Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time [PlayStation 5] | REVIEW

We had a lot of love for Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time back when it launched late last year, with my original review stating that:

“Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a brilliant and wild platforming romp that is sure to please series veterans thanks to its fun nostalgia-fuelled gameplay. That’s not to say that complete newcomers won’t enjoy the ride too though, with everything in the game feeling finely crafted – each level offers satisfying platforming challenges, a good mix of kooky enemies to defeat, and plenty of variety thanks to the use of additional characters and the Quantum Masks. It’s just a really, really, REALLY fun game.

It’s tough though, which may be off-putting to a number of players (particularly younger ones) who were hoping for an easier time. With an array of settings to make life easier though (including a landing indicator and the option to play with unlimited lives), even the most frustrating levels won’t see you rage-quitting this exquisite platforming adventure.

There’s simply no doubting it: Crash Bandicoot is back and he’s better than ever in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. The future sure looks bright for gaming’s mightiest marsupial… and who knows, maybe we’ll see a little purple dragon make a grand re-appearance soon too?”

High praise, right?

Well, after running rampant on the PlayStation 4 with a bunch of his buddies, Crash has now brought his latest madcap adventure to the PlayStation 5 (and it’s a free upgrade for anyone who already owned the game). Bringing with it slicker visuals, a solid 60fps frame rate, and some speedy loading times, it really is the best way to experience Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time’s brilliant adventure.

This review is going to focus on the improvements that the PlayStation 5 port has brought to Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Want to get a detailed look at what we though of the game? You can read our original review through this link.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time was already a beautiful game, but seeing it running at a silky smooth and consistent 60fps in an eye-catching 4k resolution really helped bring the whole world to life. Each of the levels you traverse across were already packed with detail, but there’s an added sharpness now that helps everything stand out that little bit more.

It’s something I especially appreciated in the game’s N.Verted levels, where the weird and wacky art styles really stood out thanks to the smoother presentation of the game. It’s also worth noting that 3D audio has been brought in with the PlayStation 5 port too, so it’s definitely worth playing with headphones on if you really want to immerse yourself in the sheer destruction brought with each level.

One of the biggest improvements seen in the PlayStation 5 port is the reduction in load times, with levels taking next to no time to kick into action. Now I’ll admit, when I initially played through Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time the loading times didn’t stand out to me as a particular flaw, but after comparing the two there’s a substantial decrease in waiting time now. It means there’s more time for spinning and less time spent twiddling with your thumbs or checking social media… that’s always a good thing.

Of course, the PlayStation 5 doesn’t just bring souped-up performances to the fray and I’m happy to report that Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time has utilised the Dual Sense and Activity Card functionality really well.

With the Dual Sense, you’ll really feel the force of Tawna, Dingodile, and Cortex’s ranged weaponry thanks to the adaptive triggers, with the added feedback giving the sensation that you’re right there holding each weapon. It’s a neat little addition that adds that extra bit of ‘oomph’ to the overall experience, though it is disappointing that it’s not taken advantage of when using Crash or Coco – especially since you’ll be going through the majority of the game as those two.

The Activity Cards give players a quick and easy way to jump straight into the action, whether that’s by going through previously completed levels, trying out their N. Verted variations, or tackling a time-trial that had been giving you problems. One of my favourite things about Astro’s Playroom was the way that it let me dive right into platforming goodness from the PlayStation 5’s home screen thanks to the activity cards, so it’s great to see I’ll be able to do the same with Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time too.

I’d be remiss not to mention that you can carry over your save data from the PlayStation 4 version of the game, so you can drop right back in where you left off if you’re already playing through the adventure or simply working through collectibles. It has given me the incentive to go back to the game and finally unlock all of the different outfits, and hey, maybe I’ll FINALLY complete all of the time trials too…

Developer: Toys for Bob
Publisher: Activision
Platform(s): PlayStation 5 (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Click here to visit the official website.