Billy Drake

So, after a rather long wait, I got my hands on Crash 4 on launch day. Since launch, I have been playing it off and on, and have progressed far enough to form an opinion of the game. I loved the original trilogy. I have all the Naughty Dogs, black label even, sitting on my game shelf. I loved the N Sane Trilogy when it was released. I know these games inside and out, so I was expecting something in that vain with Crash 4. Sadly, we did not get that with this game. While I love the art style, and visually this game is beautiful, there are too many other problems that keep this from being a truly good sequel to the trilogy. Firstly, the mechanics are a bit off. Crash feels like he is tied to a bungee cord every time he jumps. The masks can be cumbersome to use at times. Secondly, is the difficulty. Personally, I feel that Toys for Bob did not strike that same balance Naughty Dog did in making honest, fair challenges, that go gradually rather than exponentially. Toys for Bob went all out with no moderation at all. Lastly, are the other characters. Playing as Dingodile is rather boring and uninspired, and Tawna's wall jump does not work at all. Her hookshot does seem to work for me, however. Cortex levels are mostly puzzle based, and his limited moveset can make a level frustrating at times. When you look at the whole package, it seems Toys for Bob tried to create something for the lovers of the original trilogy, but missed the mark big time. Naughty Dog understood what moderation was; they did not create every level to be as hard as it could be, just because they could. I also was not a big fan of Toys for Bob blinding everyone with references. Cheap references do not make a game good, and blinding everyone with nostalgia cannot hide a lack of talent from the developers. I would skip this game if I were you.