Review for Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy. Game for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 30/06/2017 The version for PC came out on 29/06/2018 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 29/06/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 03/08/2017 The version for Xbox One came out on 29/06/2018
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy showed so much of itself during the weeks before its arrival on the market, which we remember will be on June 30, 2017. Many comparative videos released, so much the gameplay presented, in short, a mass of massive material aimed at lighting the flame of nostalgia that resides in each of us, especially for those who entered the world of video games, more than twenty years ago, thanks to the orange marsupial. But it is clear that seeing is one thing, and touching is definitely a different kettle of fish, because from the first start Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is like a warm hug.
For those who have lived out of this world in recent times, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is the remaster for PlayStation 4 of the first three chapters of the platform series developed by Naughty Dog during the nineties (of which we have already dealt with a special). Three titles in a single game, which has the primary purpose of addressing Sony aficionados. N. Sane Trilogy is in fact a faithful re-proposal of what lived decades ago on the first PlayStation, however, made more modern and attractive both in terms of graphics and in terms of gameplay.
For the rest, everything is as we remembered: the levels, the music, the position of the boxes of Wumpa fruits, the movements of the enemies. Even it is possible to find some goodies which were intended to make young players smile, such as jumping on the tender Polar sitting in front of his portals in Crash Bandicoot 2 just for the whim of annoying him, or the presence of tricks to avoid being hit by boss attacks, like Papu or Ripper Roo, and find the secret passages to reach hidden areas.
Vicarious Visions, the team that took care of the development of the remaster, showed great care and attention in the realization, guaranteeing both the typical fun of Crash but also the thrill of taking on his shoes. However, this almost maniacal reproduction of the three original chapters could make anyone who expected something more turn up their noses. In reality this is not the case: regarding the game mechanics, it is clear that these have been made much more fluid and immediate. Also because the platform genre is no longer as popular as it used to be, so fast and agile commands serve to make engaging a genre that is perhaps obsolete, especially for the new generations. As for experienced gamers? For them there is the possibility of using the directional buttons instead of the well-established analog sticks. The choice is yours, depending on your style. Finally, a symbol of modern times, there will be auto save, although it will be possible to manually save in the game area.
The most interesting aspect is that gameplay varies from chapter to chapter. Crash becomes lighter and less woody, episode after episode. If you recently picked up the first Crash Bandicoot, you will remember the feeling of "heaviness" in making it move and jump in the scenarios. In the remaster this perception is revived but in a veiled way, highlighting the differences chapter after chapter. However, the difficulty remains average, with the first decidedly more complicated and insidious than the third (just mention the Road to Nowhere level to understand this), while the second represents a middle ground between the two. In addition to passing levels and collecting crystals, there will be the classic time races and the inevitable collection of gems.
Among other welcome news is the presence of Coco, Crash's sister, in all three chapters as a playable character. It will be unlockable only after passing a certain number of levels, and it cannot always be used, as in the case of boss fights or sections in which Crash gallops something other than Pure. Nevertheless, it is nice to note the space that has been dedicated to her, an indication of the recent change that has affected the videogame world, as it does not often happen to see a female character as a heroine of a platform.
Naughty Dog had already shown a certain foresight with Crash Bandicoot 3, but with N. Sane Trilogy Coco gains greater value, also because she will be endowed with the same abilities that her brother is characterized by. So both can jump, spin, slide, and so on. This from a content or semantic point of view, if we want to say so, because if we are based on mere aesthetics, we must specify that Coco's look, tremendously modern and geek, clashes with the tribal and exotic settings of the first Crash Bandicoot.
Beyond this observation, stylistically Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is really well done. The colors are lively, bright, they blend together naturally. Even the character design has been improved: the characters are softer in shapes and rich in details: just pause on the fur of the various crazy animals that make up the Crash universe to notice it. The less harsh features could dampen the typical irreverence of the protagonists in the Naughty Dog era, but the final result is still very pleasant and appreciable.
As for the music, the songs slavishly follow the known ones of the original trilogy, even if you rework in a more modern perspective. A wise move, since if Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy wants to focus on nostalgia, the sound sector is among the main elements on which to rely.
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a tribute to all those who grew up with the invention of Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin, in 1996. It is proof of how Sony, twenty years ago, managed to create a mascot for their console, which decades later is still capable of attracting legions of gamers. The other goal of this remaster could be to bring young people closer to a genre and a character that had their golden age in the nineties. Yet, the fidelity through which each element was reproduced (levels, music, characters, style), underlines the desire of Activision, Vicarious Visions and Sony itself to address a safe and loyal public. If you want to feel that warm feeling in your chest, if you want to smile again at Crash's grimaces, or get angry again because a box of Nitro has exploded, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a perfect gift for yourself and your career. by gamers.
► Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a Platform-type game developed by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the video game was released on 30/06/2017 The version for PC came out on 29/06/2018 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 29/06/2018 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 03/08/2017 The version for Xbox One came out on 29/06/2018
