Honestly, the first time I booted up Crash Bandicoot 4 It’s About Time, I thought I knew what I was getting into. I grew up with the original Naughty Dog trilogy on the PlayStation 1. I’ve 100% completed Cortex Strikes Back more times than I care to admit. I figured Toys for Bob would give us a nice, nostalgic romp through some colorful levels with a few new mechanics thrown in for flavor.
I was wrong. So very wrong.
This game is a beast. It’s a precision platformer disguised as a Saturday morning cartoon. If you go into this expecting the breezy difficulty of the 1996 original, you’re going to have a bad time. It’s about time we talked about why this game divided the fanbase and why it’s secretly one of the most mechanically dense platformers ever made.
The Quantum Masks Change Everything
The biggest shift in Crash Bandicoot 4 It’s About Time is the introduction of the Quantum Masks. In the old games, Aku Aku was basically just a hit point. He protected you from a nitro crate or a stray crab. Here, the masks are active gameplay mechanics that you have to juggle in real-time, often while falling at terminal velocity toward a bottomless pit.
Lani-Loli shifts objects in and out of existence. Akano turns you into a dark matter whirlwind that can glide. Kupuna-Wa slows down time, which is the only way you’re getting across those collapsing ice blocks in the 11th Dimension. Then there’s Ika-Ika, who flips gravity.
It's a lot.
Usually, the game waits until the final third of a level to really test your mastery, but by the time you reach "Cortex Castle," the game expects you to swap between these powers every two seconds. It’s frantic. One mistake in your button timing and Crash is toast. It reminds me less of Mario and more of Celeste or Super Meat Boy. It’s a "die and retry" loop that can be incredibly frustrating if you aren't in the right headspace.
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Why the Completionist Run is a Nightmare
If you just want to reach the credits, Crash Bandicoot 4 It’s About Time is a challenging but fair experience. The "Modern" mode helps a ton because it replaces the limited life system with a simple death counter. You can die 150 times on a level (and you probably will on "Toxic Tunnels") and still see the ending.
But if you want that 106% completion? That’s where things get controversial.
Toys for Bob went a bit overboard with the hidden crates. In the original games, crates were usually visible or hidden behind a clever but logical secret path. In Crash 4, crates are tucked behind pieces of the environment where the camera literally cannot see them. You have to jump into blind corners and spin just to see if something breaks. It feels a bit mean-spirited at times.
Then you have the N. Verted levels. These are mirrored versions of the stages you’ve already played, often with a weird visual filter like "underwater" or "comic book style." It doubles the length of the game, but it feels like padding. To get the gems, you have to:
- Find all the crates (again).
- Collect 80% of the Wumpa fruit.
- Die fewer than three times.
- Find the hidden gem.
Doing this for over 38 levels—plus the Flashback Tapes, which are brutal 2D puzzle rooms—is a massive time sink. It’s arguably the hardest platforming challenge of the last decade.
The Character Variety
One thing the game gets absolutely right is the different playstyles. You aren't just playing as Crash or Coco. You get to step into the shoes of Tawna, Dingodile, and even Neo Cortex himself.
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Dingodile is a standout. He uses a vacuum gun to hover and suck up TNT crates to launch them at enemies. He’s heavy and slow, which is a nice break from Crash’s twitchy physics. Tawna plays like a character from a completely different action game, with a wall jump and a grapple hook.
Cortex is the trickiest. He can't double jump. Instead, he has a horizontal dash and a ray gun that turns enemies into solid or gelatinous platforms. His levels feel more like puzzles than traditional platforming. You have to think three steps ahead.
A Technical Masterpiece
From an aesthetic standpoint, this is the best the series has ever looked. The animations are incredibly expressive. When Crash stands near an edge, he doesn't just wobble; he looks genuinely terrified. The environments are packed with detail. In "Off Beat," a level set during a New Orleans-style parade, the music and the environment are perfectly synced. Ghosts play trumpets, buildings bounce to the beat, and the whole stage feels alive.
It’s also worth noting the performance. On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game runs at a buttery smooth 60 frames per second at 4K. On the Nintendo Switch, there are obviously some visual downgrades—texture resolution takes a hit and the frame rate is capped at 30—but it’s a miracle it runs at all.
The Controversy of the "Hidden" Boxes
I need to circle back to the box placement because it's the main gripe most veteran players have. There’s a level called "Run It Bayou." It’s a great level. It has a fun segment where you ride a jetboard. But there are boxes hidden behind trees in the foreground that you physically cannot see unless you happen to crash into them.
This led to a lot of players using guides from day one. When a game's secrets are so obscure that you need a YouTube walkthrough just to finish a level, it loses some of its magic. However, the satisfaction of finally hearing that "perfect" chime at the end of a run is unparalleled.
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How to Tackle Crash 4 Without Losing Your Mind
If you're just starting out or you’re stuck halfway through, here is how you should actually approach the game to avoid burnout:
1. Ignore the Crates on Your First Pass
Seriously. Just get to the end of the level. Get a feel for the physics. The jump arc in Crash 4 is slightly different than the N. Sane Trilogy; there’s a yellow ring shadow beneath you for a reason. Use it. If you try to get every box on your first attempt, you will hate this game by the third world.
2. Turn on the Enhanced Shadow
In the options menu, make sure the "Enhanced Shadow" (the yellow circle) is turned on. Because the game is 3D but played on a mostly linear path, depth perception can be a nightmare. That little yellow ring tells you exactly where you’re going to land. It’s not cheating; it’s a necessary tool for the precision required here.
3. Master the Slide Spin
Just like the old games, sliding and then immediately spinning gives you a bit more horizontal momentum and height. It’s essential for some of the longer gaps.
4. Use Flashback Tapes as Training
If you find a Flashback Tape, play it immediately. These levels are pure platforming logic. They strip away the bells and whistles and force you to understand exactly how far Crash can jump and how crate bouncing works. They will make you a better player for the main campaign.
5. Don’t Force the 106%
Unless you are a literal god of platforming, don't feel pressured to get the Platinum Trophies or the N. Sanely Perfect Relics. The game is a 9/10 experience as a casual playthrough. It drops to a 6/10 if you’re pulling your hair out trying to do a no-death run of "Cortex Castle." Know your limits and enjoy the ride.
Next Steps for Players:
Start by focusing on the "Flashback Tapes" found in the early levels. These are unlocked by reaching the tape without dying. They provide the best "skill check" to see if you're ready for the late-game difficulty spikes. If you can't clear the first few tapes, spend some time practicing your slide-jump timing in the "N. Sanity Island" hub.