extra characters, objectives to hunt down, collectibles to collect, and engaging campaign and bosses come together to provide one of the best platforming games on PS4 and an experience that rivals Nintendo's best 3D platformers. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is nothing short of an essential experience for everyone.

Overall, Crash Bandicoot 4 is the best-playing entry in the series and a must-buy for fans – even with some cumbersome jank on its backend. It’s one of the finest platformers of the last decade and manages to seamlessly combine and transition between 2D sidescrolling and 3D platforming better than anything on the market. It plays like a dream and anyone who wanted a new Crash game in the style of the old ones will be happy, as will those hoping that core game design would be taken to the next level.

I honestly did not expect such a stellar game. Crash Bandicoot 4 is breathtakingly beautiful, features an amazing soundtrack full of references to the original trilogy, offers tons of content, and thrilled me to bits with its brilliant level design. What’s more, it stayed true to its gameplay roots, while introducing loads of great new mechanics. For me it’s the game of the year. I salute you, Toys For Bob! [12/2020, p.58]

Crash is back again with one of its best adventures that feels and plays like a modern instant classic. Welcome back good old Bandicoot!