If you’re someone who has never played the older Crash Bandicoot games – maybe you were too young or the games felt too old compared to modern platformers – then Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is an absolute must play. It’s hands down among the best and even most needed remasters of today, that stays true to the formula of the original games while bringing it up to the polish of today’s visuals.
While Naughty Dog made the original games, the remasters have been made by Vicarious Visions and published by Activision. And they have done a fantastic job of recreating Crash just as many remember from their childhood right down to the music, level design, and the overall style. And where most older games don’t translate all that well on to modern systems, Vicarious Visions’ meticulous work and love for the series shows in how well they have brought Crash back to life almost 20 years later.
The N. Sane Trilogy consists of the first three games from the series that initially released on the Playstation 1 – Crash Bandicoot, Cortex Strikes Back and Warped. Seeing Crash Bandicoot given the HD treatment is just delightful, and at a glance you won’t be able to tell that the original designs were over 20 years old. Levels looks gorgeous with great fire and water effects, and the lush forests have a vibrant glow to them. And this goes across all the three games, and even shows in the gameplay. Sharper and more detailed character models make it easier to see what the enemy attacks are, while not taking away from the difficulty. And mind you, these games are still tough as ever. Platforming is tight and feels great, but you always need to be making the right moves or you won’t last long. You’ll be running around, jumping and spinning to break boxes and collect items. Boss fights are also familiar if you’ve played them before, but look and feel significantly better, and just as challenging.
The musical score is also excellent. It’s not the same as the old soundtrack, but is in the same vein and delivers the same tone. The game also lets you play as Coco, Crash’s younger sister. There’s no real difference between them, except for cosmetic ones, but it’s nice of them to give players the option nonetheless.
Not everything is perfect in the remaster though. There are moments of frustration, most of it because of how true to the original the N.Sane Trilogy is and some of it due to the update. The tight pathways can often lead to frustration deaths, and there are moments when the next jump is not as clear as it should be. And in these moments you are reminded that the game is, as its core, 20 years old.
However, minor frustrations aside, Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is easy to recommend to any fan of the series and to anyone who enjoys a fun, challenging platformer. It’s a great nostalgia trip and an enjoyable game, and I hope to see a full original game from Vicarious Visions in the near future.
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