Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time has launched to both critical and commercial acclaim. Toys for Bob's reimagining of the iconic platforming franchise hit #1 on the UK boxed charts, outselling Star Wars: Squadrons by a small margin.
However, not everyone is raving about the zany marsupial's latest adventure. Many people are criticizing Crash Bandicoot 4 for being too difficult. While the game is undoubtedly hard, it isn't overly strenuous to the point of being unfair. It is a challenging title that gives players a classic platforming experience, while staying true to the original trilogy's difficulty.
Video games used to be much harder than they are now. Limited storage capacity meant developers had to find other ways of stretching out a game's playtime, so consumers felt like they were getting their money's worth. Therefore, developers made games exceedingly hard to make them seem longer.
Players were forced to learn all the ins and outs of each level if they wanted to progress to the final mission. These types of games are commonly described as being "Nintendo Hard," since many of them were on the original Nintendo and SNES. Although Crash Bandicoot debuted after the "Nintendo Hard" era, it was cut from the same cloth as many of its predecessors.
The original Crash Bandicoot Trilogy has the same feel as many of early, difficult platformers. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is no different. Each level requires skill, precision and a bit of memorization to complete.
Players shouldn't expect to breeze through the game if they aren't familiar with challenging platformers. Mastering a platformer like Crash Bandicoot 4 takes time and dedication. Gamers will sometimes spend hours or even days trying to get past a specific area of a level. Although getting stuck on a stage can be frustrating, getting past it can be extremely rewarding, which is why many gamers enjoy difficult games like Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.
Another thing people need to consider before giving up on Crash 4 is how different it is from most mainstream titles. Challenging platformers aren't as abundant as they once were. Many popular titles incorporate platforming elements, but very few make it their main focus. Players need to have a firm grasp of a platformer controls and familiarize themselves with the game's flow before they can conquer each stage successfully.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time is the sequel long-time fans have been craving for over two decades. It gives players a challenging platforming experience while staying true to the original trilogy. The game might feel a bit unfair or frustrating at times, but the sense of accomplishment after completing a difficult stage more than makes up for the aggravating sections.