To be honest, a someone who has played MARVEL’s Avengers from Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix, this latest news announced yesterday evening (16/10/2020) comes as no surprise at all. In the weeks since the game came out there have been many issues reported by players both from a technical point with bugs and crashing issues to just the sheer lack of end game focus showing at Crystal Dynamics short sighted attempt to copy the Destiny model was just that….short sighted.
Our first State of the Game update discusses what we're currently focusing on along with what's in store for the future of Marvel's Avengers.
In a new blog post which they have called their first “State of the Game” address, Crystal Dynamics goes on to explain that the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S feature upgrades have been delayed into 2021:
Marvel’s Avengers’ launch was not without turbulence, and we recognize that a number of issues detracted from your enjoyment of the game. This does not align with Crystal Dynamics’ value of craftsmanship, and for that we sincerely apologize.
“Over the past weeks, our team around the world has been heads down fixing bugs and tuning key gameplay systems guided in part by your feedback. Since launch, we’ve released rapid updates to address these bugs, improve game stability, and refine our matchmaking system. While our work is never done, these fixes and additions have made improvements to the overall player experience.
We’ve also made the decision to shift our PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S launch to next year to ensure that we give our team the time to deliver a next-gen experience showcasing all that this game is meant to be. More details to come.”
The post also confirms that the new content, the Kate Bishop and Hawkeye characters, which were originally played for an October 2020 release, have also been pushed back to allow the team to….fix more of the game!
“Moving forward, we intend to have a fixed, predictable patching cycle to ensure all new content meets both our and your high standards and has time for extensive internal testing. We know fans are hungry for new content, but delivering a fun experience is our priority. With this in mind, we’ve decided to push Kate Bishop’s Operation launch back a bit, out of October. We’re sorry for this slight delay, but we are dedicated as a team to quality first.“
The launch of MARVEL’s Avengers has been shocking, whilst an excellent Campaign story and introduction of Kamala Khan, voiced brilliantly by Sandra Saad, were the highlights of the game, the rest made it such a complete broken mess that the very fact well over a month later they are still trying to fix it for me says more than this blog post claiming “we are dedicated as a team to quality first” lines of PR spin.
With Next Gen upgrades pushed into sometime 2021 and post game new content also being delayed, it really is going to take something right special to keep fans both interested and to make some return because this game has copied so much from Destiny and that includes the fatigue!
Swedish based lifestyle brand WeSC has built a natural relationship with inspiring, provocative and upcoming figures in music and sport, becoming a well-respected brand, since 1999.
Now returning with a new headphone line-up, WeSC’s focus is on building on its reputation as a trend leader in Lifestyle Audio once again.
WeSC, a lifestyle brand that mixes subcultures such as skateboarding, art and music combined with fashionable designs to create products that catered to the global youth culture.Born in Stockholm in 1999, the name We Are the Superlative Conspiracy [WeSC] comes from the sense of unity that has always been exceptional in the skateboarding community – the creativity, attitude and people are what laid the foundation for WeSC.Your music, wherever you go, WeSC brings True Wireless, On Ear- and In Ear Headphones to market globally from 1st October 2020. These new youth inspired headphone designs feature high quality dynamic sound focused on a minimal, striking and contemporary look. Providing maximum comfort and sound isolation allowing you to focus on a life-in-style without distraction.
The True Wireless Earbuds keep you connected at all times without the hassle of tangled cables. Recharge and go out all day, fully charged they will play your favorite playlists for up to 20 hours. The Earbuds are iPX4 rated, so will hold up against elements like heavy rainfall. The compact charging case is compatible with all Qi-wireless charging pads and feature a convenient LED indicator for the battery status. Easily adjust your volume with touch control on the Earbuds or use the built-in microphone to call hands free. The WeSC True Wireless Earbuds are available in Black and Navy retailing for €59.95 / £54.99. There will also be a version in Pink, which will retail at €64.95 / £64.95.
The On-Ear Headphones are your ideal headphone for on the go with its foldable design. With a total playtime of up to 9 hours, the headphones also features an integrated microphone and button panel to keep control of your playlists. The headphones are available in Navy and Pink, retailing for €49.95 / £44.99.
The In-Ear Wired Stereo Headsets are designed to be lightweight, compact and comfortable. Balance and clarity are guaranteed for the perfect sound experience. Built-in microphone and push-to-talk button for hands free calling and music control. The In-Ear Headset is available in Black and White, retailing for €14.95 / £12.99.”We have waited for the right time and partner to re-enter the headphone space. The partnership comes at a perfect time as true wireless continues to grow in the market and the consumer is looking for trusted brands where fashion meets function,” said Joseph Janus, CEO of WeSC.WeSC are known for numerous exclusive collaborations and limited editions with renowed brands and artists such as Adidas, Absolut Vodka, Nokia, Smart and the Andy Warhol Foundation, RZA, Skrillex, Axwell, Beny Fairfax, Jason Lee, Arto Saari, Galantis and more.
The new collection of lifestyle inspired headphones are now available online from Amazon:
True Wireless Earbuds WeSC True Wireless Earbuds keeps you connected at all times without the hassle of tangled cables. Recharge and go out all day, fully charged it will play your favorite playlists for up to 20 hours. The Earbuds are iPX6 rated, so it will hold up against elements like heavy rainfall and high-pressure water.
Key Features: Bluetooth Version:5.0 Wireless Working Distance: 10m / 33 feet Battery Capacity Of Earphone: 2*50mah Battery Capacity Of Case: 550mah Earphone Charging Time: Approximately 2 Hrs Earbuds playtime: Up To 5 Hrs Total play time: 20Hrs LED Status: Indicates4 Battery Stage Water-resistance: iPX4 rating Integrated Microphone: for handsfree calling and voice assistant.
On-Ear Headphones WESC On-Ear Headphones have a light and foldable design and makes it the ultimate travel companion. The built-in microphone allows for handsfree calling and access to your voice assistant. A full charge gives up to 9 hours listening to your favorite playlists.
Key Features: Bluetooth Version:4.2 Wireless Working Distance: 10m/ 33 feet Battery Capacity: 300mAh Total Play Time: 7-9 Hrs Integrated Microphone: Handsfree Calling Total Talk Time: 8-11 Hrs Standby Time: 400-500 Hrs Button Functionality: Power on / Power Off / Music Play / Music Pause / Answer the Phone / Dial-Back Voice Prompt Design easy to store Includes: audio cable, charging cable and storage bag
In-Ear Wired Stereo Headset WESC In-Ear wired Stereo Headset is designed to be lightweight, compact and comfortable. Balance and clarity are guaranteed for a perfect sound experience. Built-in microphone and push to talk button for handsfree calling and easy control of your playlists.
Key Features: Durable Fabric-wrapped cable:1.2 m in length Handfree: Integrated Microphone Instantaneous Communication: Integrated PTT Button Comfort: Earbuds in 3 Sizes Frequency Range: 20-20 000 Hz Impedance:16 Ohm Connection:3.5 mm Stereo plug
Finally – here’s a sneak peek at the PlayStation 5’s user experience! Watch our new video walkthrough to see new features designed to make your gaming experiences more fun, engaging, personalized and social on the PS5 console.
*Note: This walkthrough is set in a pre-production environment, so there may be some minor changes once the PS5 console launches in November.
The PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital will launch in the US on 12th November in the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea and then on 19th November in the UK and rest of the world.
Pricing is set for PS5 Digital Edition price is £360 (€400, $400, AU$599) and the full-fat PS5 with disc drive will cost £450 (€500, $500, AU$750).
First teased in the latest episode of the online show Night City Wire, the Cyberpunk 2077 Porsche 911 Turbo, based on the model range first launched back in 1974, will be included in the game as a unique, fully-drivable vehicle. Its presence is tied to one of the game’s main characters — rebel rockerboy Johnny Silverhand, played and portrayed by Keanu Reeves. The automotive icon retains its classic 1977 look, painstakingly recreated and adapted by CD PROJEKT RED concept and vehicle artists using sketches, photographs, and photogrammetry. The model has been adapted to the reality of 2077 through the addition of, among others, a lidar attached to the front, a set of sensors and elements to identify the vehicle from the air, and electronic mirrors with monitors inside the vehicle.
“Johnny’s a legend of the Cyberpunk universe. When thinking about what kind of car he’d be driving through the streets of Night City, we knew it would have to be one just as legendary as he is. Having Johnny’s story in mind, and being huge fans of Porsche ourselves, the answer could only be the classic 911 Turbo,” said Paweł Mielniczuk, Art Director of Characters, Weapons and Vehicles, CD PROJEKT RED.
In addition to the 911 Turbo appearing in the game, a real-life and fully operational rendition of its Johnny Silverhand variant has been constructed. The car will be available on display outside the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart from October 15th to October 22nd. It is also featured in a commercial shot on location, telling the story of a car that retains a mysterious connection to its previous owner.
How many microphones does it take to make an in-game car sound believable?
More of a two wheels fan? No worries, the developers got you covered! Go behind the scenes of our cooperation with Arch Motorcycle with the company’s co-founders, Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger.
In Night City, looks are everything…
Now let me tell you a story, V walks into a diner…
Cyberpunk 2077 will release November 19th, 2020, for PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Stadia. The game will also be playable on Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 consoles when available. At a later date, a free upgrade to Cyberpunk 2077, taking full advantage of next-gen hardware, will become available for owners of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions respectively.
The LEGO Group has announced the first addition to the much-loved LEGO® MINDSTORMS® theme in seven years. The new LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor 5-in-1 set unleashes a new world of fun, creative coding possibilities and provides the ultimate playful learning experience for young inventors and creators.
For over two decades, LEGO MINDSTORMS has inspired those of all ages to test and build their confidence with technology through play. By combining the LEGO building system with robotic and coding elements, builders can create anything they can imagine, while developing the STEM skills that 7 in 10 parents say are essential to their child’s future success.
This latest evolution of the much-loved theme continues this commitment to helping children develop STEM skills in a fun and exciting way at home. The new LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor 5-in-1 model gives builders aged 10+ the power to bring one of the set’s five unique designs to life or take their own builds to the next level by programming them to walk, talk, think and do more than ever before. Kids can also code their own remote-control features for the models in the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor app or connect their own controllers to the app using Bluetooth.
From your new sidekick Charlie to action hero Blast, the five personality-packed bots or new intelligent creations can be easily controlled remotely using the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor app. The app is also packed with over 50 fun coding challenges and awesome activities to help those of all abilities build coding confidence. The app uses drag-and-drop coding language based on Scratch to support those getting into coding for the first time, as well as Python for advanced coders looking for new challenges.
Packed with 949 pieces and new LEGO Powered UP components, the LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor will be available in Autumn 2020 from LEGO.com, LEGO Retail Stores and retailers globally. The LEGO MINDSTORMS Robot Inventor 5-in1 set will be priced at £329.99 and includes digital building and coding instructions for these five unique robots:
Blast
this master robot is a stoic action hero. It can fire or hammer its way through obstacles and grab items. Builders can be the ultimate commanders, programming it to scan its environment and fire darts if it senses danger. Perfect for guarding your room!
Charlie
this quirky sidekick helper can give out high fives, dance, play the drums, deliver small gifts, and charm friends with its smile.
Tricky
the sporty bot is the ultimate athlete. Code it to complete the perfect slam dunk or master a plethora of robot sports: basketball, bowling or soccer – the list goes on and on.
Gelo
a real life four-legged robot. Its unique mechanism means it can walk, avoid obstacles, and even perform tricks.
M.V.P.
The Modular Vehicle Platform gets the job done. Create and code your own remote control and build the M.V.P. into a buggy, a crane, a shooter turret or even a brick-eating truck to pick up LEGO bricks left by the other robots.
Are you going to buy this new set? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
Discover Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s new game features in this Deep Dive Trailer. Learn how to grow your settlement and build the influence of your clan in England while you uncover the mysteries of the Hidden Ones!
Eivor’s clan is ready to settle in new frontiers….
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is less than a month away from its November 10 release date, and while we all eagerly wait, the Ubisoft News team has new gameplay to break down following an extensive hands-on session with the game. Game designer Jessica Maher joins the stream to shed some light on the settlement of Ravensthorpe, Valhalla’s new combat mechanics, the return of social stealth, and so much more.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla takes you to ninth-century England and puts you in the roll of Eivor, a fearsome Viking raider
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will be available on 10th November, 2020 on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Epic Games, Uplay & Stadia. Also coming to PlayStation 5 on 12th November.
Pre-order now at https://www.assassinscreed.com/buy Pre-order now and get an additional mission: The Way of the Berserker Follow Assassin’s Creed:
It’s official! 2020 marks the 60th Anniversary of SEGA! It’s been a long and winding road to get here, encompassing some of gaming’s most iconic moments, scores of unforgettable games and the overcoming of multiple obstacles in a way that would make a certain hedgehog incredibly proud. SEGA West is delighted to announce its plans to celebrate this amazing milestone in its history with its millions of fans around the world. Head over to the newly launched sega60th.com for more details.
The week-long 60th anniversary celebrations start today on Steam, as gamers will be treated to awesome discounts on SEGA’s diverse portfolio of products (check the Steam promotion page here for more details). There are also some brand new, free-to-own retro-inspired mini games, which have been created by SEGA studios specifically for this 60th anniversary.
Armor of Heroes – Relic Entertainment – A retro-inspired multiplayer tank romp for up to four players in versus combat and couch co-op. Available from 15-19 October.
Endless Zone – Amplitude Studios – The Endless universe and Fantasy Zone™ collide in this side-scrolling shoot ‘em up. Available from 16-19 October.
Streets of Kamurocho – SEGA – Kiryu and Majima from SEGA’s critically acclaimed Yakuza™ series are raging on the Streets of Kamurocho in a new, but familiar challenge. Available from 17-19 October.
Golden Axed – SEGA – A build of a never-before-seen glimpse at a canned project called Golden Axe™: Reborn. Available from 18-19 October. So, just one day.
To claim your free games, all you need to do is head to the linked product page on Steam above and click ‘Play Game’, this will add the game to your library, and it will be yours forever. Act fast, once they’re taken down from Steam, they’re gone forever! In addition, Steam users who link their accounts to their email addresses at sega60th.com will be treated to SEGA Saturn classic, NiGHTS into Dreams, for free during the 60 day celebration.
The fun doesn’t stop when the promotion is over though, as from today, the SEGA social channels and 60th Anniversary website will be lit up with 60 days of fantastic SEGA content. SEGA will be hosting let’s plays, regular competitions, interviewing SEGA stalwarts from all corners of the business and treating you to video and editorial content covering different parts of SEGA’s rich history.
Modus Games has announced that the upcoming JRPG title Cris Tales will be delayed from its original November 17 release date. The classically-inspired game will now release in 2021. Cris Tales will be coming to both current and next-gen consoles, releasing on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Stadia.
“The decision to delay was a tough one, but was made to ensure that the developers at Dreams Uncorporated and SYCK have a chance to bring the best version of Cris Tales to fans anxiously awaiting its release,” said Christina Seelye, CEO of Modus Games.
The developers at Dreams Uncorporated and SYCK also shared a personal message to fans here — https://modusgames.com/news/cris-tales-delay-developer-message/ — and announced an upcoming AMA scheduled for Oct 16 at 12pm PT on Reddit followed by an AMA on Discord.
On the bright side, consumers can now pre-order a retail version of Cris Tales on any platform including PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X to receive a bonus game poster!
Cris Tales is a time-bending JRPG where past, present and future are brought together on one screen. Players can use Crisbell’s amazing ability to slip between time periods, aiding citizens across Crystallis’ kingdoms and pushing enemies to specific points in time for an upper hand in battle. The game has been highly anticipated since its reveal at E3 2019, where it won several accolades and nominations, including Best Indie Game and was recently nominated for Best Indie Game and Best RPG at Gamescom 2020.
Players can head to the Xbox Store, PlayStation Store, Nintendo eShop, Steam, or GOG to download the demo on their platform of choice now.
To learn more about Cris Tales, visit cristalesgame.com to pre-order, join Modus’ Discord channel and follow Modus on Twitter (@Modus_Games).
With Christmas coming up fast, LEGO have some new sets out. One of the new sets is the LEGO City Ocean Exploration Base (set number 60265).
Kids who love the sea and its wildlife will love this LEGO City Ocean Exploration Base (60265) playset. There’s lots of fun to be had exploring the coral-covered ocean or chilling out inside the base with its interchangeable living and research modules. And with a cool toy crane, docking submarine and underwater drone, plus shark and stingray figures and a 5 strong team of explorer minifigures, there’s plenty of excitement for kids to discover!
You’ll find easy to follow building instructions for this 5+ LEGO City toy in the box. Or you hop online and download Instructions PLUS, part of the LEGO Building Instructions app for smartphones and tablets. This interactive building guide, with amazing zoom and rotate viewing tools, quickly turns budding LEGO builders into master builders!
LEGO City is proud to support the work of National Geographic Explorers. And with feature-rich buildings, cool vehicles and fun characters our Ocean playsets inspire realistic play scenarios for budding explorers.
Kids can dive deep into imaginative underwater adventures with this amazing LEGO City (60265) Ocean Exploration Base playset. It has all kids need for a fun and rewarding play experience.
A toy ocean exploration base with interchangeable living and research modules, plus a docking submarine, underwater drone, 5 researcher minifigures and shark and stingray figures.
The LEGO City Ocean Exploration Base features interchangeable living and research modules and a docking submarine with movable inspection arms, spinning propeller and opening cockpit with room for two minifigures.
When built, the exploration base measures over 7” (20cm) high, 10” (27cm) wide and 5” (15cm) deep, while the underwater drone measures over 1″ (3cm) high, 2″ (6cm) long and 1″ (3cm) wide.
This building set comes with a printed building guide and Instructions PLUS – an interactive construction guide for budding builders. Available as part of the free LEGO Building Instructions app for smart devices.
LEGO City is proud to support the groundbreaking work of National Geographic Explorers, who help build a better world for us all. LEGO City Ocean playsets introduce kids to the exciting world of underwater exploration.
This set is amazing – it has 497 separate pieces and is a lot of fun putting together. The new interactive construction guide is really useful and is a lot of fun too. You can spin the build around on the screen, zoom in, go forwards and backwards and have the instructions stored in your collection in case you need them in the future. This really makes a difference to the build process.
The LEGO City Ocean Exploration Base (set number 60265) is available to buy now priced around £54.99. Why not add it to your collection?
Interest in horror games has been steadily rising over the years with the likes of gore fest Outlast and the tense Alien: Isolation helping. Whilst Wales Interactive is mainly known for interactive film like games, it’s now released the more traditional horror game Maid of Sker.
To celebrate the release of You Should Have Left on DVD and Blu-ray, we are offering you the chance to win a copy on Blu-ray.
A former banker, his actress wife, and their spirited daughter book a vacation at an isolated modern home in the Welsh countryside where nothing is quite as it seems.
How to enter to win
We have a copy on Blu-ray to give away, simply enter below:
Ernest Cline, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of READY PLAYER ONE and the highly anticipated sequel,READY PLAYER TWO, participated in this year’s virtual New York Comic Con via a Zoom interview with Wil Wheaton (the audiobook narrator for both books).
Zooming from his garage with his custom DeLorean parked nearby, Cline surprised fans and Wheaton by unexpectedly unveiling the READY PLAYER TWO’s plot details to the world for the first time. Cline impromptu emailed Wheaton the details on the spot and asked him to do the honour of reading them out loud for all to hear. In a classic comic-con moment, Wheaton shared the details with readers for the first time even as he discovered them himself. Penguin Random House has subsequently released the details (jpg attached):
READY PLAYER TWO will publish in hardcover, eBook, and audio editions on November 24, 2020 in the U.S. and U.K., followed by publication in more than 50 countries.
The details of Cline’s virtual global book tour will be announced soon, and Cline teased something exciting being planned with Roblox, the massively popular global game platform, similar to the OASIS in Cline’s in READY PLAYER ONE.
In their conversation, Cline geeked out with Wheaton about the making of the blockbuster adaptation of READY PLAYER ONE directed by Steven Spielberg and his recent adventures with his DeLorean. He also opened up about his early life, touching on how growing up poor in a trailer park, and working tech support while pursuing writing, helped inspire his debut novel, READY PLAYER ONE. “If I hadn’t had those experiences, I never would have been able to write the book.”
Cline offered inspiring advice to all his fellow writers struggling to stay positive in 2020, “Something I share with writers who feel like they aren’t doing what they want to be doing is to draw on whatever is happening in your life because those are the experiences that can help you change your life. Maybe you’re having those experiences for a reason.” In another hopeful thought on 2020, Cline said, “all these artists and creative people in quarantine are going to create a bunch of art that is going to change the world. That’s what art is, it’s making something beautiful out of the negative parts of life. That’s what I was trying to do with READY PLAYER ONE and READY PLAYER TWO.”
With Christmas only a few months away you might want to take a look at a rather unique gift from the Natural History Museum.
Have a cracking Christmas with these six Build Your Own Dinosaur crackers.
A fun festive activity for kids and adults alike, fold, stick and slot the included components to create three T. rex and three Stegosaurus standing crackers.
Inside each cracker, you will find a tissue hat, an activity and a dinosaur finger-clasp so your ferocious friends can join you for the feast.
These build your own dinosaur crackers are roar-some (sorry!). If you are a fan of dinosaurs then these are a really fun addition to your Christmas table and make for an interesting experience! Which dinosaur is your favourite?
The Build Your Own Dinosaur Crackers from The Natural History Museum are available now priced £25 from The Natural History Museum website, along with a number of other really cool gifts.
The Crash Bandicoot series was a real love of mine back in the old days, and by old day I do mean the PlayStation One days and, in those days, a console needed a mascot. Nintendo had Mario, Sega had Sonic and PlayStation got a bandicoot called Crash from the early days of Naughty dog studios. Crash Bandicoot over the years is a series of games I remember very fondly but it took the remade N’Sane Trilogy Collection of the original games to remind just how bloody hard those games were, something my nostalgic brain had clearly chosen to forget. But those memories are back and I absolutely both loved returning to those games to have my inner gamer butt kicked like it was 1996 again but also seen new fans discover the games all over again and like them, I was left wanting more of the original style of game. Last year we had Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fuelled to further make the longing for more Crash platforming even stronger and finally here we are, 2020 and 22 years after the last canon Crash Bandicoot and we have Crash 4 and ironically, it really is about time!
Now in the hands of Toys for Bob studio, Crash Bandicoot 4: About Time, cleverly builds on the success of the N’Sane Collection and Crash Racing Nitro-Fuelled in that the visual style is absolutely gorgeous. The colours are vibrant, the sounds are authentic and the characters are brought to life both voice and animated absolutely brilliant. Looking like a PIXAR made Saturday morning cartoon, About Time is absolutely stunning. As a fan and player of the original games, the series has never looked better than it has not it was been brought to current gen consoles over two decades later and Toys for Bob have gone all out to make it a truly delightful world to be in for players of the original and those new to the series with the remakes.
Crash 4 picks up the story following the events of Crash Bandicoot 3 Warped which saw the villains trapped in a prison in the past. Uka Uka attempts to free himself and Doctors Neo Cortex and Nefarious Tropy by opening a hole in the fabric of space and time, but his final effort ultimately causes him to pass out. Cortex and N. Tropy seize the opportunity and abandon Uka Uka, and discover that the rift they used links their universe to the rest of the multiverse, and decide to make use of it to conquer all dimensions. It is up to Crash, aided by his sister Coco to stop the multiverse from being conquered by finding and collecting the Quantum masks. Sounds pretty simple right?
Right away you can play as either Crash or his sister Coco, they can be switched between outside of levels and other than a change in animation, they both have the same abilities of jumping, sliding and spinning attacks. The levels are very classic Crash Bandicoot with levels that switch between going left to right and back of screen to front of screen. Platform jumping and spinning attacking enemies still feature as does the challenge of smashing every crate and collecting every apple. What was a relief but also a disappointment to a degree at the same time was in how much of the original gameplay style has been maintained by Toys for Bob, everything just feels like a classic Crash game should from the level designs to the boss fights that finish each world you visit in search of a Quantum mask. If you are coming out from playing the N’Sane Collection then this will a feel very familiar. My disappoint comes in the fact that there was a chance to fix some of the old issues that still remain with the standard gameplay such as the still very annoying floaty jumping that is going to cause more losing of lives and checkpoint restarts than ever. Now this is very much a part of the game but its an aspect that could have been tightened up a little, even the fact that when you jump a landing marker appears beneath your character to give an indication of where you will land, it is still so easy to just mess up a jump.
There are new mechanics though which the new Quantum masks brings such as the ability to switch dimensions to reveal hidden platforms and crates to the ability to defy gravity for longer and higher jumps and these new powers are used so well within the brilliantly designed levels to change things up a little and they can be both fun and serve as a difficulty spike as well. As you progress you will also unlock more characters to play such as an alternate universe version of Tawna, who helps Crash and Coco at first but then leaves to complete her own mission, adding more side levels which will interact with the main missions in a timey whimey delicious way, her grapple hook mechanic once again added a new and fresh gameplay plus it is a very clever reintroduction of more classic characters from the series.
One big addition has to be the two modes of play you can choose from, ‘Modern’ or ‘Retro’. Retro is the classic way to play Crash 4, you have the standard three lives and lose all three and you have to restart the level which for those who remember or played the original games, is the real challenge of them. But this can be restrictive and add that level of frustration which can send controllers across the room preventing progress which is wear ‘Modern’ comes in. Now Modern is by no means “easy mode” because the levels and gameplay remain the same, what Modern does do however is allow player persistence by letting you have as many lives as you need to complete a level, checkpoints help keep progress in the level and it has that cushion that prevents absolutely hitting that wall stopping players moving forward. Believe me, Modern will still remind you that you can do better because it shows you how many lives you have used, and if like me, it takes you 29 lives to complete one difficult level, you cannot help but know you should be doing better.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time has so much content which old school fans will really appreciate with bonus activities such as the ‘Flashback Tape’ levels which are based on the original testing and experiment performed on Crash himself before the original game to the local co-op ‘Pass and Play’ mode which has two players taken turns to complete a level in a quicker time. Thankfully as yet there are no microtransactions so all the extra character skins are unlocked via gameplay, adding more incentive to learn, practice and complete levels to obtain them. There is just a whole lot of Crash in this game and that is good because this is a fully priced AAA game when you compare it to how much the N’Sane Collection set you back. It is a big ask but the game gives you a lot of the asking price.
Crash 4 was indeed worth the wait capturing everything that made the series so loved and builds on what the N’Sane collection did in bringing the series back to a modern generation of console and gamers. It is tough but rewarding and does exactly what the original games did, it kicks your butt but never enough to make you feel like you cannot finish it……old school with a fresh look, this is definitely one for your game collection and with the new generation of console sent to launch in just over a month, I would not be surprised to see this get a PS5 and Xbox Series X upgrade for Ray Tracing goodness potentially.
