Release Date: June 30, 2017
Developed by Vicarious Visions studio from the USA, a remake of the first installment of the Crash Bandicoot franchise. Compared to the original production, this title features brand new graphics along with a fresh soundtrack. Even though there are a few minor improvements in mechanics, the backbone of the game stays the same.
Crash Bandicoot HD published on PS4 is a major remake of the first instalment of the legendary Skylanders series.
The action takes place on the fictional Wumpa Islands situated near Australia. The archipelago serves as a test area for doctor Neo Cortex who conducts experiments with a special laser which transforms animals into intelligent humanoid hybrids. The mad scientist plans to raise an army of those obedient creatures and to invade the world. However, Crash – one of Cortex’s unfortunate victims – stands in his way. The brave bandicoot decides to fight him and his minions, and to free the animal hostages.
Crash Bandicoot HD is a classic 3D platform game. Still, as the original version was one of the first of its kind, completely-remastered visuals and a brand new engine do not cover the title’s roots completely, which can be seen in the untouched gameplay model. Players cannot control the camera directly – it follows Crash in a pre-defined manner. Moreover, given the modern standards, most of the locations are extremely linear. Also, in some of them the camera switches to the 2.5D perspective.
During gameplay, Crash goes through different levels which represent different places of the Wumpa Islands. The protagonist faces not only dangerous traps, but also enemies that can be beaten with the spin attack or, simply, by jumping on their heads. The number of the protagonist’s lives is limited and if you lose all of them, you will have to start the level from the beginning or from a checkpoint. Chests scattered around the locations contain different kinds of secrets and power-ups, such as Aku Aku mask that grants time-limited invincibility, or special crystals which unlock a level’s completion.
Drawing inspiration from Naughty Dog’s original concepts, models, and projects, the developers of the remake recreated the original title virtually from the scratch. Apart from new graphics, the authors introduced improvements to gameplay and the interface. The title also features a new soundtrack and cut-scenes.
Platforms:
PlayStation 4
Developer: Blizzard Albany / Vicarious Visions
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
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A series of 3D platformers starring a lovable striped dachshund. The series was created by the Naughty Dog studio, but over the years has ed into the hands of many developers (including Radical Entertainment or High Impact Games). Currently, the rights to the brand are held by Activision-Blizzard, and King (the creators of Candy Crush).
