In an exclusive first look, YouTuber channel PlayStation Access showed off some brand new gameplay footage for the upcoming Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, showing off several new abilities and features in the upcoming game.
In the new video, fans got an exclusive look at two levels from the upcoming Crash title, which was playing natively on a PlayStation 4 Pro. The first level was a new ice level entitled "Snow Way Out," and the second one-- set in prehistoric times-- was appropriately named "Dino Dash."
The video showed off a couple of Crash's new abilities, the first being the ability to slow down time. By the simple press of a button, time will slow to a halt for a short period, allowing Crash to more easily defeat quick enemies or jump across fast-moving ice platforms in "Snow Way Out." The second ability shown was "being able to move between worlds" in an interesting segment of the "Dino Dash" level. It will allow Crash to avoid obstacles and smash specific crates that were previously unobtainable. These abilities appear to vary from level-to-level, which should limit their usage throughout Crash 4.
It's emphasized that Crash 4 plays just like the original PS1 titles, and instead of trying to fix what isn't broken, the game feels and plays just like the original Crash Bandicoot games. Judging by the visuals alone, it's clear that the title shares quite a lot with 2017's N. Sane Trilogy, with the classic Crash gameplay staying perfectly intact and adding in just enough features to make the game's existence still feel earned.
Crash 4 borrows many other aspects of the original games, such as the humorous death animations and grueling difficulty level. The game even includes a death counter, an addition that will surely frustrate novice players and encourage platforming perfection. The game's dino level even has a "run towards the screen, escape the enemy" section, where Crash has to run away from an angry t-rex.
The game also shows off plenty of other new features to the game, including the fact that there are no longer life counters or game overs (there technically are, but that has been mitigated to a "retro mode"). Wumpas are now collectibles, and no longer simply means for getting additional lives. Cortex even appears as a playable character, with a slew of new abilities entirely separate from Crash. Crash 4 feels like a natural progression for the series, something that the original fourth installment Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex sorely lacked.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time releases for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 2.