REVIEW – Video game fans (the real ones, those who enjoy playing games wherever they are) are living one of the best stages in the industry’s recent history. New sagas that are born; old glories that return. Triple A, indie, and virtually all genres represented with quality, even those that seemed forgotten. This year is, in fact, a year that fans of the platforms will enjoy to the fullest.

After the return of former Rare with Yooka-Laylee, the second half of the year will see the return of three legends of the beloved platforms: a classic Sonic 2D, with Sonic Mania; an open and 3D Super Mario with Super Mario Odyssey and we have now the return of the original Crash Bandicoot, with the game at hand, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.

Three legends on a single disc

Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy is a remake that collects in a single disc the first three games of Crash Bandicoot, the trilogy of Naughty Dog – also known for being the creators of Jak & Daxter and Uncharted – that gave to PlayStation a mascot almost official. And we say almost because, remember, the rights of Crash Bandicoot are of Activision, which is why the saga reached other platforms.

Licenses aside, we have before us three games that marked many players, and that became an icon of the platforms of the time: Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. As good classic platforms, its playability is based on running, jumping, hitting and dodging dangers, usually running towards the bottom of the screen or at levels of lateral development, although there are exceptions; more so in the third installment.

Three-in-one

Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy introduces us the three titles independently, so we can play them in the order we want, alternating them if we want. We can also have up to three independent save files as well as a self-save room that we can deactivate if we want the most purist experience. For the Cazatrofeos, there are three independent sets of trophies, each with its platinum.

Even passed all those years, the three titles hold up surprisingly well. They control great and are still very fun and challenging. Sometimes there are moments of frustration, in which we do not reach a concrete leap, where we believe that an enemy has not given us, or where we simply do not understand what has happened. We think that those moments are part of the original experience, and we have been reminded of the silly anger that we caught 20 years ago playing the console.

If you do not know or do not remember how these three Crash work, in a very general way, each phase has a gem that we get if we break all the boxes of the level, a crystal to collect (which is usually achieved while completing the level in the second and the third game), other gems hidden behind challenges or secret paths and a relic, that can be of sapphire, gold or platinum, and that we obtained completing the phases against time. This makes each level’s replayability excellent, and it always encourages us to go back to them.

It is a journey through time, in which nostalgia covers many of the shortcomings of adventures. Make it clear that they are great games, but over the years and experience we see problems as an unbalanced difficulty or questionable design decisions. In any case, and even with their imperfections, they are a history of the platforms, and it is a real pleasure to rejuvenate them with a facelift or to discover them with graphics of 2017 without losing their essence.

Although the main change of Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy is the graphic jump, in the depths right now, there are also other small changes to adapt the game to 2017. The first is that all Crash can be controlled with the stick or the Crosshead, something that comes perfect for us to have the most precise control in all situations. We also see some small adjustments to make the title more accessible, such as not losing lives by dying in a bonus phase, or the autosave above.

Coco is here

A notable addition is being able to play with Coco Bandicoot at almost every level. And we say almost because there are still some phases assigned to Crash or Coco, in which the other character cannot play. Coco is a change in appearance, since its abilities are the same for practical purposes, although it has its animations. Tracks are also included during the loading screens, with tips about the game.

As we say, the main change is the audiovisual. Vicarious Visions has done a laudable job redoing the graphics of the three Crash Bandicoot, with an adaptation that seems ideal: true to the original but with the technology of 2017. It is respectful, all details are kept in the scenarios (shortcuts, secrets and Even small glitches), and there are times when it almost looks like a computer generated sequence.

Clear image, 30 FPS

If you are interested in the technical details, Vicarious Visions indicated earlier that the game would run on PlayStation 4 Pro at 1440p and 30 frames per second. In our opinion, Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy looks great on a 4K TV, with a clear and clear image, and even with those 30 frames is perfectly controlled. We will not deny that given the closed nature of its levels we believe that 60 images per second could have been achieved without making too many graphic sacrifices, but we already say that the game looks great, and the constant motion blur gives a lot of smoothness to the images in movement.

In the audio, we see an equally praiseworthy work, with the melodies re-recorded with small adjustments, but that does not lose even a glimpse of the original magic. All are still as catchy as before, and bring us as many memories as the scenarios. The same thing happens with the characteristic sound effects.

We missed you, Crash

Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy is a wonderful journey to the beginnings of a saga that made history on PlayStation. The updating in the audiovisual is as faithful as showy, full of memories and very respectful with the original. Also, the three games hold surprisingly well, and are still very fun to play and quite long if we want to make them 100% (at least, you know).

We can only blame him for not deepening the homage and have included interviews, illustrations or other documents from the first games. I would not have been able to switch between new and old graphics, or at least have a gallery to compare the modeling of the characters in PSX and PS4 and see the evolution. In any case, for us, N. Sane Trilogy is the best way to enjoy this saga again, and if you have never played it, it is the best way to discover it.

-BadSector-

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Vicarious Visions

Genre: Platformer

Release date: Jun 30, 2017