Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

2020

platform
adventure
action
fantasy
science fiction
comedy
single player

The story

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is the eighth Crash Bandicoot series game, though the fourth chronologically. The game retains the series' core platforming gameplay and adds new elements through the use of the Quantum Masks, who can alter levels and provide means to traverse or overcome obstacles. It also includes additional game modes for replaying levels, and the ability to control five characters, three of whom – Cortex, Dingodile, and Tawna – have their own unique gameplay and levels.

What it’s like

Bright, saturated cel-shaded worlds in full sunlight: jungle canopies, sun-warmed ruins, icy peaks and sandy coastlines, all rendered in bold outlines and glossy highlights. The camera follows close behind the bandicoot through running, bouncing levels, and the time-warp swirls and Quantum Mask effects glow in electric violets and cyans that stand out against the warm palette. The score is upbeat and bouncy, with comic brass and chiptune-tinged flourishes that loop without wearing thin. Enemies pop into harmless puffs of cartoon debris, so the violence is slapstick and gore-free, though falling into pits and failing a precise jump are frequent and the difficulty ramps toward punishing timing in later stages. Pacing is quick and replay-friendly, with short levels that invite retrying for better times and gems. The mood is playful, cheeky and energetic rather than tender, with lighthearted banter between characters and a loose, time-hopping adventure. It suits a Saturday-morning session, a nostalgic comfort replay, or a low-stakes evening of pattern-learning. It is for fans of mascot platformers who enjoy colourful, cartoonish worlds and don't mind a few deliberate challenges.

More games like Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Timeand we’ll explain which ones fit you.